Wednesday 29 June 2016 9:08 am

Nurofen is the most overpriced over-the-counter medicine, while branded drugs are three times more expensive than their generic counterparts

It's enough to give you a headache.

If you thought you'd been short-changed by the cost of painkillers last time you had a cold, or by hayfever tablets as soon as spring came, you were probably right.

Branded medication costs on average nearly three times as much as generic equivalents that do exactly the same job, according to research by MoneySavingExpert.com.

The worst offender was painkiller Nurofen, manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser, which costs eight times as much as its generic counterpart.

A packet of 16 Nurofen from Asda cost £1.98, while Ibuprofen, made of the same ingredients and bringing about the same result, cost 25p, also at Asda. That's a difference of 87 per cent.

We're onto you, Nurofen (Source: Nurofen/Reckitt Benckiser)

In second and third place, a 30-pill packet of hayfever relief drug Clarityn was 83 per cent more expensive than the generic Loratadine, while a 16-pack of Anadin Paracetamol was 81 per cent more expensive than 16 non-branded Paracetamol.

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, said:

The pharmaceutical industry is full of genuine wizards. There are the ones who make the drugs that help in the first place. Then there are the marketers who use a raft of tricks to persuade us there’s hidden magic to their branded goods.

Actually what really counts is the active ingredient. That's the stuff that does the job. If it's the same, sticking with branded drugs doesn't give extra aid to your health, it just hurts your wealth – with massive mark-ups that go to pay for their adverts and profits.

Consumers also need a healthy dose of scepticism when it comes to marketing claims that painkillers can target one specific area of your body.

"These household name firms also sell virtually identical products in different packaging, to make you think you’ve got a targeted special medicine for your condition – in fact it’s just the same old thing," Lewis added.

"Yet the marketing creates a little doubt – we’re all guilty of thinking ‘surely there must be a reason for saying this one is good for back pain’ – and when you’re hurting you spend a little extra."

Only people who have allergies need to take care, MoneySavingExpert.com added, as sufferers need to check there's nothing in the "non-active" ingredients that is different and could cause a problem.

Branded product	Cheapest price	Generic equivalent	Cheapest price	Saving as a percentage
1. Nurofen (16)	£1.98 Asda	Ibuprofen (16)	25p Asda	87 per cent
2. Clarityn (30)	£6 Sainsbury's (i)	Loratadine (30)	£1 Savers	83 per cent
3. Anadin Paracetamol (16)	£1 Savers	Paracetamol (16)	19p Asda	81 per cent
4. Nurofen Joint and Back Pain Gel 35g	£4 Asda	Ibuprofen gel 35g	99p Home Bargains	75 per cent
5. Piriteze (30)	£6 Sainsbury's (i)	Cetirizine (30)	£1.49 Poundstretcher	75 per cent
6. Sudafed Blocked Nose capsules(12)	£2.39 Lloyds	Max Strength Congestion Relief	60p Sainsbury's	75 per cent
7. Anadin Extra (16)	£1.99 Lloyds	Aspirin Extra	54p Asda	73 per cent
8. Imodium Original (6)	£2.19 Savers	Loperamide (6)	59p Home Bargains	73 per cent
9. Nurofen Kids 100ml	£3.15 Sainsbury's	Ibuprofen 3+mths	95p Savers	70 per cent
10. Vicks Sinex Micromist 15ml	£3 Asda	Nasal Decongestant Spray 15ml	£1 Asda/Tesco	67 per cent
11. Calpol Infant 2+ mths 100ml	£2.98 Asda	Infant Paracetamol Suspension 100ml	£1.09 Home Bargains	63 per cent
12. Corsodyl 300ml	£4.49 Superdrug	Chlorhexidine 300ml	£2 Sainsbury's	55 per cent
13. Nurofen Migraine (12)	£2.65 Sainsbury's	Migraine Relief (12)	£1.35 Asda	49 per cent
14. Lemsip Max sachets (10)	£2.69 Savers	Max Strength Cold and Flu	£1.76 Asda	35 per cent
15. Piriton (30)	£3 Sainsbury's	Chlorphenamine Maleate (30)	£2.75 Tesco	8 per cent