United Kingdom
In a foreword to a blog post by PAGB CEO Michelle Riddalls, the UK medicines regulator MHRA has signalled strong support for expanding Rx‑to‑OTC reclassification as a safe way to ease pressure on the NHS, strengthen the role of pharmacists and improve access to medicines.
New data from Haleon shows that untreated tooth decay costs the UK £18.9bn, strengthening the case for a national focus on preventive oral care. The firm is also expanding its Sensodyne range to meet growing demand for products that combine whitening with sensitivity protection.
Nearly one in five UK adults have used CBD in the past year, mainly for wellbeing, mental health and pain, with many users reporting reliance, strong brand‑trust considerations and growing concerns about unauthorized products.
Umbrella branding in OTC medicines supports responsible self‑care by helping consumers navigate choices, build trust and confidence, and access reliable health information, countering regulators’ long‑standing focus on risks rather than benefits, says PAGB CEO Michelle Riddalls.
Consumer health companies can help accelerate the shift to prevention as employers and through innovation and cross-sector partnerships, unlocking a potential £42bn in savings for the UK National Health Service.
Haleon looks to tap into the growing UK gut health category with Centrum Multibiotics Complete and Centrum Multibiotics Daily.
AI is rapidly reshaping consumer health advertising across Europe, supporting creative work, compliance checks and regulatory oversight, according to a recently published report by UK consumer healthcare industry association, PAGB.
HBW Insight extracts lessons from six ASA rulings related to ads for prostate dietary supplement and self-test products, all of which fell foul of the regulators AI-powered Active Ad Monitoring system.
UK consumer healthcare industry association, PAGB, suggests improvements that could help accelerate Rx-to-OTC switch in the country.
In the second part of a special Self-Care Week episode of Over the Counter, HBW Insight speaks to PAGB CEO Michelle Riddalls about what the association is doing to promote self-care.
Self-Care Week Special: HBW Insight catches up with PAGB CEO Michelle Riddalls OBE to talk about what the association is doing to promote Rx-to-OTC switch in the UK.
“It’s not good enough just to provide products anymore, we need to create a service and a holistic approach to products,” argued Bayer Consumer Health's Northern Europe general manager, Mike Knowland, speaking at a recent panel event in the UK Parliament.
EllaOne manufacturer Perrigo tells HBW Insight that Community Pharmacy England's decision to offer free emergency contraception is "the right move for women" but also "makes pharmacy training and sex education more important than ever."
Lots of young people in the UK are having unprotected sex, but are not using emergency contraception or do not understand very well how it works, according to a recent Perrigo survey.
Brits are consuming insufficient amounts of vitamin D, riboflavin, folate, iron, calcium, potassium, iodine, selenium and omega 3, according to a recently published study. Consumer health companies can help by providing affordable supplements with easy to understand health claims.
Karo says adding MTick certification to selected products helps menopausal women “make confident, informed choices when they need it most” and also represents a “significant business opportunity.”
Women in England are now eligible to access the morning after pill for free from their community pharmacy. Maxwellia CEO Anna Maxwell welcomes the move, but warns that the service must be balanced with OTC options because “waiting, even for a free service, may simply not be an option.”
Haleon, Colgate-Palmolive and other manufacturers have changed the way they manufacturer toothpaste tubes to be sold in the UK so they can be all be technically recycled.
The NHS App should direct users to trusted, external OTC brand resources where appropriate, says PAGB in its latest report.
“Our new range of own label medicines have now launched in store and that’s why we’ve partnered with PAGB, who provide expert regulatory and policy guidance and support in an evolving and complex sector,” explains the UK retail chain, which has become PAGB's 100th member.