Martin Lewis’ team of expert say people could save money when buying medicines over the counter
Martin Lewis fans could save money on medication by using a pharmacy trick backed by the personal finance expert. According to MoneySavingExpert, founded by Martin Lewis, people could pay half the price by checking the ingredients rather than the brand name when shopping in a pharmacy.
This is because shoppers may be buying a more expensive pill when an ‘identical’ one is available at a lower price, according to the consumer finance website. However, shoppers can check a nine-digit code to ensure they’re not paying more than they need to when buying over-the-counter medicine.
The MoneySavingExpert website explains: “It’s important to realise you can often save big by buying an identical pill, just in different packaging. Some tablets are half the price of their doppelgangers.”
The guidance continues: “How to spot which tablets are identical. Check the ‘PL number’ on the packet. It’s a unique licence number given to a particular drug made by a particular manufacturer.”
More information on how people may end up paying more for medicine is available in a MoneySavingExpert guide dedicated to cheap and free medications. The advice was flagged in the latest MoneySavingExpert Money Tips Email.
Martin Lewis has also spoken about the nine-digit code in TV appearances. Explaining why the branded choice isn’t always the best, he previously told This Morning: “If they have an identical PL code, which is on the back of the packet, they are the same tablet. Not the same active ingredient—the same tablet.
“Big pharmaceutical companies spend millions of pounds promoting this, ‘Go with the name you know.’ And that’s just baloney in most cases. And I’ll prove it to you.”
Martin then offered an example, comparing a £4.99 product with a cheaper £1.85 product with the same PL code.” He added: “This happens all over the place.”
When This Morning shared a clip of Martin Lewis’ appearance on Facebook, several viewers praised the tip. One commenter said: “I work in a well-known pharmacy. We tell people of the price difference in pain meds and hay fever stuff mostly, and it’s amazing how many people dare not buy the cheaper own-brand stuff. It can make about £12 difference in some cases. Branding really works.”
Someone else wrote: “I worked in a pharmacy for years trying to get people to buy the store’s own cheaper brand, but most customers would say only the branded medicines worked!!”
Another viewer shared: “Used to buy expensive hayfever tablets for my daughter. Now buy Wilkinson’s own, same PL code and only 89p a box.”
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