Store brand over-the-counter (OTC) medicines have been around for years, offering consumers high quality products that they can trust at a great value. However, there is some confusion regarding store brand and advertised brand options.

What most people don't understand is that they need to match the active ingredients to the specific symptoms they have. Your symptoms don't care which brand you choose or how much you spend as long as you're treating them effectively.

Make a side-by-side comparison and you will find out that store brands are “national brand equivalent.” Compare the "Drug Facts" information on the back of the package and you will see the same active ingredient names (and strengths) listed for store brands and advertised brands." Finding the “national brand equivalent” is easy. Stores usually place the store brand equivalent product to the right of the advertised product to offer product comparisons.

The main differences between store brand OTCs and national brands are the inactive ingredients (color or shape of a tablet may be a bit different, for instance, however the active ingredients will relieve the symptoms just as effectively) and price (store brands cost, on average, 30% less). Store brands are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration to guarantee effectiveness, just as advertised brands are.

On average, consumers would get the same relief while saving an estimated $2 billion a year if they switched to store brands – such as those offered by stores like CVS and Walgreens. The average medicine cabinet stocked with store brands would cost around $60 less than if it was stocked with advertised brand products.