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Fast facts

The OTC market

• The current value of the UK over-the-counter (OTC) market is £2.3 billion.

• In 2010, people bought 973 million packs¹ of OTC medicines to treat themselves, compared with 1,028 million prescriptions².

• The highest value product categories are pain relief (£531 million), cough/cold/sore throat (£447 million) and skin treatments (£401 million).

• OTC medicines offer good value for money, with an average product cost of £3.50.

• UK households spent an average of £455 a week in 2009, of which only £5.30 was on health (classified as medical products, appliances and equipment, outpatient services and hospital services).³

• Many over-the-counter medicines have been on the market for decades and have a long history of safe and effective use.  Products are constantly monitored and reviewed to ensure they remain suitable for self-medication. 

Self care and the NHS

• There are 57 million GP consultations a year for minor ailments such as coughs and colds.  This takes up an hour a day on average for every GP and costs the NHS
  £2 billion.⁴

• Despite stretched NHS budgets, GP prescribing for products that could be purchased over-the-counter increased by 5.5% in 2010.⁵

• Self care costs the consumer £0 - £3.50 on average but the cost incurred to the NHS is £111 for stepping into A&E, £32 for stepping into the GP surgery and £16 for a call to NHS Direct.