Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Bonsai OTC Category Spotlight: Cold remedies remain pharmacists’ favorite category – Voltaren and Nicorette strengthen their leadership

Pharmacists enjoy OTC more – and have clear category favorites

Bremen / Hamburg, September 15, 2025 – Bonsai Health has published a new special evaluation of the Bonsai OTC Category Spotlight. The results highlight how pharmacists’ preferences and assessments of the OTC market have shifted over the past year.

Cold remedies remain on top

Cold preparations continue to be the undisputed favorite category among German pharmacists. Nearly one in two (45% in 2024 vs. 40% the previous year) cite them as their top choice. And for good reason: they deliver the highest margin (54%) and are considered the most important revenue drivers in the OTC market (80%).

Consultation as a success factor

Pharmacists see professional consultation as the key strength of brick-and-mortar pharmacies – a service that online channels cannot replicate. The need for expertise is rated particularly high in digestion (74%), cold remedies (74%), sleep & stress (65%), and cough & respiratory (62%). Where revenue and relevance align, the fun factor rises – boosting motivation across teams.

Hero products gaining traction

Voltaren remains the clear leader in topical pain relief, favored by 85% of pharmacists, while Nicorette tops smoking cessation with 87%. Both brands have gained further popularity compared to last year.

Innovation power under pressure

Only 12% of respondents now consider the OTC market to be highly innovative (down from 21% the previous year). The steepest decline is seen in the sleep & stress category. A bright spot can be found in digestion products, where perceived innovation rose from 18% to 27%.

Conclusion: An OTC market in transition

The “category firmament” analysis shows that margins and relevance are stronger market drivers than innovation. Cold remedies, cough products, pain relief, and digestion remain the most decisive areas for revenue and consultation.

The next Bonsai OTC Category Spotlight will be published in February 2026 with extended criteria, including brand perception, PoS visibility, and advertising effects – offering manufacturers and pharmacies fresh benchmarks for brand strategy and operational excellence.