Nurofen withdrawal order
December 14, 2015
RECKITT Benckiser has admitted
to engaging in “contravening
conduct” in a court case brought
by the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission in relation
to RB’s Nurofen Specific Pain range
of analgesics (PD breaking news).
The ACCC this morning revealed
the outcome of the case, which will
see the Nurofen Specific Pain range
removed from retail shelves within
three months.
The products, which include
Nurofen Back Pain, Nurofen Period
Pain, Nurofen Migraine Pain
and Nurofen Tension Headache,
were found to feature misleading
representations as well as the
Nurofen website, claiming they
were formulated to treat a specific
type of pain when in fact they all
contain the same active ingredient,
ibuprofen lysine 342mg.
“The retail price of the Nurofen
Specific Pain Products was
significantly higher than that
of other comparable analgesic
products which also act as general
pain relievers,” according to ACCC
chairman Rod Sims.
“Price sampling conducted by
the ACCC before the proceedings
were commenced indicated that
the Nurofen Specific Pain products
were being sold at retail prices
almost double that of Nurofen’s
standard ibuprofen products, and
the general pain relief products of
its competitors,” he said.
As well as removing the items
from shelves in the next 90 days
Reckitt Benckiser must publish
website and newspaper corrective
notices, implement a consumer
protection compliance program and
pay the ACCC’s costs.
The ACCC has also agreed to an
interim packaging arrangement
with Reckitt Benckiser which will
clearly disclose to consumers that
the products are equally effective
for other forms of pain.
Sims said truth in advertising and
consumer issues in the health and
medical sectors are priority areas
for the ACCC.
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