![]() “Fewer people have been going to NHS primary care services, although we know that people were going to local pharmacies more rather than going to the doctors. PAGB’s annual report for 2020 shows it was a tough year for consumer healthcare, with total OTC sales down 4.1 per cent in value despite a 21 per cent rise during the first quarter. This growth brings us neatly to the last year, and the issue that has dominated UK life during Michelle’s first year as chief executive. There’s been particular interest in supplements because of the growth in the category.” An unusual year “It’s an interesting offer – it’s the regulatory side and the advertising copy approval side – things you wouldn’t necessarily find all in one place. ![]() Michelle clearly hopes third parties who benefit might join PAGB at a later date. That was ridiculous.” A proposal to the board last year was approved and the organisation is now set up to offer that too, for food supplements and devices as well as medicines. ![]() “People were coming to us for help and I was turning them away. “If someone wants to bring a product onto the market, but they don’t even know if it’s viable, we’re looking to help them make an assessment,” she says. Like most trade associations, membership fees are constrained, so Michelle says the organisation is looking to grow revenue by expanding its regulatory and compliance training, and it has just introduced a consultancy offer. ![]() The organisation itself is relatively small in trade association terms, with 16 staff, and is funded by OTC turnover-based membership fees, associate fees and training services, which it provides to members and non-members. PAGB represents a large part of the UK consumer healthcare industry member companies produce 48 of the top 50 OTC medicine brands used by consumers. I’ve also been interviewed on BBC News talking about the contraceptive Pill reclassification, so that’s showing us as the expert voice. They were geared up for the NHS and the supply route for critical medicines, but that’s very different to ours, which involves selling to pharmacists, wholesalers and other retailers. “Since I started as CEO, I’ve been involved in the Life Sciences Covid Response Group, and represented the industry on a Government EU exit group talking about supply chains. I think we’ve been able to do that in 2020, both on EU exit and Covid and the self care agenda. But they’ve all agreed on our strategic goals and I want to show them that we are adding value in everything that we are doing on the regulatory side and likewise on policy. Some to ensure they are compliant and operating correctly within the industry or they want to support the wider self care industry. “Our members come to us for a variety of reasons. And we have more food supplement companies in membership than devices companies. “People probably don’t think about the medical devices side, but we’ve seen an explosion of those in recent years. While PAGB is best known as the trade association for UK manufacturers of branded OTC medicines, its work also covers self care medical devices and food supplements. This means helping our members by creating the right regulatory set up, and advocating for a big role for pharmacy on the policy side.” “Our work priorities revolve around making sure that we have the best environment for people to have access to and the ability to self care. “We aim to be the expert voice of the consumer healthcare industry in the UK, to lead on self-regulation for the industry and encourage and promote self care,” she says. Michelle Riddalls sums up the PAGB in 2021. But for more than 40 years, the Association has also championed self care and the part played by OTC medicines in the health of the nation. In an interview marking her first year as PAGB CEO, Michelle Riddalls talked to P3 Pharmacy Magazine editor Rob Darracott about the challenges of COVID-19 and EU exit, PAGB’s evolving role as the voice of the consumer healthcare industry and our priorities for 2021 and beyond.Ĭreated more than a century ago to defend the interests of what were then known as proprietary medicines manufacturers, the PAGB (Proprietary Association of Great Britain) is still focused on self-regulation – ensuring that all advertising of its members’ products complies with its codes of practice.
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