A Coles shopper has urged customers to pay careful attention when buying medicine from the local supermarket.
Sharing on Reddit, the shopper shared an images of a packet of Coles Cold & Flu Day & Night tablets, one of the retail giant’s best-selling products.
While they believed they were purchasing medicine containing paracetamol — which is typically found in cold and flu medicines available at pharmacies – a closer look at the ingredients on the back of the box showed something very different.
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Included in the list were herbal and alternative ingredients including echinacea, dry root, white willow and dry leaf.
“Check the ingredients on your medicine,” the Reddit user wrote.
“In the middle of a fever, turns out I just purchased some traditional Chinese/western herbal medicine from Coles instead of paracetamol.”
A closer look on the front of the box of Coles medicine shows that the medication “may help relieve” a range of symptoms including pain, fever, headache, sore throat, coughing and a runny nose — not that it would help relieve.
7NEWS.com.au understands that some active ingredients found in some pharmacy pain-relief medication can’t be sold in supermarkets like Coles.
Responding to the post, many Reddit users shared the little-known meaning behind the code in the corner the box which indicates that it’s a “lame” medication.
“On the front of the box, bottom right, it says ‘AUST L’. Something I learned when The Checkout was running was ‘R for real, L for lame’ with regards to the letters,” one said.
“The markers on the box are TGA labels; AUST R means ‘tested for efficacy’, while AUST L basically just means ‘probably won’t kill you’. AUST L(A) is also good nowadays.”
Another agreed, saying: “Yep, ‘listed’ products really just have to meet food safety standards, and, at most, can only claim that their product MAY help. Registered products have to prove efficacy.”
Wrote a third: “Listed = the company claims they have evidence it works OR loophole it onto the market as ‘has been traditionally used for blank’. Registered = have to hand the evidence to the TGA before they start selling.
“In my opinion, shouldn’t be buying drugs outside a pharmacy if you have the option – most have a motive to cure you rather than Coles and Woolies just wanting the last cents from your bank account.”
Others described the supermarket medication as being “on a wing and a prayer” medication.
“Active ingredients – thoughts and prayers. You can get the good stuff from a pharmacy if you show ID,” said one.
Another responded: “You shouldn’t have to flip over and read the fine print to find the ingredients. It should be clearly printed on the front.”
One more added: “The only Cold & Flu tablets that work are Codral Original (sometimes known as Sudafed Original) – the ones with pseudoephedrine. Need to go to the pharmacy counter.
“The generic equivalents are fine too, of course.”
Coles responds
A Coles spokesperson has told 7NEWS.com.au that the medication in question is very popular with customers.
“For short-term and effective pain remedies, we sell Coles brand Paracetamol tablets and capsules,” the spokesperson said.
“However, these days our customers are frequently seeking alternatives to Paracetamol which includes natural herbal products to relieve symptoms when feeling unwell; such as our Coles Cold and Flu Day & Night tablets, which is one of our best-selling products.”
As always with herbal or other medicinal products, customers are encouraged to always read the label on any medication and follow the directions for use.
