With England's prescription charge currently standing at £9.35 per item, and the cost of living at record highs across the country, any way we can save money on essentials has to be a good thing. When it comes to over-the-counter medication, we are faced with many different brands, ranging from our supermarket basic brands all the way to the branded pharmaceutical medications that we see advertised on our TV screens.
But many medicines - while sporting different branding - actually possess the same PL Number (PL Code for short) which means they are, in fact, the exact same as each other despite having different prices. Saving experts at Raisin UK have delved into the MHRA, the regulator for UK medicines, to understand why we pay more for our branded products.
Paracetamol
When comparing 500MG Paracetamol Tablets (16 pack), Raisin UK discovered that one of the main PL codes was PL 12063/0072 which was linked to the paracetamol that Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Wilko, Boots, Superdrug and Sainsburys all sell.
Whilst the paracetamol wasn’t different from each other, the main difference was the price these retailers sold the products at.
Tesco, Morrisons and Asda all stocked their Paracetamol at £0.29, whilst Boots and Superdrug sold theirs at £0.49 and Sainsburys at £0.50, despite the medication being exactly the same.
Panadol’s PL code was different, registered at PL 44673/0188, but is stocked at around £1 depending on the retailer.
Ibuprofen
This trend carried forward for Long Lasting Ibuprofen, with Galprofen selling their 8 pack for just £1 in B&M stores, whilst Morrisons and Waitrose both sold theirs for £2, the most expensive Long-Lasting Ibuprofen despite being the same PL code.
Hayfever and allergy relief
Similarly, for a 14 pack of Hayfever & Allergy Relief Tablets Cetirizine Hydrochloride, Numark was being sold for £0.59 on Chemist4U, whilst Morrisons sold theirs at £2 and Boots at a 134% increase at £2.99, despite having the same PL code of PL 16028/0066.
Again, Piritize’s PL code was different, registered at PL 44673/0097, but is stocked at around £5.50 depending on the retailer, making it important to shop around and compare PL codes which are visible on packaging.
Prices are correct of Monday, April 25, and were researched using the retailer’s online websites. These prices will not reflect all in-store prices that may be subject to store-specific pricing or offers.
The PL codes were obtained from the MHRA’s official database on Monday, April 25.
