Aussie shopper points out bizzare twist in Panadol, Nurofen panic buying nightmare
While shelves are being stripped bare of Panadol and Nurofen, one Aussie shopper has pointed out a bizzare trend among panic buyers.
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Stock supply shortages and panic buyers have seen shelves at supermarkets and pharmacies across the country stripped bare of pain medication – well, almost.
Last week, Australians were urged to stock up on essentials they would need in case they were diagnosed with Covid-19.
One of the key items deputy chief medical officer Michael Kidd suggested Aussies should have on hand was paracetamol or ibuprofen in order to manage fevers and mild aches or pains.
“My advice is that you make sure you have some paracetamol or ibuprofen at home in case you’re diagnosed with Covid-19,” he said.
“It’s important to be prepared because you won’t be able to go to your supermarket or pharmacy if you are diagnosed with Covid-19.”
As a result, popular brands such as Panadol and Nurofen have been stripped from the shelves, but one shopper noticed people had completely overlooked another brand.
A photo, posted to Twitter by user Katerina, shows the shelves at Chemist Warehouse store that usually display Panadol and Nurofen completely empty.
However, right next to it, are rows and rows of the pain killer Panamax.
Lol when people don’t realise Panamax is paracetamol pic.twitter.com/A8eJdGSmO1
— Katerina (@Kat_La) January 11, 2022
Just like Panadol, Panamax contains the active ingredient paracetamol is used to relieve pain and fevers.
It is also significantly cheaper, costing $2.99 for 100 tablets, compared to Panadol which costs $13.49 for the same amount.
“Lol when people don’t realise Panamax is paracetamol,” Katrina wrote.
Her post quickly went viral, attracting thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, prompting her to ask people not to buy the drug unless they need it.
“Legit might delete this if they start selling out of these too,” she wrote.
“But please don’t buy them if you don’t need them. So many disabled and immunocompromised people rely on these.”
Many commenters were quick to claim the photo showed the irrational thinking of people who panic buy.
“Active ingredient identical. It shows the average intelligence of a panic buyer,” one person wrote.
“Proof that panic buyers can’t think for themselves and their ‘buy the Panadol’ tunnel vision,” another said.
One commenter claimed their brother witnessed a woman telling a pharmacist that she needed to buy Panadol, not paracetamol.
“My brother just called me. He was in a Hobart pharmacy today and a very irate lady was berating the pharmacist that she didn’t want paracetamol, she wanted Panadol ‘like Mr Hunt and Mr Morrison said to use.’,” they wrote.
There were some commenters who claimed they really did prefer using Panadol over Panamax, stating the former was easier in ingest.
“I can taste the Panamax as soon as I go to swallow it and it makes me gag. I can only take coated paracetamol tablets,” one person said.
Another wrote: “Not very nice tablets though – big & a bit harder for many to swallow. No smooth coating”.
Overnight, supermarket giant Coles announced it was introducing new limits on essential items, such as toilet paper, paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin.
“The situation is rapidly changing,” Coles said in statement on Facebook.
“Product availability in our stores has been impacted due to pandemic related supply chain disruptions.”
Shoppers will now only be allowed to buy two packs of painkillers and one pack of toilet paper per purchase.
Coles told customers “there is no need to panic buy” and to “please purchase only what you need.
“Our team are working hard during this trying time – please remember to show them the kindness and respect they very much deserve.”
In recent days, social media has been flooded with pictures of bare shelves in supermarkets and pharmacies.
Our local Woolies was all out of panadol, nurofen and cold and flu meds on Thursday. Also toilet paper and tissues. pic.twitter.com/dFQK91r8i2
— faranaaz (@faranaaz) January 8, 2022
Ardeer, Vic pic.twitter.com/G5j9U7ZVAa
— Caleb (@Toey_tucker) January 10, 2022
Went to get some paracetamol in Preston Victoria pic.twitter.com/FhTQQJ8zvM
— DarebinDyke 💉💉 (@DarebinDyke) January 10, 2022
A spokesperson for GSK Consumer Healthcare, the company responsible for the production of Panadol, urged people to not hoard the medicine.
They said there was currently limited supply in some stores and pharmacies.
“We urge Australians to responsibly purchase for their immediate needs to ensure there is supply for everyone,” the spokesperson told NCA NewsWire.
“Provided this occurs, there will be adequate supply of Panadol within the grocery and pharmacy networks to ensure all Australians have access.
“Given the current situation, where possible, orders are being advanced and stock redeployed from other markets. We are also working with our business partners to ensure that stock is distributed widely.”
Originally published as Aussie shopper points out bizzare twist in Panadol, Nurofen panic buying nightmare
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