OTC medicines: breakdown of sales in Great Britain by category 2024

The total sales value of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs amounted to over four billion British pounds in 2024. OTC refers to a class of medication that can be sold without the need for a prescription. Pain relief garnered the highest sales value at some 857 million British pounds, followed by cough, cold, and sore throat remedies at some 681 million British pounds. 

Prescribed medication

At the same time as the OTC market has been increasing, the number of prescription items dispensed has likewise increased in the same period. In 2023/24, there were 1.11 billion items dispensed in England alone. As a result, the average number of prescription items dispensed per month at pharmacies in England stood at over 7,100 in 2023/24. 

Leading brands in the market

In the UK, one of the leading adult oral analgesic (also known as painkillers) brands by sales value was Nurofen with annual sales of more than 80 million British pounds. The pediatric analgesic market was dominated by Calpol, with annual sales of more than 50 million British pounds.