Whether they know it or not, more than 50 million Americans use acetaminophen every week, making it the most widely used drug ingredient in the U.S.
Used as both a pain reliever and fever reducer, acetaminophen is often the only active ingredient in many medications. Yet, as brand name medications use prominent advertising, sales sky rocket for medications also sold generically for half the price.
And as pharmaceutical companies stack store shelves with their revolving door of new products, one doctor of pharmacy warns users of over-spending for this exact reason.
Last month, Dr. Ethan Melillo (@millennialrx) came out publicly on his informative TikTok account against these name-brand pharmaceutical companies and their marketing tactics. Amassing over 621,00 views and 58,000 likes, Melillo teaches his audience about one of Vicks’ newest medications.
It’s “PainQuil,” a pain relieving liquid medicine also offered in “PM” form.
Igniting a wave of consumer skepticism, Melillo overlays himself on top of another video depicting a shopper examining the new over-the-counter medication. Melillo proceeds to voice-over the content with his own personal take on the matter.
The problem with PainQuil
“Just when I thought I couldn’t hate the makers of DayQuil and Nyquil even more, they decided to come out with ‘PainQuil,’” Melillo begins.
With visual frustrations on his face, the Rhode Island native continues.
“Pretty much all this is is liquid Tylenol, then all you’re paying for is the name ‘PainQuil.’”
Melillo says this because the main active ingredient in the new medication is actually just acetaminophen, the generic name for the exact same drug found in Tylenol products.
“Honestly, if you need Tylenol, just get the generic store brand.”
Assumably, this is advised because of the price difference. According to the FDA, generic name drugs typically cost about 80% to 85% less than their branded counterparts.
The alcohol consideration
“Also, can we talk about why there is alcohol in acetaminophen?” Melillo continues. “As I said several times, acetaminophen can cause liver damage. Alcohol plus acetaminophen is just a terrible combination for your liver.”
Taking a closer look at the contents within PainQuil, Melillo is correct. Alcohol is listed as one of the inactive ingredients on the back of the bottle. However the medication only contains 10% alcohol, which may be placed to help better dissolve the other ingredients evenly.
Commenters saw such content levels and made sure to react.
“10% alcohol… You won’t feel anything after that,” one commenter noted.
“I’ll get a Painquil and Coke on the Rocks,” another joked.
However it is understandable as to why Melillo brought this up. Because acetaminophen is primarily metabolized by the liver, much like alcohol, when combined, it may not always be the best option in regards to long term health effects and overall liver damage.
@millennialrx BEWARE of good marketing in the OTC aisle #pharmacy #painquil #pharmacist #medication #pharmacytechnician #painmanagement #millennialrx #greenscreenvideo #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Dr. Ethan Melillo, PharmD
What about PainQuil PM?
Melillo then continues on to talk about similar medication, PainQuil PM.
“We really need to talk about this PainQuil PM,” Melillo starts off. “All this is generic Tylenol and then diphenhydramine, […] that is the generic for Benadryl.”
According to Melillo, such generic medicine doesn’t actually serve as the best sleep aid.
“I’m sure if any of you have taken Benadryl for sleep, it may put you to sleep, but it doesn’t really give you a well-rested sleep,” Melillo says.
Believing that this is another example of drug company marketing expertise, Melillo once again advises his audience of the potential trickery. Circling back to the idea of alcohol within the medication’s ingredients, Melillo once again shows the simplicity of PainQuil’s contents.
“This is literally just Tylenol PM with alcohol in it,” Melillo concludes the video.
Is this pharmacist a reliable source?
The pharmacist, who now works for L’oreal, made sure to justify his claims with a seemingly infinite list of qualifications. After completing a PGY1 residency at the University of Houston, located in Texas, Melillo now uses his platform to try and educate others on the drug industry.
“I hope that I’ve been able to give back to you guys,” Melillo stated in his personal-statement TikTok video.
The Daily Dot reached out to Dr. Ethan Melillo (@millennialrx) via TikTok direct message. The Daily Dot also reached out to Vicks via their press email.
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