For many people, buying an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine was once a straightforward decision. You felt unwell, you went to the pharmacy, you bought what you needed.
That simplicity is beginning to change.
New national research commissioned by Azure Pharmaceuticals and conducted by Amarach Research shows that cost-of-living pressures are now reshaping how people in Ireland engage with everyday healthcare. The findings are striking: 64% of people say rising costs are affecting how they purchase OTC medicines, with 40% actively seeking cheaper alternatives and 26% buying less often.
More concerningly, over a third (36%) say cost has stopped them from purchasing a medicine they needed. This is not just a shift in consumer behaviour, it is a shift in how people are thinking and acting about their health.
From routine purchase to considered decision
The research points to a more deliberate, and at times constrained, approach to healthcare decisions.
Price is now a central factor, with almost half of respondents (47%) saying it is very important when choosing OTC medicines. What was once routine has become a trade-off: cost versus need, price versus immediacy.
That has implications. Delaying treatment, opting for less effective solutions, or foregoing medicines altogether can have knock-on effects – both for individuals and for the wider health system. Early intervention becomes less certain, and minor conditions risk becoming more complex.
At the same time, there are signs of adaptation. Patients are becoming more open to alternatives, including lower-cost or generic options. This reflects a shift not just in behaviour, but in mindset.
At the counter: where these decisions are made
These trends are not abstract. They are playing out every day at the pharmacy counter.
Pharmacists are increasingly encountering patients who are more price-conscious, more questioning, and in some cases, more hesitant to purchase. The traditional interaction – request, supply, complete – has evolved into a more nuanced conversation about value, necessity, and alternatives.
This creates both a challenge and an opportunity.
The challenge is clear: pharmacists are often navigating sensitive conversations around affordability, where patients may be balancing health needs against financial constraints.
But the opportunity is equally significant. With 79% of respondents indicating a willingness to be informed about better-value options, there is a clear mandate for pharmacists to engage more actively on price. In the current environment, these conversations are not just helpful – they are essential.
Discussing alternatives, including generic medicines, can ensure that patients continue to access treatment rather than delay or avoid it altogether. It also reinforces the pharmacist’s role as a trusted advisor, helping patients make informed decisions that balance clinical need with affordability.
In many cases, the difference between a patient leaving with a medicine – or without one – may come down to that conversation.
The role of generics in a cost-sensitive environment
The increased openness to lower-cost options reflects a broader shift in attitudes. Generic medicines, long established as safe and effective, are now central to how patients manage both their health and their costs. For pharmacists, this presents an opportunity to normalise and promote value-based choices – not as a compromise, but as a practical and equivalent option. At a time when brand loyalty may be challenged by financial pressure, the ability to guide patients towards appropriate alternatives becomes an important part of maintaining continuity of care.
A generational shift in behaviour
The research also highlights emerging differences across age groups. Younger consumers, particularly those aged 18 to 24, are less likely to view price as a primary concern. This may reflect differing financial circumstances, but also points to evolving purchasing behaviours, where convenience, speed and alternative channels play a greater role.
For pharmacies, this suggests a more complex landscape ahead, where different cohorts engage with OTC medicines in different ways. Understanding these nuances will be key to meeting patient needs effectively.
What happens next
It remains to be seen whether this shift represents a moment in time or a more sustained change. But the direction of travel is clear: cost sensitivity is now embedded in how people approach everyday healthcare decisions. For pharmacists, the implications are immediate. The role is expanding, not in a formal sense, but in practice. Supporting patients now increasingly means helping them navigate affordability as well as treatment.
More broadly, these findings raise important questions about access. When cost begins to shape whether people seek or receive treatment, it becomes more than a consumer issue, it becomes a healthcare issue. The way people buy over-the-counter medicines is changing. What was once routine is now more considered, more constrained, and more influenced by external pressures.
For patients, this introduces new trade-offs. For pharmacists, it creates a more complex but also more important role at the point of care. And for the health system, it is a reminder that access to even the most everyday treatments cannot be taken for granted.
For those interested in exploring the findings in more detail, the full research is available: please feel free to get in touch.