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A report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed real-terms spending on over-the-counter medicines in the UK fell for two successive years between 2022 and 2024.

Inflation-adjusted figures from the ONS, seen by Independent Community Pharmacist, reveals over £7.6 billion was spent on OTC products in 2024 compared with more than £8.1 billion in 2023 and over £9.5 billion in 2022.

The data also revealed total pharmaceutical expenditure in 2024 was £35.7 billion, 21.3 per cent of which was on OTC medicines, 54 per cent on community-prescribed medicines, seven per cent on immunisation programmes and 17.8 per cent on medicines administered as part of courses of treatment.

By comparison, total pharmaceutical expenditure in 2023 was £38.4 billion, a fall of 3.9 per cent “in real terms caused by reductions in both government and non-government spending”, according to the ONS.

The Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), which represents manufacturers of branded OTC medicines, self-care medical devices and food supplements, told ICP it was unable to comment on the figures.

However, the PAGB pointed to its 2024 report highlighting a two per cent growth in OTC unit sales compared with a four per cent drop in 2023 which it described as “a significant swing in momentum”.

“In the world of OTC healthcare, price continues to drive value growth, as it did the year before,” the report said, adding the swing was “driven by shopper demand rather than prices (which) should spark some optimism for manufacturers and retailers”.

The PAGB said its report used Nielson data and “shows an upward trend for P, GSL and online for 2024”. The ONS figures stretch back to 1997 when just over £3 billion was spent on OTC.