Generic prescription medicines in UK

[Island-Monkey]

@Tom1234

In the UK, some supermarkets have pharmacies which are open evenings and weekends so you can pick up your prescription when you do the shopping with the added bonus that non-prescription medicines are in the supermarket aisles so you don’t have to spend ten minutes explaining to a pharmacist why you want some ibuprofen for a fever whilst they try and convince you to buy some homeopathic nonsense.

Supermarket paracetamol and ibuprofen for 50p - I always stock up in the UK.

[Tom1234]

@Ace

What have you found to be different about generic ibuprofen?

There are differences - not to the overall result but the speed. Fast-acting ibuprofen work that way as it is made to be more water soluble.
This “faster-acting” is measurable and has to be shown before the “faster-acting” phrase is used.

But, as for different packets of ibuprofen for different pains - headache, back pain, period pain etc - that’s just marketing b"“llsh”"t as these painkillers cannot target a particular body part.

With all these things, there is probably a placebo affect acting alongside the active ingredients - activated by the shiny packaging and higher price, no doubt.

[greenmount]

@Ace

What have you found to be different about generic ibuprofen?

They seem less efficient than one particular product I found some years ago here, but haven’t seen it in the pharmacies lately…anyways, I usually bring a lot of Nurofen from back home because it is much cheaper than the generic brands here. It usually lasts between visits. (and I prefer paracetamol lately)

[Ace]

@Tom1234

Fast-acting ibuprofen work that way as it is made to be more water soluble.

Well yes, but that’s not what the generic is supposed to be.

[greenmount]

@Ace

Well yes, but that’s not what the generic is supposed to be.

There could be small differences in inactive ingredients that are not sufficiently evaluated and they can affect the absorption and metabolism. Otherwise yes, obviously if you can pay less for basically the same medicine why not. I am all aware of the marketing around branded medicines and also the fact that familiarity plays a big role. (e.g. if you’re used to Nurofen for instance you might perceive other products as less efficient)