Almost three-quarters of 2,000 people in the UK who took part in a survey that looked at how consumers treat their ailments said they do so at home.

The survey, commissioned by Lanes Health and carried out by 3Gem, found 70 per cent of those surveyed have taken to preventative treatment since the Covid pandemic and the study also revealed the factors that matter most to them when choosing an OTC brand.

Forty-three per cent said choosing a brand they know will work was most important, 39 per cent cited trust in the brand as a deciding factor while 36 per cent said brands they have always used had the biggest sway.

Forty-eight per cent of people aged 65 and over who took part in the survey said the main reason they buy a product is because they have always used it compared to 24 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.

Of the 2,000 people who took part, half were female, 49 per cent were male and one preferred not to say. The majority of respondents – 20 per cent – were aged 35 to 44.

PAGB CEO Michelle Riddalls said “growing pressures in primary care” meant there has “never been a more important time to ensure consumers' confidence in using OTC medicines to self-care for self-treatable conditions.”

“A recent PAGB report on consumer attitudes found that education is the key to increasing self-care with 83 per cent of those surveyed saying we need more health education to encourage consumers to take a more proactive approach," she said.

“The consumer healthcare industry must continue to maintain its high standards of self-regulation and product promotion to educate consumers and support them with the most effective treatments and advice possible.”

Lanes Health executive chairman Jon Groves offered some advice for other OTC brands “to ensure they remain relevant in the sector.”

“Invest in brands consumers know and love,” he said. “Listen to your consumers and respond appropriately to their needs. Market more than the product features, sell the benefits. Treat consumers appropriately. Move with the landscape and ensure innovation.”