Nurofen....aussie Court Rules Misleading Packaging On Some Nurofen Products

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35094918

This kind of sharp practise by UK-based Reckitt Benckiser is widespread.
If consumers only used their common sense, they wouldn't be able to get away with it. It has been brought up by Watchdog before and yet some people still pay 2-3 times more than they should for the identical drug in generic form, including a sister-in-law of mine. She insists that the generic ones "don't work as well" ?

[pixie374]

I'm not entirely unbiased. I looked after one of the Mr.Reckitts for about 8 years. But it's just business.

[Huderon]

Sqad was correct earlier - Mikey was not comparing like with like.

Normal Nurofen is just Ibuprofen, the products being withdrawn in Australia are all Ibuprofen Lysine.

I looked earlier today in one chemist and two of them were on sale at exactly the same price - hardly surprising given that they are identical in formulation and dose. Another one, with a higher dose but the same formulation was a bit more expensive. Again, not really surprising.

As for the price differntial between the branded and non-branded Ibuprofen, that's really a matter for the stores which sell them and the suppliers. Customers are perfectly capable of opting for the non-branded product if they wish.

However to defend Mikey's sister-in-law a bit, there was some research years ago which showed that for some people the branded products were more effective and worked faster than the non-branded ones. Perhaps it's down to the advertising or a version of the placebo effect, but it does seem to be true for some people.

[mikey4444]

Huderon....my point was that to sell a painkiller, with the words "good for period pain" in a bright, shocking-pink box, when the same company sells an identical painkiller for a much lower price, is misleading at best and possibly fraudulent.

If my local petrol station started to sell some of its petrol as especially good for Ford motor cars, and charging more than the identical petrol in the adjacent pump, there would be an outcry and the practise wouldn't last long.

The only reason that Reckitts are doing this is to make inflated profits from some people's inability to see what is front of their eyes.

If wolf63 can work this out, so can everybody else but as long as Reckitt is allowed to continue with this misleading practise, than people will continue to waste their money.

[venator]

Mikey - completely agree with you, but getting this industry to give up misleading practices would be quite a task!

Advertising in general too!

[1ozzy]

This was not about generic versus brand name. It was about misleading labeling and advertising. They were making a variety of claims on their labeling that were total rubbish. Labeling the same product in different ways then charging more.
Granted the "ingredients" list in very tiny print hidden nicely on the back of the product would prompt the more astute as to the truth of the marketing spiel, but, who stands and reads all the "small print" on every item they purchase?

[mikey4444]

Venator...our Ozzie friends seem to be getting to grips with this issue but the British authorities seem reluctant to act. I wonder why ?

The tobacco lobby successfully resisted all attempts to end advertising and it was obvious why...because they were able use their huge financial power to influence our Government. But we won out in the end. Perhaps if enough pressure is applied, our Government will change its stance on this issue as well.

[Tilly2]

Mikey, I'm not sure that wolf will appreciate the fact that you have used her as a baseline for gullibility.

[mikey4444]

Iozzy....Of course its difficult to read these labels, which pleases Reckitts no ened ! I would go as far as to say that the printing is so small, that most older people can't read it. If the law didn't force drug companies to put the info on the box, it is highly unlikely that they would do it voluntarily.

That is why the Ozzie authorities have decided to cut through the crap and act decisively. And well done to them for so doing !

[mikey4444]

Tilly...that was not my intention and if wolfie would like me to offer an apology, than I am more than happy to do so. In fact, consider it done.

[1ozzy]

And, they earned themselves a massive fine.
Possibly also a loss of market share due to their dubious marketing techniques.

[mikey4444]

1ozzy....they only have themselves to blame for this. But at least in three months time, Ozzie shoppers will no longer to subject to this sharp practice.

People 1
Reckitts 0

[wolf63]

Tilly - I love that phrase "the baseline of gullibility", thank you for sorting Mikey out for me. :-)

I always buy the generic medicines for myself. It does save quite a bit of money. The more money that I save the more money my brother inherits - or so he thinks. The kitty cat orphanage is first in the queue.

[mikey4444]

Wolfie...well done...now tell all your friend to do the same !

Together, we can bring these drug companies down a peg or two !

[Tilly2]

You're welcome, Woof.

I, like you, always buy generic medicine. In fact, Ibruprofen are so cheap, I can afford to take 600mg at a time. Just as Sqad used to recommend.