Ditch brands for basics

‘With medicine, the name and brand is irrelevant to how well it works,’ says superintendent pharmacist James O’loan. ‘They all must be manufactured to the exact same standard.’ Here’s what to pick:

8 PAINKILLERS

Simply look for paracetamol or ibuprofen instead of brand names.

9 SORE THROAT

Gargling with a 300mg tablet of aspirin dissolved in water is as effective as a pricey anaesthetic spray.

10 ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

‘Viagra is a household name,’ says James. ‘But the drug itself is sildenafil. It’s identical in every way, apart from the price.’

11 ECZEMA

Aqueous cream contains the same liquid paraffin and white soft paraffin as specialist soap substitutes.

12 HAY FEVER

Antihistamines loratadine or cetirizine cost a fraction of the price of brands, plus they won’t cause drowsiness.

13 BLOCKED NOSE

Look for the active ingredient pseudoephedrine, found in Sudafed.

14 EYE INFECTIONS

Look for chloramphenicol, the active ingredient in own-brand eye drops.