Translation of a-t 2024; 55: 82
IN BRIEFGender marketing - BUSCOPAN PLUS in pink
The active substance combination of hyoscine butylbromide and paracetamol (BUSCOPAN PLUS) has long been available in a green pack labelled "bei Schmerzen und Krämpfen im Bauchbereich" (for pain and cramping in the abdominal area). In June 2024, Nattermann (a subsidiary of Sanofi) launched the combination preparation in a pink pack too with "& bei krampfartigen Regelschmerzen" (and cramp-like period pain) in bold on it. The ingredients and dose are identical, but the pink pack only contains 10 instead of 20 tablets1-5 and was initially priced 17% higher per tablet than the green pack.1,2 Following negative criticism on social media* and elsewhere, Nattermann reduced the price on 1 August 2024.1,5 The green pack now also references use for cramp-like period pain (but not in bold). Price mark-ups for products that are marketed specifically for women but are (almost) identical or similar to others are also known as "pink tax". Price differentiation by gender can also affect men, however. 6 We reject the highlighting of individual indications on the packs of prescription-free medicines and the mentioning of them in trade names as this information is merely for marketing purposes and could incorrectly lead people to believe that the preparations are particularly suitable and effective for the therapeutic indications mentioned (see a-t 2016; 47: 23), –Ed.
| * | Nattermann dedicated a separate Instagram account ("buscopanpluspink") to the new pink pack, which among other things aims to clarify everything about periods ("rund um die Periode aufklären") and get rid of the taboo ("enttabuisieren") while being a safe space for exchange ("Safe space zum Austauschen"). There are numerous critical comments there about the higher price of the pink pack than the green one, and in general about the marketing strategy, which is referred to as "sexist" and even "misogynistic".3-5 |
| 1 | Apotheke adhoc: Preissenkungen bei pinkem BUSCOPAN PLUS (Price reduction for the pink BUSCOPAN PLUS), 15 July 2024; https://a-turl.de/bed2 |
| 2 | STÄBENER, J.: Frankfurter Rundschau of 14 July 2024; https://a-turl.de/r6jg |
| 3 | Nattermann: Instagram Buscopanpluspink of 5 June 2024; https://a-turl.de/5y5m |
| 4 | Nattermann: Instagram Buscopanpluspink of 25 June 2024; https://a-turl.de/jbuj |
| 5 | Nattermann: Instagram Buscopanpluspink of 22 July 2024; https://a-turl.de/x2py |
| 6 | AN DER HEIDEN, I., WERSIG, M.: Research report on price differentiation by gender 2017; available on https://a-turl.de/6f4b |
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