Switches have always been viewed as one of the few true breakthrough opportunities in consumer healthcare. When innovation in licensed categories is constrained by regulation, limited formulation differentiation, and expensive clinical evidence, the chance to unlock a proven prescription medicine for pharmacy supply is understandably appealing.

But anyone who has worked in this space knows the reality: POM to P switches are rarely straightforward, rarely predictable, and never guaranteed.

Experience across migraine, allergy, women’s health, weight management, and many other categories shows that while switches generate enthusiasm, very few achieve sustained commercial impact. Even strong launches can struggle to maintain momentum, often requiring ongoing investment just to deliver moderate performance.

As Fiona Wylie, Founder and CEO of Brand Champions, puts it: “No two switches are the same, but the mistakes usually are. Success relies on deeply understanding behaviour, not just relying on the science.”

What a POM to P Switch Really Involves

A champion POM to P switch demands more than regulatory approval. Understanding behavioural barriers, pharmacist confidence, and real-world adoption patterns is essential for commercial success.

Reclassifying a prescription-only medicine involves assessing whether the medicine still meets POM criteria. For example, whether it poses direct health dangers without clinical supervision. Safety, misuse potential, and public health benefit all contribute to decision-making.

Switches can unlock enormous access benefits, but they must be clinically justified and behaviourally viable. And it is behavioural viability — not regulatory approval — that separates the few long-term successes from the many short-lived launches.

Why Switches Don’t Follow the Usual Innovation Playbook

In other consumer categories, innovation follows the Rogers Adoption Cycle: launch → meet a need → build relevance → scale.

But switches rarely travel this linear path.

Conditions are often episodic, niche, embarrassing, or misunderstood. Emotional engagement is low. Consumers “cope” rather than treat. And pharmacists, the gatekeepers of the switch,  need confidence, time, and clarity to recommend appropriately.

Even successful switches tend to be atypical. Emergency contraception is one of the most cited examples, but its performance is driven by necessity, not a replicable model.

Understanding adoption patterns is critical. Early champions (pharmacists and consumers) heavily influence whether a switch ever progresses to the early majority — a principle long supported in healthcare adoption research.

The Core Barriers You Must Overcome

From Brand Champions’ work across multiple categories, five barriers consistently determine the fate of a switch:

1.    Condition Awareness

If the condition is poorly understood or considered “manageable,” consumers do not seek solutions.

2.    Pharmacist Workload and Pressure

Many pharmacies operate with limited staffing and competing priorities. They need tools, clarity, and confidence to make safe, fast decisions.

3.    Lack of Emotional Relevance

If consumers feel indifferent about the condition or brand, behaviour rarely changes.

4.    Clinical Confidence

Pharmacists must trust that the product is safe, appropriate and clearly differentiated.

5.    Systemic Friction

Switches fail when pharmacists, GPs, and patients receive conflicting information or unclear guidance.

As Fiona puts it:  “A winning switch removes friction for everyone involved: the pharmacist, the patient, and the system around them.”

What Champion Switches Get Right

The projects that deliver the strongest, most sustainable outcomes usually align on four capabilities:

Clear Behavioural Insight

Understanding what drives action, and equally, what causes people to do nothing.

Pharmacist-Centred Tools

Fast, confident suitability assessments are essential. Decision flows, symptom checkers, and patient prompts improve clarity at the counter.

Aligned Ecosystem Education

Patients, pharmacists, and GPs need consistent, credible messages. Fragmentation erodes trust.

Strategic Sequencing

Launch timing, training waves, pharmacy activation programmes and post-launch optimisation all shape long-term viability.

None of these elements alone guarantees success. Together, they significantly increase the odds of delivering a switch with real commercial and clinical impact.

Why Behaviour Matters More Than Science in a Switch

Switches often fail not because they lack data, but because they lack behavioural alignment.

A switch succeeds when:

●      patients recognise the condition

●      pharmacists see the value and feel equipped

●      the system has clear roles and responsibilities

●      the brand articulates a meaningful reason to act now

And importantly, when all of this is engineered before the MHRA decision, not after.

Where Brand Champions Can Support You

Brand Champions has deep experience helping POM and OTC brands navigate the complexities of switch planning and execution.

We support teams with:

●      switch readiness assessments

●      evidence-led behavioural insights

●      pharmacist activation and messaging

●      condition education and suitability tools

●      end-to-end switch ecosystem strategy

Every switch is different — but the underlying principles hold true across categories. For the full Brand Champions POM to P Switch Guide, email: hello@thebrandchampions.com.