Surprising Habits when it comes to Cold & Flu Medication

  • Different cold and flu medications may contain different active ingredients and in varying doses. To reduce the risk of an adverse reaction or taking the wrong dose it is important to always read the label and to use any medication only as directed. If you are uncertain about the most appropriate treatment for you it can often be helpful to ask a pharmacist for advice. With this is in mind, it is surprising to find the following statistics resulting from a recent national survey*:

    • 59% or an estimated 7.7 million Australians take three or more cold and flu medicines when they are suffering from a cold or the flu
    • One in five Australians never ask their pharmacist for advice before taking cold and flu medication
    • Almost one in four Australians revealed they never check the ingredients in a cold and flu medicine to ensure it’s right for them
    • Over one third of Australians do not consider the types of active ingredients in a cold and flu product before purchasing
    • 25% of men never ask their pharmacist for advice, compared to only 13% of women
    • 77% of Australians believe the Government should educate people to read and understand product labels on cold and flu medications

    *The online Newspoll survey was conducted in July 2008 on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Pacific, among a random national sample of 1205 respondents aged 18 to 64 years. To reflect the population distribution, results have been post-weighted to Australian Bureau of Statistics data on a range of criteria.

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