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The National Pharmacy Association has teamed up with health charity Kidney Care UK to warn against an over-reliance on NSAIDs.

A joint statement from the NPA and Kidney Care UK urged people no to rely on OTC medicines to manage pain or inflammation, “particularly for those who might be at increased risk of kidney disease”. 

A quarter of patients who responded to a Kidney Care UK health questionnaire said they regularly use OTC medicines for pain relief.

NSAIDs “can increase blood pressure as well as causing damage to the blood vessels inside the kidneys,” they said, adding that “around one million” people in the UK are unaware they have kidney disease. 

The health charity’s latest report indicates that many patients are not informed of their kidney disease in a timely manner and in a way that “allows them to understand what that means or any changes to lifestyle or medications,” with 11 per cent reporting that they learned of their CKD through seeing it recorded on their NHS App profile. 

NPA chair Olivier Picard said: “Medicines have the power to harm as well as to heal. 

“Although NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen, are effective and safe medicines, patients should be aware of their impact, particularly if a patient is at increased risk of developing kidney disease and consider alternative medication where appropriate.

“If a patient has concerns about their usage of NSAIDs, they should speak to their pharmacist who can advise them.

“Pharmacists are experts in medicines and are best placed to offer advice to people who may be concerned about any potential long-term effect of some medicines and can help patients effectively manage pain.”  

Fiona Loud, policy director at Kidney Care UK, commented: “Kidney disease can happen to anyone at any time, and can have a devastating impact on your life, relationships, finances as well as your physical and mental health. 

“You can lose up to 90 per cent of your kidney function without realising so it’s important to be aware of the signs to look out for, to know if you might be at increased risk, and what to do if you are concerned.

“It only takes a few minutes to complete our online Kidney Health Checker to see if you might be at increased risk. If you have any concerns, you can raise these with your GP or have a chat with your local pharmacist.”

Chris Watkinson, a 42-year-old kidney patient from Lancashire, said: “I never knew that NSAIDs could be damaging my kidney function until after I had my kidney transplant.

“I know now to avoid them, but I have no idea what impact taking them in the past had on my kidneys.

“I think it’s really important that people know that whilst medicines like ibuprofen can help, they can also be harmful for some people – and what they should take instead.”

The organisations are teaming up in March to raise awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with patients encouraged to speak to their local pharmacists and access information leaflets and posters advising them to complete an online health check.