LISTEN ABOVE:Â University of Otago marketing lecturer Robert Aitken slams Nurofen for what he says was blatant misleading of consumers.
UPDATED 8.12pm: The maker of Nurofen said its drugs that are under legal scrutiny were only ever meant to make things easier for people.
The Commerce Commission is laying ten charges under the Fair Trading Act to do with labelling and advertising.
It said Nurofen was sold specifically for migraine pain, tension headaches, period pain and back pain, even though they had the same ingredients.
Business Herald reporter Hamish Fletcher said the Commission claims the products are promoted as different, but are all the same.
"While the recipe or the formula for those pain specific products differs from the straight normal Nurofen that you'd get off the shelf, they're all the same as each other."
The Commission said that gave an overall impression the products could target specific pain.
It said Nurofen intends to plead guilty.
It said they were designed to give easy navigation of pain relief in supermarkets, where pharmacy support wasn't available.
Â
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you