The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7257 p41
12 July 2003

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The Proprietary Association of Great Britain (www.pagb.org.uk)

Little growth in OTC market in 2002

There was little overall growth in the non-prescription medicines market last year, according to figures from the Proprietary Association of Great Britain. However, in categories where medicines have been reclassified to general sales list status, sales did grow.

The PAGB says that in value terms the over-the-counter medicines market grew by 1 per cent to £1.76bn in 2002, compared with 2.4 per cent growth the year before. In volume terms, growth was also low at 1.4 per cent, essentially the same rate as 2001.

Mike Owen, commercial director at the PAGB, said that the disappointingly low overall growth disguised a few important trends. Higher rates of growth had been seen in categories where products had been switched to GSL status — 5.8 per cent for hay fever remedies, 11.5 per cent for smoking cessation products and 20 per cent for medicated mouthwashes and sprays.