Generic vs branded medicine prices: the same ingredient for less

What makes a medicine generic

Every medicine has two names. The generic name is the name of the active ingredient, such as ibuprofen or loratadine. The brand name, such as Nurofen or Clarityn, is created by the company selling it. The NHS website says generic versions are the same as the branded medicine because they contain the same active ingredients. The NHS uses them more often, it adds, because they work as well and cost far less.

In the UK the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) grants the licence for each product. A licence is granted only if the product meets strict safety and quality standards, and this applies to own-brand packs as much as to brands.

You can check the match on the box. Tesco's Nurofen 200 mg page states each tablet contains ibuprofen 200 mg, and the Tesco Health pack lists ibuprofen 200 mg tablets. The other ingredients can differ between makers. ASDA's own ibuprofen caplets list lactose and sucrose, for example, and its paracetamol caplets list E223.

Shelf prices on 22 October 2026

Each row pairs a brand with an own-brand or generic pack of the same active ingredient, strength and pack size, from the same shop. Superdrug (GPhC 9010126 for its online pharmacy) is the only pharmacy in the table. Tesco and Asda prices come from their grocery websites.

Per-tablet figures are the pack price divided by the count, rounded to one decimal place. Superdrug showed a member price of 39p on its own ibuprofen, or 2.4p a tablet.

How wide the gap is

Ibuprofen shows the largest ratio. Nurofen at Tesco costs £1.55 more than the Tesco Health pack, which makes the brand about 5.4 times the price per tablet.

Paracetamol follows the same pattern. Panadol Advance costs £1.80 more than Tesco Health paracetamol for 16 tablets.

The pound gap is widest for hay fever tablets, because the packs are bigger. Clarityn costs £8.55 more than Tesco Health loratadine for 30 tablets. Over three packs the difference reaches £25.65.

Promotions narrow the gap without closing it. Asda had Clarityn 30s on rollback at £6.99, down from £11.25, or 23.3p a tablet. Even on offer, Clarityn cost 2.4 times as much per tablet as Tesco Health loratadine.

Combination products carry a smaller premium. Nuromol cost £2.25 more than ASDA Dual Action, with the same ibuprofen 200 mg and paracetamol 500 mg in each tablet.

Own-brand prices between shops

Own-brand prices move less from shop to shop than brand prices, but they still move. Own-brand ibuprofen 200 mg cost 35p for 16 at Tesco and Asda and 55p at Superdrug. Nurofen ranged from £1.81 at Asda to £1.99 at Superdrug, an 18p spread.

Loratadine shows a wider spread. Tesco Health's 30 tablets cost £2.95, while Superdrug's own 30 cost £5.79, nearly double. Clarityn itself cost £6.99 at Asda during the rollback and £11.49 to £11.50 at Superdrug and Tesco. Checking a second shop for the own-brand pack saved £2.84 on 30 loratadine tablets.

Generic and branded on prescription

On an NHS prescription in England you pay £9.90 per item whichever version the pharmacy dispenses, so the brand question costs you nothing extra there. The NHS website notes the NHS uses generics more often.

On a private prescription the brand name goes straight onto your bill. On 22 October 2026 the online pharmacy Dr Fox (GPhC 1124326) listed 28 Losec 20 mg capsules at £22.80 and 28 generic omeprazole 20 mg capsules at £9.00. The name on the box adds £13.80. For the 10 mg strength the figures were £14.50 against £7.95. The sildenafil vs Viagra prices page shows the same pattern for erectile dysfunction tablets, and the private prescription fees page sets out the rest of the private bill.

Steps to buy the generic version

1. Read the active ingredient and strength on the branded pack, for example ibuprofen 200 mg.
2. Find a pack with the same active ingredient, the same strength and the same form, such as tablets or caplets.
3. Compare the price per tablet. Tesco and Asda print it on the product page as a figure per each.
4. If you avoid an ingredient such as lactose, read the list of other ingredients. It can differ between makers.
5. Ask the pharmacist when the names on two packs do not match.

Mistakes that cost money

Paying for the name. The active ingredient decides what the medicine is.

Comparing pack prices instead of tablet prices. At Superdrug, 60 Clarityn tablets cost £13.75, or 22.9p each, against 38.3p each in the 30-tablet pack. Both remain dearer than own-brand loratadine.

Matching products with different formulations. Superdrug's ibuprofen range includes ibuprofen lysine 342 mg and sodium ibuprofen 256 mg products, which are different forms of the medicine. Compare like with like.

Asking a private prescriber for a brand by name. At Dr Fox generic omeprazole 20 mg cost less than half the Losec price.

Where the figures come from

The definitions of generic and brand names and the MHRA licensing rule are from the NHS website medicines information page. The £9.90 charge is from the NHS prescription charges page. Shelf prices and ingredient lists are from the Tesco, Asda and Superdrug product and category pages listed in the sources, read on 22 October 2026. Superdrug's GPhC number is from its pharmacy terms page. The Losec and omeprazole prices are from the Dr Fox omeprazole page, and its GPhC number is from its regulation page.