Table 3.
Sodium content of OTC effervescent tablets
| Category | Brand name (manufacturer) | Sodium content/ tablet (mg) | % of the maximum recommended daily sodium intake* of one tablet | Sodium content of maximum recommended daily dose (mg) | % of maximum recommended daily sodium intake* of the maximum recommended daily dose | Maximum recommended tablets per day | OTC | Active ingredients | Sales figures |
| Pain/common cold (frequently dispensed products) | Aspirin Migräne (Bayer) | 544 | 27 | 3264 | 163 | 6 | Yes | Aspirin | 3.96 million packs of this class sold in 2021 in Germany |
| ASS+C-ratiopharm gegen Schmerzen (Ratiopharm) | 477 | 24 | 2385 | 119 | 5 | Yes | Aspirin, ascorbic acid | ||
| ASPIRIN plus C forte (Bayer) | 473 | 24 | 1419 | 71 | 3 | Yes | Aspirin, ascorbic acid | ||
| ASPIRIN plus C (Bayer) | 466 | 23 | 2796 | 140 | 6 | Yes | Aspirin, ascorbic acid | ||
| Togal Kopfschmerz-Brause+Vitamin C (Kyberg Pharma) | 459 | 23 | 2754 | 138 | 6 | Yes | Aspirin, ascorbic acid, caffeine | ||
| Alka-Seltzer classic (Bayer) | 445 | 22 | 3560 | 178 | 8 | Yes | Aspirin | ||
| FIZAMOL 500 mg (Accord Healthcare) | 419 | 21 | 3352 | 168 | 8 | Yes | Acetaminophen | ||
| PARACETAMOL-ratiopharm 500 mg (Ratiopharm) | 416 | 21 | 3328 | 166 | 8 | Yes | Acetaminophen | ||
| WICK DayMed Erkältungsgetränk (WICK Pharma) | 157 | 8 | 942 | 47 | 6 | Yes | Acetaminophen, guaifenesin, phenylephrine | ||
| Grippostad C Stickpack (STADA Consumer Health) | 128 | 6 | 384 | 19 | 3 | Yes | Acetaminophen, chlorpheniramine, ascorbic acid, caffeine | ||
| Cough (frequently dispensed products) | NAC-ratiopharm 200 mg, (Ratiopharm) | 190 | 10 | 570 | 29 | 3 | Yes | Acetylcysteine | 5.30 million packs of this class sold in 2021 in Germany |
| Fluimucil 200 mg (Zambon) | 158 | 8 | 474 | 24 | 3 | No | Acetylcysteine | ||
| Fluimucil long 600 mg (Zambon) | 158 | 8 | 158 | 8 | 1 | No | Acetylcysteine | ||
| NAC-ratiopharm 600 mg (Ratiopharm) | 150 | 8 | 150 | 8 | 1 | Yes | Acetylcysteine | ||
| ACC akut 600 mg (Hexal) | 139 | 7 | 139 | 7 | 1 | Yes | Acetylcysteine | ||
| NAC 600 akut (1A Pharma) | 139 | 7 | 139 | 7 | 1 | Yes | Acetylcysteine | ||
| Ambrobeta 30 (betapharm Arzneimittel) | 127 | 6 | 381 | 19 | 3 | Yes | Ambroxol | ||
| ACC akut 200 mg (Hexal) | 99 | 5 | 297 | 15 | 3 | Yes | Acetylcysteine | ||
| NAC 200 akut (1A Pharma) | 99 | 5 | 297 | 15 | 3 | Yes | Acetylcysteine | ||
| Calcium/ vitamin D3 (colecalciferol; examples of frequently prescribed effervescent tablets) | Calcium Sandoz forte (Hexal) | 288 | 14 | 864 | 43 | 3 | Yes | Calcium+vitamin D | 52.32 million DDD of the entire class claimed to the expense of the SHI funds in 2021 in Germany25 |
| Calcium D3 acis 1.200/800 (acis Arzneimittel) | 105 | 5 | 105 | 5 | 1 | Yes | Calcium+vitamin D | ||
| CalciCare-D3 forte 1.000 mg/ 880 I.E. (ORION Pharma) | 97 | 5 | 97 | 5 | 1 | Yes | Calcium+vitamin D | ||
| Calcilac 1000 mg/ 880 I.E. (MIBE Arzneimittel) | 96 | 5 | 96 | 5 | 1 | Yes | Calcium+vitamin D | ||
| Osteoplus 1.000 mg/1.000 I.E. (Recordati Pharma) | 78 | 4 | 78 | 4 | 1 | Yes | Calcium+vitamin D | ||
| Calcigen D 600/400 (MEDA Pharma) | 52 | 3 | 104 | 5 | 2 | Yes | Calcium+vitamin D | ||
| Calcium D3-ratiopharm 600/400 (Ratiopharm) | 52 | 3 | 104 | 5 | 2 | Yes | Calcium+vitamin D | ||
| Calcium Sandoz D Osteo 600 mg/400 I.E. (Hexal) | 52 | 3 | 104 | 5 | 2 | Yes | Calcium+vitamin D | ||
| Other drugs (examples) | Gittalun (Hermes Arzneimittel) | 575 | 29 | 1150 | 58 | 2 | Yes | Doxylamine | – |
| Zink-ratiopharm 25 mg (Ratiopharm) | 325 | 16 | 325 | 16 | 1 | Yes | Zinc | ||
| Magnesium Verla (Verla-Pharm Arzneimittel) | 314 | 16 | 942 | 47 | 3 | Yes | Magnesium | ||
| Lösferron (MIBE Arzneimittel) | 220 | 11 | 660 | 33 | 3 | Yes | Fe-(II)-D-gluconat | ||
| Magnesiocard 7,5 mmol (Verla-Pharm Arzneimittel) | 138 | 7 | 276 | 14 | 2 | Yes | Magnesium | ||
| Morphin Painbreak akut 20 mg (PB Pharma) | 65 | 3 | 1170 | 59 | 18 | No | Morphine |
*Maximum recommended daily sodium intake according to WHO recommendations.8
DDD, defined daily doses; OTC, over-the-counter; SHI, statutory health insurance.