I’m a family doctor – here’s the money saving code to check when buying over-the-counter medicines

OTC drugs can be expensive.

Whether you’re stocking up on antihistamines or grabbing an emergency pack of acetaminophen, it all adds up.

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With the cost of living crisis affecting millions of families across the country, every penny counts.

Now a doctor has revealed how you can save money the next time you visit the pharmacy, especially if you usually opt for branded products.

dr Karan Rajan said when you buy medicines you should make sure you look for the PL number.

This is the product license number, a unique number of the package that helps with identification.

He explained online: “If you spot two different packs with the same PL number, even if the packaging is completely different and one is branded and one is unbranded, the active ingredient, formulation and product are exactly the same.

“When a company develops a drug, they get unique rights to sell it for a number of years, but once that period ends, any company can make it.”

This means that the exact same ingredients are found in drugs that can sometimes cost double the price of the branded version.

For example, one of the most popular brands of ibuprofen costs around £2.29 for a 16-pack.

If the PL number is the same on a supermarket or pharmacy version costing just 55p, you’re paying over the odds for the exact same drug.

In the clip, Dr. Karan a pack of Sudafed which costs around £4.49.

The drug is a nasal and sinus pill that helps when you are congested and have a cold.

But the same product bought at private label level can cost around £2.99.

So it’s worth looking at the PL number – because if the cheaper version has the same number, it’s just as good as the branded product.

If you regularly buy such products without a prescription, you can save a lot of money with the tip.

Many GPs have been putting out money saving tips lately as Brits are tightening their wallets due to rising prices.

Just last month, Dr. Zoe Williams that her little boy Lisbon had chicken pox.

She said there is only one 70p trick that could help you relive the pain your child is suffering – after many medicines for the disease went out of stock due to a national shortage.

dr Zoe said an oatmeal bath would help soothe her skin, with a bag of oats costing just 70p from Asda.

dr Zoe said: “Oats have anti-inflammatory properties and can soothe and relieve itching.

“Put a handful of oatmeal in a sock/pantyhose and toss it over the faucet while you run the bath.

“The water should look cloudy. You can also dab the sock directly onto the spots in the bathroom.”