As a whole, Canadians are more likely to wait out minor illnesses and conditions before doing anything about them.  Almost two-thirds said that they wait to see if a problem gets better before taking OTC medications.  Ten percent of those surveyed said they never take non-prescription medications for minor ailments, preferring to tough things out, and some indicating that they believed that using these products could be harmful to their health. 

When illness does strike, 17 percent of Canadians take advantage of their medical coverage and visit their doctor for advice (compared with just 9 percent for Americans).  They also put a lot of stock in their pharmacist: 40 percent said that the advice from pharmacists was important to them when choosing an OTC medication, compared to just 13 percent in the U.S.

“Canadians can be classified as minimalists when it comes to self-medication, especially in tough economic times.  When we do reach for an OTC treatment, we normally rely on the advice of a pharmacist to find a medication that is effective, fast, safe and offers value for money,” said Carman Allison, Director, Marketing Communications at Nielsen Canada.

Read the full report.

Most consumers said that they would continue to purchase non-prescription medications, although they may switch to cheaper products or use them less frequently. Americans, Germans and Scandinavians all indicated that they would be looking for less expensive products.

Overall, the survey highlights the importance of understanding local consumer needs, as regulatory, distribution and marketing framework vary greatly by country, and cultures have different approaches to what products they use and how they buy them.  Manufacturers that understand these nuances are better positioned to successfully ride out the recession and maintain some level of growth.

Read the full article about Nielsen’s landmark study of the global non-prescription medication market in the current edition of Consumer Insight.