Over-the-counter painkiller Nurofen Plus has gone back on sale in tamper-proof packaging.

The new stock will appear on pharmacy shelves this week and, although the printed labels will be identical, the new boxes will be individually wrapped in clear plastic so consumers can see whether a pack has been opened.

Nurofen manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser announced that it had taken all possible steps to protect public health following the arrest of a man in south London who allegedly switched Nurofen Plus capsules for anti-psychotic and anti-epilepsy drugs.

Dr Aomesh Bhatt, medical director for Nurofen Plus, said that thousands of packs had been recalled following the scare, but only four were found to have been tampered with.

Recently, pharmaceutical firms in India began using bespoke pharma labels to help combat the growing problem of counterfeit medication.

HP Labs' Prith Banerjee told the Economic Times that the new printed labels would have both commercial and health benefits.

Denny Bros Ltd , 4th October 2011