What does this mean for customers?
What does this mean for your product recommendations?
Pain relief products available in the UK, in order of efficacy (based on success rate) according to this study,3 include:
- Ibuprofen 200mg + paracetamol 500mg
- Ibuprofen fast acting 400mg
- Ibuprofen fast acting 200mg
- Paracetamol 500mg
IBUPROFEN
Fast-acting ibuprofen products were shown to have a higher success rate compared to standard ibuprofen and the other NSAIDs reviewed.3
These research results mean that you can be confident in recommending a fast-acting ibuprofen product to your customers.
An example of a faster-acting product is one containing sodium ibuprofen - which is absorbed faster but to a similar extent as standard ibuprofen formulations.5
REFLECTION POINTS
Are you familiar with the NHS advice about giving ibuprofen and paracetamol to children?4
What do you consider when recommending an OTC product for pain relief? What key questions do you ask the customer? How confident are all the pharmacy team when selecting a product to recommend, and what additional advice do they give?