Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines branding influences consumer “confidence, product selection and safe usage”, according to a new report published last week (January 15). 

The Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), which represents manufacturers of OTC medications, surveyed over 4,000 UK adults to gather data on the “vital role of naming and umbrella branding across OTC medicines” to support consumer confidence to practice self-care. 

Read more: RPS supports DH move for more POM to P reclassifications 

It said 77% of people “sometimes or always” buy branded OTC medicines when treating minor conditions, and 93% of them use the brand name of the OTC to help them “find and pick the right product” when browsing the shelf. 

It added naming and umbrella branding also supports innovation and growth in the OTC sector and support government ambitions in shifting care into the community to “empower people to play a greater role in managing their own health”, as outlined in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. 

Trust 

The report outlined more than nine in 10 people in the UK feel confident using OTC medicines to manage symptoms of self-treatable conditions.  

It said “familiar brands act as trusted signposts”, with consumers naming “trust, reliability and confidence in effectiveness” as the “primary reasons” for choosing OTC medicines. 

60% said “trust related factors” influenced what they bought such as recommendations from healthcare professionals or family members, past positive experiences and overall brand reputation. 

Read more: Two pharmacists and OTC chief recognised in King’s New Year honours list 

Branded OTC websites were seen as “credible sources of health information”, and 47% said it would “always trust” health information from an OTC brand. 

And 41% said they are more likely to try a new product launched under an established brand name, which can help manufacturers innovate and help “reclassification efforts that can widen access to medicines”. 

The demographics more likely to purchase branded OTCs are men, younger adults and Black and Black British consumers, but for younger age groups said they were less likely to be influenced by brand trust when buying an OTC medicine. 

Savings 

In a member survey the PAGB conducted last summer, it found 93% of respondents said umbrella branding is either “critical or important” to their business strategy and it created a positive impact on consumer confidence in “building trust and awareness of products”. 

A 2023 Frontier Economics report commissioned by the PAGB found using OTC medicines saves the NHS “approximately £6.4bn” each year and can save a further £1.7bn by preventing up to “25 million GP appointments and 5 million A&E attendances”. 

Read more: Fewer UK adults visiting pharmacies ‘first’ for medical advice, report reveals

The PAGB released a new report this week that stressed the importance of self-care achieved through OTC products and the government to “prioritise” its implementation in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. 

The Frontier Economics report found OTC products can reduce the economic cost of “lost productivity” by £18bn annually and UK employees using OTC medicines work an average of five extra days a year more. 

The PAGB said self-care and community pharmacy should be “embedded as core pillars in the development and delivery of neighbourhood health” and community pharmacy is given the “infrastructure, data access and resources needed” to help prevention and care in the neighbourhood. 

Read more: Timeline: The NHS 10-year plan for pharmacies at a glance

It comes as in February, the Department of Health and Social Care (DH) published reclassifications across six broad health conditions to “improve opportunities for self care and enable more timely and convenient access to medicines”. 

Last December, the PAGB chief executive Michelle Riddalls received an Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to consumer health.