Exploring pain relief options
Exploring pain relief options
When making product recommendations, you want to be confident that you are recommending the most effective and suitable product for your customer.
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In 2015, a systematic, evidence-based review of 21 common OTC analgesia options (which at the time included OTC diclofenac) evaluated the efficacy of both different types of analgesic, and the different doses or formulations of the same analgesic in acute pain. The model that was used for the study of acute pain was mainly after wisdom tooth extraction.3
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Find out the results in the following video.
This type of research can be used to inform the products you recommend to your customers. Remember to always follow your pharmacy sales protocol when making recommendations.
The products that are available in the UK, in order of efficacy (based on success rate) according to this study,3 include:
- Ibuprofen 200mg + paracetamol 500mg
- Ibuprofen fast acting 400mg
- Ibuprofen fast acting 200mg
- Paracetamol 500mg
IBUPROFEN
Fast-acting ibuprofen products were shown to provide pain relief sooner, and have a higher success rate compared to standard ibuprofen and the NSAIDs reviewed.3 These research results mean that you can be confident in recommending a fast-acting ibuprofen product to your customers.
An example of a faster-acting product is one containing sodium ibuprofen - which is absorbed faster but to a similar extent as standard ibuprofen formulations.4