The top five self-care conditions all potentially require the use of analgesics.

According to the OTC industry’s annual Self Care Survey, headaches, colds, backache, coughs and sore throats were the most common self-treatable conditions experienced over the previous 12 months.¹ A significant proportion of the public still turn to the NHS to treat such conditions; minor ailments result in an estimated 57 million GP consultations and 3.7 million visits to A&E each year, costing the NHS £2.3bn.²

However, 92 per cent of those surveyed acknowledged the importance of taking responsibility for their own health to ease the financial burden on the NHS. When made aware of the cost of self-treatable conditions to the NHS, 29 per cent of those who qualify for free prescriptions said they would be willing to purchase an OTC medicine.¹ The impact could be significant, with 2015 prescribing data for England indicating 22.9 million prescriptions for paracetamol alone, at a net ingredient cost of £87.6m.³

This may start to change, though. Over the past couple of years, several analgesics studies have hit the headlines, with the safety and efficacy of paracetamol coming under particular scrutiny. Greater awareness of these studies’ findings may help pharmacy teams better advise customers buying OTC products, as well as encourage more rational prescribing.