For years, Pharmacy Practice + Business and The Medical Post have been asking our extensive audience of pharmacists and physicians to participate in our annual Survey on OTC Counselling & Recommendations. It is the only national survey to research the role of Canadian pharmacists and physicians as counsellors, advisors and influencers in the area of nonprescription products. In this survey, pharmacists and physicians tell us what brands they personally recommend in a number of popular product categories. Here are the results for 2021.
PHARMACISTS
PHYSICIANS
The 2021 Survey on OTC Counselling & Recommendations was an online survey fielded between October 2020 and January 2021 by the research division of EnsembleIQ. A total of 1,812 Canadian pharmacists responded to the survey for a margin of error of ±2.23%, 19 times out of 20. In total, 45 product categories were presented to the overall sample of pharmacists. To establish the OTC brand rankings, respondents were asked two open-ended questions: How often do you make recommendations on this product category? and What brand(s) do you usually recommend? Responses for store brands, prescription drugs, products not belonging in a category and generic suggestions (e.g., Vitamin C, acetaminophen, etc.) were removed from the coding. The resulting lists for each product category were then ranked by the number of recommendations, resulting in a winner for the category.
PHARMACIST SURVEY METHODOLOGY
Only the OTC products voted #1 most-recommended brands by pharmacists in the Pharmacy Practice + Business Survey on OTC Counselling & Recommendations may use this logo or claim to be “Pharmacists’ most recommended brand.”
About the #1 OTC brand logo
Have you seen this logo? Only the OTC products voted #1 by physicians, in The Medical Post’s annual survey, can use this logo or claim to be “Physicians' #1 Recommended Brand.”
The 2021 Medical Post Survey on OTC Counselling & Recommendations was an online survey fielded between October 2020 and January 2021 by the research division of EnsembleIQ. A total of 657 Canadian physicians responded to the survey for a margin for error of ± 3.8%, 19 times out of 20. All respondents completed the counselling questions of the survey. To establish the OTC brand rankings, respondents were asked two open-ended questions: How often do you make recommendations on this product category? and What brand(s) do you usually recommend? Responses for store brands, prescription drugs, products not belonging in a category and generic suggestions (e.g., Vitamin C, acetaminophen, etc.) were removed from the coding. The resulting lists for each product category were then ranked by the number of recommendations, resulting in a winner for the category.
PHYSICIAN SURVEY METHODOLOGY
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PHARMACISTS RECOMMEND
Source: Pharmacy Practice + Business 2021 Survey on OTC Counselling and Recommendations. (N=1,812).
AVERAGE RECOMMENDATIONS / MONTH
3
Responses less than 4% not shown; n=1,161; 64% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
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Clean & Clear/persa-gel
Neutrogena
Cetaphil
Spectro (NET)
Benzagel
Benzac
NEXT >
Antibiotic Eye & Ear Drops
5
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=1,617; 89% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Optimyxin
Sterisporin
Polysporin
PHYSICIANS RECOMMEND
Source: The Medical Post 2021 Survey on OTC Counselling and Recommendations. (N=657).
6
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=313; 48% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Neosporin
Ocuflox
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=1,684; 93% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Gravol
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=452; 69% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Pepto-Bismol
Responses less than 14% not shown; n=1,471; 81% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
OneTouch
Accu-check
Contour Next (NET)
FreeStyle
Accu-chek
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=303; 46% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Welch
Lifesource
Bios
Omron
4
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=1,499; 83% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Lipactin
Oragel
Abreva
Zilactin
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=252; 14% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Durex
Lifestyle/Skyn (NET)
Trojan
Magnum
One
Ramses
Responses less than 5% not shown; n=1,317; 73% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Penaten
Sudocrem
Zincofax
Canesten
Desitin
Ihle's Paste
7
Responses less than 2% not shown; n=1,721; 95% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Refresh/Optive
hydraSense
Systane
Tears Naturale
HYLO
Genteal
Responses less than 3% not shown; n=1,460; 81% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Contingency One
Ella
Plan B
Backup Plan Onestep
Next Choice
2
Responses less than 2% not shown; n=152; 23% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Responses less than 5% not shown; n=947; 52% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Voltaren
Salonpas
Rub A535/Antiphlogistine
Robax
Icy Hot
Thermacare
Responses less than 2% not shown; n=1,527; 84% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Preparation H
Vinexxa
Anusol
Hemovel
Venixxa
Tucks
Responses less than 2% not shown; n=369; 56% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Anugesic
Hemcort
Responses less than 17% not shown; n=388; 59% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Monistat
Responses less than 3% not shown; n=1,187; 66% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Palafer
Euro-Fer
FeraMAX
Proferrin
Jamieson
Wampole
Responses less than 3% not shown; n=369; 56% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Fer-in-sol
Opti-fer
8
Responses less than 5% not shown; n=1,729; 95% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Senokot
RestoraLAX
Lax-A-Day
Dulcolax
Metamucil
10
Responses less than 7% not shown; n=512; 78% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Colace
Peg 3350
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=1,470; 81% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Nix
Resultz
Nyda
Kwellada
R&C
Responses less than 6% not shown; n=1,132; 62% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
La Roche-Posay
Vaseline
Blistex
Nivea
Eucerin
Responses less than 10% not shown; n=1,641; 91% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Aveeno
Glaxal Base
CeraVe
Cutibase
Responses less than 4% not shown; n=731; 40% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
FungiCure
Emtrix
Fungi-Nail
Responses less than 4% not shown; n=667; 37% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Cold-FX
GeloMyrtol
Helixia Prospan
Boiron
Sambucol
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=797; 44% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Clearblue
First Choice
First/Premiere Response
Responses less than 5% not shown; n=1,479; 82% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Align
Probaclac
Bio-K+
Florastor
Webber
Responses less than 4% not shown; n=303; 46% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
BioGala
Culturelle
BioGaia
Responses less than 5% not shown; n=1,088; 60% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
La Roche-Posay/ Anthelios (NET)
Ombrelle
La Roche-Posay/Anthelios (NET)
Coppertone
Banana Boat
11
Responses less than 4% not shown; n=256; 39% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Vichy
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=1,572; 87% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Bactroban
Bacitracin
Micatin
Responses less than 1% not shown; n=404; 61% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
Baciguent
Bactigras
Responses less than 2% not shown; n=289; 44% recommend in category. Results may total > 100% due to multiple brand recommendations. BASE: Make at least 1 recommendation/month.
K-Y
Astroglide
Replens
RepaGyn
Gynatrof
Vagisil
