Medicine brands up to eight times more expensive than own-label equivalents
It comes after advertsing watchdogs blasted Nurofen for false drug claims
CONSUMERS are paying up to eight times more for branded medicines which are identical to own-label equivalents.
Supermarket or chemist own-brand ibuprofen tablets can cost around 1.5p per pill.
But one from leading brand Nurofen costs more than 12p.
Earlier in the week Nurofen was rapped by ad watchdogs for falsely claiming a drug could specifically target joint and back pain.
Now a report reveals that - on average across 15 common medicines - Brits must pay three times as much for branded medicines as generic equivalents that do exactly the same thing.
For certain medicines the mark up was much bigger.
But for Nurofen, the cost was eight times as much. A pack of 16 Nurofen at Asda was £1.98 but the store’s own label was 25p - making the branded version eight times dearer.
The study by Money Saving Expert found Clarityn and Anadin Paracetamol were also bad offenders - with both seven times as dear as own-brand.
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But the report also warned, in its second finding, not to assume every own-brand version is the best value - since their costs varied widely between stores.
Some ‘own-brand' generics sold by major pharmacy chains Boots and Lloyds were more than three times the price of the cheapest equivalent generic.
For example, for hayfever tablets using Cetirizine, Boots and Lloyds were both charging around £8 for 30.
But Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s were all well under £3.
The third finding of the report was that brands have multiple versions of a medicine claiming to do different things - even though they have the same active ingredient.
For example, Nurofen Migraine Pain and Nurofen Tension Headache.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society says branded products cost more because companies have to recover costs associated with developing drugs.
A spokesman said: “There is no difference between branded and generic products, as long as the dose of the drug and the formulation are exactly the same.
“Regardless of cost all medicines are made to the same high standards, so you can be reassured you are buying something that is safe.”
Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert, said: “What really counts is the active ingredient.
“That’s the stuff that does the job.
“If it’s the same, sticking with branded drugs doesn’t give extra aid to your health, it just hurts your wealth - with massive mark-ups that go to pay for their adverts and profits.”
Money Saving Expert compared the cost of 15 common over-the-counter drugs.
Over a week in late-June, they looked for the cheapest price in-store and online at Asda, Boots, Home Bargains, Lloyds, Poundstretcher, Sainsbury’s, Savers, Superdrug and Tesco.
The study by Money Saving Expert looked at the cheapest prices for both, not the most expensive.