Cheapest way to buy hayfever tablets – you could make a huge saving of £27 this summer

Scottish Sun

02-05-2025

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NOT TO BE SNIFFED AT
NOT TO BE SNIFFED AT Cheapest way to buy hayfever tablets – you could make a huge saving of £27 this summer
THERE is a way to get the same allergy relief medication for almost a quarter of the price of big name brands.
As hay fever becomes more rife moving into summer, this could mean a saving of £27 over the months of June, July and August.
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Piritize is a common brand of allergy relief medication found at UK pharmacies
Credit: Alamy
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Medicines meet the same standards regardless of the formulation
Credit: Superdrug
People generally know that buying branded medications are almost always more costly than their generic equivalents.
On top of that, most over-the-counter drugs have the same medical properties no matter the brand, price or form it comes in.
The Royal Pharmaceutical said: "Whether they are branded or generic, all medicines are the same so you can be reassured your medicine is safe."
The key thing to look out for is the "active" ingredient of the remedy, which manufacturers may change.
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So once you have found the right active ingredient, you can start looking for the best deal to purchase your medicine.
For effective relief from allergy symptoms, people often turn to Cetirizine, which the NHS describes as an "antihistimine medicine that relieves the symptoms of allergies".
It can be used to treat things like hay fever, conjunctivitis, and eczema, and comes in tablet, capsule or liquid form.
Common stores like Boots, Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco sell Cetirizine both through brands as well as with their own equivalents of the medicine.
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Among the more well-known brands of Cetirizine are Piriteze and Zirtek, which can cost £11.55 for a 30-pack of the tablets from a pharmacy like Boots.
However, buying the generic Boots version of Cetirizine costs just £2.75, meaning a saving nearly £9.
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And over the three months of summer, this could bring a saving of £27.
Similarly, the Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco medications can also provide savings of around £8 when bought instead of the branded equivalents.
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In the past, PharmacyFirst has been seen to offer the cheapest deal for Cetirizine online, oferring 120 tablets all for £2.75.
Chemist4U has also proven to be a cheap option, where 180 tablets have gone for £7.54.
These cost-saving findings come after research revealed hay fever sufferers spent more than £3,600 on medication over their lifetime.
A poll also found 62 per cent of people with these allergies go through up to two boxes of antihistamine tablets a month.
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