Here’s Why A Nurofen Range Has Been Taken Off The Shelves In Australia

British firm Reckitt Benckiser have been ordered to take some painkillers off shelves in Australia, but why the big fuss?

Nurofen

by Sara Macauley |
Published on

A court in Australia has ordered British firm Reckitt Benckiser to remove some Nurofen products from shelves after it was discovered that a range designed to target individual pain was made up of entirely the same ingredient. Boo you, Nurofen.

Nurofen currently markets a ‘Specific Pain’ range, including Nurofen Back Pain, Nurofen Period Pain, Nurofen Migraine Pain and Nurofen Tension Headache, but watchdog types Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) have said that the range is actually made up of the exact same active ingredient, 342mg of ibuprofen lysine, despite costing almost double the price of their standard product.

Not exactly what you want to hear when you’ve been hit with a horrible period and just shelled out an arm and a leg for some pain-busting tablets, is it? Boo you, Nurofen.

The Australian courts have ordered Nurofen to take the range off shelves within three months and, a pending court hearing, will decide on a possible fine for the company.

The Specific Pain range is also available in the UK, but consumer association Which? say they have no current plans to investigate and the product will stay on shelves for the time being.

Hot water bottle and bed it is, then.

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Follow Sara on Twitter: @saramacauley_

This article originally appeared on The Debrief.

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