Pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen in man: a single-dose comparison of two over-the-counter, 200 mg preparations.

The pharmacokinetic properties of two 200 mg, over-the-counter (OTC) ibuprofen preparations were compared in a randomized crossover study on ten healthy volunteers. After 2 times 200 mg single dose, one preparation produced peak plasma ibuprofen concentration 30.0 +/- 2.1 micrograms/ml at 1.6 h and the other preparation 23.2 +/- 1.9 micrograms/ml at 2.3 h (p less than 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the preparations in the bioavailability of ibuprofen. OTC ibuprofen preparations are mainly used for acute indications, such as fever or headache. In these cases, rapid absorption and high concentrations of active ingredient are desirable properties, especially when the amount of drug is relatively low. Therefore, the pharmacokinetic differences between these preparations may be therapeutically significant.