Painkiller - Or the consumption in times of pain

1 - What is the problem ?

The moment I do not want to think of a more sustainable way to fix a problem is when I'm in pain. I'm in a rush; I want quick, efficient, and accessible relief, and I couldn't care less about any other consequences : I just want to get better.

Painkillers are a simple solution : the amount per person isn't regulated, they’re cheap, widely available in pharmacies, supermarkets, and even online, and most importantly, their effects are felt within minutes.

A psychological pattern is now set, and once it's established, it becomes difficult to break.

According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, headache disorders are among the most prevalent and disabling conditions worldwide. Similarly, the American Migraine Foundation reports that migraines affect 1 in 7 people globally. That's why when I'm mentionning pain, I'll only target headache.

2 - Statistics, market and production

When we mention „over-the-counter painkillers,“ we are directly referring to paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen (ACT) in the USA. It often has its own nationally preferred brand—for example, Tylenol in the USA, Doliprane in France, and probably something else in Germany.

Looking at the statistics, more than half of patients believe that over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers are the best option for pain relief. However, despite being the first instinct, 56% of them wait until the pain becomes unbearable before taking a pill.

More than 87% of paracetamol is taken orally. The most popular dosage form is tablets (40%), followed by capsules (35%) and liquid form (12%).

The U.S. is the world's largest pharmaceutical market, with annual sales of $714.3 billion in 2023, followed by China, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Brazil.

The U.S. is home to five of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies by size and revenue. These include Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, Merck & Co, Roche, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, and GSK.

Since COVID-19, the use of painkillers has increased drastically, positioning the U.S. and Canada as the pharmaceutical leaders in acetaminophen (ACT) sales. The three biggest brands—Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie—generated more than $11 billion in 2024.

With North America leading the market, let's take a closer look at how OTC paracetamol is sold there.

My first thought in the process of rethinking the painkiller problematic was taking a look at the object itself : what are the unsistainable material that could be replaced ?

This phase allowed me to split the product in three sections :

- The protection

- The marketing

- The medicine

Looking back on this first draft, it was a pretty naive of me to see the over consumption of painkiller as a problem of unsustainable packaging.

PRODUCTION PROCESS

The production of this product involves three key industries:

- The aluminum industry (for the seal)

- The paper industry (for the box)

- The petrochemical industry (for the plastic parts of the packaging, the ink, and the tablet itself)

Four major factors make this process unsustainable:

- Fossil resource dependency

- High energy consumption

- Deforestation

- Excessive water usage

DISTRIBUTION PROCESS

Most people (90%) purchase their medicine, even over-the-counter drugs, from pharmacies. This centralized distribution system reduces waste, as bulk packaging minimizes the need for excessive individual wrapping. A single large box of medicine is delivered to the pharmacy, where consumers buy it directly. However, transportation remains a key issue, as it relies on fossil fuels, contributing to motor pollution.

DISPOSAL SYSTEM

This stage faces two main challenges: greenwashing and lack of consumer awareness.

Many people are unaware of how to properly dispose of expired or unused medication. As a result, pills often end up in the sewage system, leading to water pollution and passive contamination through soil and wildlife.

Even when consumers take responsible action—returning pills to pharmacies and recycling packaging—90% of the waste is ultimately burned or buried.

After a long time trying to find what has been discovered in the field to replace the different problematic meterial used, I figured out that it wasn't through the packaging that I could reach the desired change.

3a - Looking for a solution - Downstream perspective

Before thinking of a new solution, I first wanted to understand the design choices behind the current packaging—most of which are for safety reasons.

For example, the combination of a taped box, a lid, and an aluminum seal exists due to tamper-proof safety regulations introduced after the Chicago Tylenol murders in 1982. This tragic event involved a series of poisoning deaths caused by drug tampering, where Tylenol-branded painkiller capsules were laced with potassium cyanide.

History and hygiene expectations impose strict limitations on redesigning pharmaceutical packaging—people need to trust that their medication is safe.

On one hand, I brainstormed alternative distribution systems that could reduce waste. I came up with three possibilities:

Selling individual pills, as some countries already do—no packaging, just dispensing the exact required amount.

Implementing a Pfand (deposit-return) system, allowing containers to be refilled.

Using vending machines that dispense water, integrate a Pfand system for reusable glasses, and feature a screen to guide users through their symptoms and OTC medication options before making a purchase.

The issue with the last option is the risk of making painkillers too accessible, potentially increasing consumption simply because it’s easier. Additionally, replacing pharmacists with AI raises concerns about the lack of human interaction in healthcare, which, in my opinion, would create an undesirable, dystopian effect.

On the other hand, changing the materials used in production could make disposal safer:

Using glass containers, as glass is infinitely recyclable.

Exploring alternatives to paracetamol, such as turpentine (to be researched further).

Considering placebos—if some pills are inevitably wasted or disposed of improperly, making them harmless could be an option (though this raises ethical concerns).

This step represents my first draft of potential solutions—a downstream approach to identifying changes that could be made. Addressing overconsumption doesn’t always start with redesigning packaging or production, but I’m glad I explored this aspect first. The obvious ideas must be written down before deeper, more refined solutions can emerge.

3b - Looking for a solution - Upstream perspective

Let’s flip the question: if there is no pain to relieve, painkiller consumption will drop drastically, solving most of the issues we previously discussed.

Now, the challenge becomes even more ambitious: how do we eradicate pain ?

Most people wait until the pain becomes unbearable before addressing it, ignoring the warning signs their body sends. The first graphic clearly illustrates this—people tend to prioritize work over health, behaving differently when they have free time.

We need to listen to our bodies and establish a new internal hierarchy, where well-being comes first.

I then took a closer look at the main causes of headaches and identified four key factors—closely interconnected:

- Screen time

- Dehydration

- Illness

- Lack of sleep

At their core, these issues stem from poor time management, neglecting personal limits, and deeply ingrained bad habits.

The challenge is that this line of thinking risks straying too far from the original topic—shifting the focus toward solutions for dehydration or excessive screen time rather than addressing painkiller consumption directly.

With this new perspective, my approach to the problem shifted, now following two key axes:

- Creating a healthier environment so that people naturally develop better habits without conscious effort.

- Helping people tune into their bodies by providing them with the tools to recognize and interpret warning signs.

4 - Conclusion

The conclusion didn’t come out as the smooth, satisfying answer I was expecting, but looking back at all the research, reflections, and data visualization I did, I’m quite happy with it. I think I missed some obvious leads in the project—for example, I initially focused on the fact that paracetamol comes from the petrochemical industry but then completely accepted it after discovering it.

That being said, it is what it is—if finding a clean solution to overconsumption were that easy and quick, there wouldn’t be a challenge. I’m glad I had the opportunity to develop a long, thoughtful reflection on the topic.

I certainly learned a lot—not just about deconsumption, but also about the pharmaceutical industry, visual communication, human behavior, existing alternatives, and even about myself in times of intense stress.