The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

SALES of over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu treatments have been relatively strong for 2013-2014 to-date, pharmacists said yesterday, while adding that the season has not been as bad as in previous years.

The flu season usually starts in September and runs through the Spring. Frances Roberts, manager at the Centerville Pharmacy, said: “We have had a lot of people come in, more than usual, with sore throat, sinus issues, and particularly coughs.

“It’s not really the flu, but I I think because we’re sometimes damp at night and hot in the day, with the weather changing like that people are getting these symptoms.”

Charmaine Theberje, pharmacist at Lowe’s Pharmacy, Harbour Bay, added: “As it relates to cough and cold medication, I’m not sure whether there has been a serious increase in sales figures.

“I would have to look into that, but as it relates to the number of patients that we see and recommend OTC products, as one would expect in this season there would be an increased number of those.”

She said: “I don’t think this particular flu season is more severe than even say a few months ago.

“We have been doing OTCs as it relates to cough and colds for sometime now. It hasn’t really been that cold. Right about now, in years past, we would be having some cold fronts and the change in the weather would mess people up. We have even been seeing coughs and colds, but I don’t think it’s as burdensome as it was in the past.”

Barbara Sturrup, pharmacist at QVS Pharmacy, Village Road, told Tribune Business: “A lot of people have been coming in looking for the OTC cough and cold meds.

“A lot of people re-coming in looking for the Buckley’s, and there was a shortage of that. People are looking for the Nyquill, the Comtrex. We have been selling quite a bit of those issues. With the changing of the weather a lot of people are getting sick.”

Laura Pratt Charlton, pharmacist at the Prescription Parlour Pharmacy, said: “Sales on OTC treatments have been going pretty good. This season is not as bad as some of the previous ones because we have not had that many cold spells as we normally would have, but the cough and cold treatments, those are moving pretty good.”