Price comparison - It pays to shop around

The consumer survey conducted in September by the National Consumer Agency (NCA) found that there is a great discrepancy between prices charged at various outlets for everyday healthcare products like toothpaste, shaving gel and cough mixture. Personal care items and over the counter medicines tend to be the most expensive elements in the weekly shopping.

Some items cost as much as two-and-a-half times more at one shop over another. This reinforces the message that it pays to shop around.

The survey included the four largest supermarkets, eight chemist chains and four independent pharmacies. The supermarkets were generally cheaper with Tesco the cheapest on a sample basket of 25 commonly bought items, while Superquinn was the most expensive at over 18% dearer.