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Revealed: The tricks medicine firms use to make you pay more for EXACTLY the same thing
How some can save up to 80% on medications... 

No one wants to take a chance with their health, and the big pharmaceutical firms know this. So they use powerful branding techniques to make us think they're offering something special or specific for colds, flus, allergies, pain and more - and then bump up the prices to pay for it. There's lots more in Cheap & free prescriptions, but here's a quick check-up on how to keep medicine & prescription costs down...

1. EXACTLY the same medication is being sold at SIX times the price just due to branding. Within the pharmaceutical trade, the PL number is a unique licence assigned exclusively to a particular product made by a particular manufacturer. That product may then be sold under different brands, in different packaging - and crucially at different prices - but underneath it's EXACTLY the same licensed medicine. 
   
   Take this example we found: Sudafed Congestion & Headache Relief Day & Night Capsules were £5.99 in Boots, yet the exact same medicine with different branding - Galpharm Day & Night Max Strength Cold & Flu - was just £1 in Poundland, a saving of more than 80%. See more same PL number examples.
   
   
2. Period pain, back pain, migraine meds.... they're often the same. You look at the 'back pain' package, and the box shows the painkillers zoning in on the problem. Yet when you check the PL number, it can often be the same as for painkillers for other parts of the body. Firms are legally allowed to do this, but it's marketing nonsense - it's the same medication. When we're hurting we often feel we want something specific, so we go for a special tablet - but before you do that make sure it really is special.
   
   Period pain relief is a particular medication minefield. Eg, Feminax Express is branded to target period pain, but right down to the PL number it's the exact same stuff as Boots Migraine Pain Relief. Meanwhile, the active ingredient in Boots' own brand Period Pain Reliever tablets is naproxen - a different drug altogether.
   
   
3. It's the active ingredient(s) that does the business... Whether you're buying Nurofen, Sudafed or own-brand, it's a medicine's active ingredients, strength and formulation that count. So you can get EFFECTIVELY the same medicine under a different name and PL number. It may be capsule or tablet, and (literally) not sugar coated, but ultimately ditching big brands can mean big savings. Everything else is extra (though if you've got allergies, make sure to check the label or speak with your pharmacist, as other ingredients can vary).
   
   For example, Lemsip Max Cold & Flu sachets cost nearly £7 in Boots, but you can get the generic equivalent with the same active ingredient at Aldi and Lidl for £2.19. See more similar meds at different prices in our updated branded vs. generic meds.
   
   PS: As we're MoneySavingExperts, not pharmaceutical experts, we asked the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to fact-check the points above.
   
   
4. England: 100,000s are overpaying for prescriptions. England is the only UK nation where you pay for NHS prescriptions, at £9.90 per item. First check the NHS free prescription calc to see if you need to pay (you may not need to if you're: under 16, over 60, pregnant / recently given birth, on certain benefits or have certain illnesses).
   
   Even if you do need to pay, don't be one of the 900,000 who overpaid last year because they paid for each prescription rather than getting a prescription 'season ticket'. These cost £114.50 for a year, or £32.05 for 3 months, and cover all prescription costs in that time. So if you get four or more prescriptions in three months or 13+ in a year, you save (you can backdate for a month too). Related: An HRT prepayment certificate covers you for eligible HRT prescriptions (some medications are excluded).
   
   
5. England: Check if medicines are cheaper over the counter (OTC) than on prescription. If you're prescribed common medication such as painkillers, antihistamines or dermatology creams, check if it's cheaper OTC. Eg, we found a 500ml tub of aqueous cream for £1 at Savers, a fraction of the prescription cost. And Libby told us on Facebook last year: "For six months I was paying £9.90 for ferrous fumerate because GP put it through on prescription. Someone told me it was available OTC so went to buy some and THE SAME BOX cost me £1.80." Or try asking your GP for a bigger prescription (though it's not allowed with some medications).
   
   
6. Healthcare cash plans can cover prescription costs - plus NHS or private dental, optical and physio costs. If you shell out for dental, optical, physio, podiatrists & more, a healthcare cash plan could help. These are the hugely-underpublicised, cheaper cousin of Private Health Insurance - with them you simply pay for the treatment, send off your receipts and you're reimbursed up to an annual limit. Our Top Healthcare cash plans guide takes you through it in detail, including top picks. Related: Private Medical Insurance.

Fur-get sky high vet bills... insure your pet for less
Plus grab up to £65 Amazon voucher via deals comparison sites don't bark about

Unlike for us humans, there's no NHS for pets, so without cover a trip to the vet can leave you footing a huge bill. Treatment prices have soared in recent years and, as a result of a recent Competition and Markets Authority investigation, the Government is implementing major reforms to the vet industry that should (among other measures) improve price transparency. In the meantime, our Cheap pet insurance guide has full info on how to cut the cost of insurance. In brief...

• CATS & DOGS. Prices are bespoke, so the key's to get as many quotes as possible in the shortest time...
  
  1. Combine comparison sites. Try as many as you've time for, as they search different insurers and sometimes have different prices - and most let you get multi-pet quotes. In order of how many insurers they compare, try MoneySupermarket* | Compare The Market* (single pet quotes only) | Confused.com* | Gocompare.
  
  2. Check deals not on comparison sites. Big providers Petplan* and Direct Line don't appear on comparisons for pet insurance, plus there are promo deals that comparisons don't list (some because we've blagged exclusive extras). So check them and compare with the comparison site winners (though we've limited feedback on these):
  
  - Waggel* via this link offers a £65 Amazon voucher per dog and £45 per cat insured, paid after 90 days of cover.
  - Petgevity* via this link offers newbies a £60 Amazon voucher for a dog, £45 for a cat and £105 for a multi-pet policy, paid within 90 days.
  - Agria* via this link offers a £75 (dog) or £40 (cat) Amazon voucher, paid within 120 days (up to max £155 for three dogs).
  - Animal Friends* via this link gives a £35 Amazon voucher for a cat or dog policy, paid after around 100 days.
  - And check cashback sites as well to see whether you can get cashback on the best deal you find.
  
  3. Cats are seen as free spirits, dogs aren't. So you're liable for your dog if it causes damage or injury to other people or property. Always check your insurance offers third-party cover (as a minimum, get it standalone from Dogs Trust).
  
  
• HORSES, RABBITS, PARROTS, REPTILES & OTHER PETS. As comparison sites don't usually work for these, you'll need to manually compare quotes from these specialist insurers:
  - For horses and ponies: Try SEIB, Petplan Equine and NFU Mutual.
  - For rabbits, budgies, guinea pigs, parrots, lizards and more: Try Exotic Direct* and British Pet Insurance (+ Sainsbury's and Petplan* for rabbits).
  
  
• Warning: Beware switching provider if your pet has an existing condition. Most new policies won't cover past issues, whether you've claimed for them or not. But stay with your old insurer and you're likely to pay more to cover that condition in future. So it's usually a hard choice between switching to a cheaper policy with no cover for that specific condition, or sticking and likely paying more. Full help in existing conditions.
  
  
• Pet insurance NEED-TO-KNOWS...
  1. It generally covers big issues (such as broken bones and tumours), not check-ups. See what's covered.
  2. Need cover but can't afford it? If you're on certain benefits, charities such as the PDSA may help with vet bills.
  3. Could you self-insure? For smaller animals, you could put cash in savings to cover fees. See self-insuring help.
  4. Keep your pet's routine jabs up to date. Or it may invalidate your insurance.
  5. Always check the policy is right for you. It's not easy, as insurance is about protection from the unknown, but do check the policy details, what's excluded, and that the firm's regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
  6. If your claim's unfairly rejected, take the firm to the Financial Ombudsman. Once you've complained to your provider, you've then a right to go to the free, independent Financial Ombudsman Service for its help to settle the claim.