Paracetamol tablets - Boots UK/Ireland

TOMP

Bought some tablets recently in UK and compared to Ireland

Cheapest paracetamol in Boots UK - pack of 16 tablets for 16p !!! (Boots value range)

Cheapest paracetamol in Boots Ireland - pack of 12 tablets for €1.49

Complete rip off

maxer68

Jeez - this argument has been going on for years.

To comapre prices, you must compare like with like and comparing a generic product with a brand name product isn't doing that.

On the flip side, it is a pity generic paracetemol is not available here, (much of it is made here and exported) but its up to the manufacturers / distributors to apply for a licence for each product sold and its probably not worth their while.

If there was a single EU licensing system or if we joined with the UK and accepted a UK licence for sale in Ireland, it would change.

But there is nothing whatsoever a retailer can do about it.

You as a consumer can buy online from pharmacies and have them delivered to you once the product is not a prescribed product. - I've had 300tab tubs of tylenol for use in work delivered for about €15

keithclancy

TOMP wrote: »

Bought some tablets recently in UK and compared to Ireland

Cheapest paracetamol in Boots UK - pack of 16 tablets for 16p !!! (Boots value range)

Cheapest paracetamol in Boots Ireland - pack of 12 tablets for €1.49

Complete rip off

Blame the Irish Pharma system, nothing to do with the retailer.

Cabaal

TOMP wrote: »

Bought some tablets recently in UK and compared to Ireland

Cheapest paracetamol in Boots UK - pack of 16 tablets for 16p !!! (Boots value range)

Cheapest paracetamol in Boots Ireland - pack of 12 tablets for €1.49

Complete rip off

Random car in one country = 10k
Other random car (not the same car model/make) = 5k

what a rip off!
:rolleyes:

Seriously, compare like with like

kmepll

Had a cold sore last week and bought Zovirax in Dublin for E11.25,was up in Enniskillen on Saturday and Zovirax was £3.95 ,
Then bought some preperation H to ease the pain of been F***ed by the chemist the previous day:mad:

maxer68

kmepll wrote: »

Had a cold sore last week and bought Zovirax in Dublin for E11.25,was up in Enniskillen on Saturday and Zovirax was £3.95 ,
Then bought some preperation H to ease the pain of been F***ed by the chemist the previous day:mad:

how many times does it have to be said "THE CHEMIST DOES NOT CONTROL THE RETAIL PRICES OF PHARMACUETICAL PRICES IN IRELAND"

Prices are controlled by HSE / Dept Health & Manufacturers.

Nanazolie

maxer68 wrote: »

how many times does it have to be said "THE CHEMIST DOES NOT CONTROL THE RETAIL PRICES OF PHARMACUETICAL PRICES IN IRELAND"

Prices are controlled by HSE / Dept Health & Manufacturers.

How can we explain then the difference in OTC items? For instance, a box of glycerin suppositories for children is 2.45 at my local chemist, it's 3.82 in a pharmacy in town on Camden street. (same brand, same pack)

maxer68

Nanazolie wrote: »

How can we explain then the difference in OTC items? For instance, a box of glycerin suppositories for children is 2.45 at my local chemist, it's 3.82 in a pharmacy in town on Camden street. (same brand, same pack)

either of following.
1. - city centre pharmacy adding an extra margin due to far higher costs
or
2. - City centre pharmacy not at new pricing introduced over past 12 months (another raft of price reductions take effect today http://www.hse.ie/eng/about/Who/Corporate_Pharmaceutical_Unit.html )

price reductions have been introduced on a phased basis since last October (it was all over the news) - pricing is now based on average of 9 european markets and by early next year Irish all irish pharma products should be near enough at the average price across europe.

All details are in above link.

btw - for those who have to have expensive medicine, the Irish system of a maximum payable of €120 per month is one of the best in the world. No matter who you are or how ill you are or how expensive your medicine is, the maximum amount you pay is €120 per month - but then again, why mention to positives of our system?

Nanazolie

Maxer, I find the 120 euros limit very good, but I wouldn't go as far as "best in the world". I have to carry 2 anapens, which cost 75 euros each. I buy both for 120 euros with the maximum limit, and if I or my family have any other prescription that month I don't pay for them. However, 2 anapens in France would cost less than 80 euros and if you avail of the social cover there you only pay a fraction of that (I don't but I pay my taxes here, can't have the best of both worlds ).

I get prescriptions when I travel to France as my aunt is a GP there and medecines are much cheaper. Over the counter items are cheaper too. For instance, a large bottle of paracetamol for children (equivalent to Calpol) is 2.50. A large bottle of Calpol here, which is still smaller than the French one, is over 6 euros. A bottle of saline nose spray is 14 euros here, about 5 euros in France. Same manufacturer (Sterimar). I understand that some prices would be driven up by wages, taxes, imports, etc... I don't blame the pharmacies, but I can't afford to buy staples medecines at Irish prices. It's actually cheaper to buy abroad and pay delivery costs

Thanks for the link too

maxer68

But at least something is being done about prices here - I see nasofan is down in price today. (hayfever stuff) It was €14 odd last month (uk is £10.99) but looks like it will drop to about €9 - the same price I pay to have it sent from New Zealand!

It will be June next year before all prices will be near euro average, but they're getting there - and about time too. All we need now is to stop that ridiculous rule that you must beg for Nurofen Plus.

kmepll

maxer68 wrote: »

how many times does it have to be said "THE CHEMIST DOES NOT CONTROL THE RETAIL PRICES OF PHARMACUETICAL PRICES IN IRELAND"

Prices are controlled by HSE / Dept Health & Manufacturers.

Of course the innocent Chemists would give it away or free but cant,Cop on,the slightest change to their profit margin and they shut their doors and cry proverty

maxer68

kmepll wrote: »

Of course the innocent Chemists would give it away or free but cant,Cop on,the slightest change to their profit margin and they shut their doors and cry proverty

If don't want to believe a verifiable fact, that up to you.

I much prefer to have correct verifiable information than go with some made up gibberish.

kmepll

maxer68 wrote: »

If don't want to believe a verifiable fact, that up to you.

I much prefer to have correct verifiable information than go with some made up gibberish.

Sorry I thought I was posting a thread on RIP OFF IRELAND ,I am stating a verifiable fact that we are being ripped off wether it be chemist,supermarket,hse,manufacturer,Sorry i did not include the all in my first post but one is as guilty as the other and all blame each other to get away with it

maxer68

kmepll wrote: »

Sorry I thought I was posting a thread on RIP OFF IRELAND ,I am stating a verifiable fact that we are being ripped off wether it be chemist,supermarket,hse,manufacturer,Sorry i did not include the all in my first post but one is as guilty as the other and all blame each other to get away with it

You explically blamed the chemist for the excessive price, I showed (and verified) how it is NOT the chemist. Pharmacy prices are controlled and there is nothing whatsoever a retail pharmacy can do about it.

Express you frustration at the IMB or HSE or dept of health, but not the pharmacy.

But in fairness to the IMB, prices are being changed though it would be better if it was quicker and by early next year, these excessive prices won't be there anymore. (there are 15 pages of price changes from today!)

Mr Trade In

Lack of generic brands is the real rip off, Imodium is as much as €9.99 for 12 tablets in chemists in Dublin, Lopermid HCI 20 tablets is 1.75 Turkish Lira about .80 cent.

kmepll

maxer68 wrote: »

You explically blamed the chemist for the excessive price, I showed (and verified) how it is NOT the chemist. Pharmacy prices are controlled and there is nothing whatsoever a retail pharmacy can do about it.

Express you frustration at the IMB or HSE or dept of health, but not the pharmacy.

But in fairness to the IMB, prices are being changed though it would be better if it was quicker and by early next year, these excessive prices won't be there anymore. (there are 15 pages of price changes from today!)

I Blamed the person who sold me the product just as you would in any shop ,all prices are controlled somewhere down the line but all we see is the person on the front line

keithclancy

kmepll wrote: »

I Blamed the person who sold me the product just as you would in any shop ,all prices are controlled somewhere down the line but all we see is the person on the front line

I must remember to punch the shopkeeper in the face the next time I buy cigarettes.

kmepll

keithclancy wrote: »

I must remember to punch the shopkeeper in the face the next time I buy cigarettes.

No just punch yourself for starting to smoke in the first place:P

maxer68

kmepll wrote: »

I Blamed the person who sold me the product just as you would in any shop ,all prices are controlled somewhere down the line but all we see is the person on the front line

and you blame a shop assistant earning €10 an hour??????

enough said.

Noffles

Blame Ireland... RIP OFF IRELAND.

Nanazolie

maxer68 wrote: »

and you blame a shop assistant earning €10 an hour??????

enough said.

reminds me when I was working at the till of a well known supermarket. People gave out to me because of the prices, opening hours, the freshness of the vegs. I even had an old lady complaining that the milk carton's opening was too stiff for her.

borderlinemeath

kmepll wrote: »

I Blamed the person who sold me the product just as you would in any shop ,all prices are controlled somewhere down the line but all we see is the person on the front line

Wow, I'd say you're a joy to deal with.

Do you give out to the barman every time he pours you an overpriced pint? Or give out to the waitress who brings you overpriced food?

Complaining to the front line gets you nowhere. Just gives you a reputation as a crank.

kmepll

If you read all the posts instead of just one,I said I blamed the person on the front line which is the chemist (as in Shop),Sorry i did not spell properly, not the manufacturer or Hse although all are to blame,Complaining and blaming a shop assistant never came into it,and i am a barman and do get slack for the price of a pint but i know my employer has a lot to do with that.

laughter189

TOMP wrote: »

Bought some tablets recently in UK and compared to Ireland

Cheapest paracetamol in Boots UK - pack of 16 tablets for 16p !!! (Boots value range)

Cheapest paracetamol in Boots Ireland - pack of 12 tablets for €1.49

I buy paracetamol on prescription . - they come in a box of 100 = € 5.51

This works out at 5.5 cent each - I think that is good value .

wmpdd3

i order form a British Pharmacy online, I have saved a fortune:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=71770181&postcount=31

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=71770181

ballysheil

Poor old original poster put up a genuine example of rip off Ireland and has had a couple of mean comments.
A moderator even put up a bit of a snidey comment "compare like with like " etc.
(BTW Like with like means similar not exact matches so the mod is not even correct here.)

But the general point is still valid isnt it?
The general public are getting ripped off because they can be.
A cosy system has grown up which takes more money out of consumer pockets than is felt acceptable now.

TOMP

Original post was comparing paracetamol 500mg with paracetamol 500mg.... . . .ok packets were different . . . .cant think of any other notable difference. . .

corium.sam

I agree something the govt. should do to implement generic divisions of some essential drugs. The drugs which are to be continued for a long while completely tears the patient's pocket.

Skopzz

It is a well known concept that Irish Pharmacists are greedy p#gs. These help set the market price at an unusually high level. They need to be regulated more.

maxer68

Skopzz wrote: »

It is a well known concept that Irish Pharmacists are greedy p#gs. These help set the market price at an unusually high level. They need to be regulated more.

More rubbish from Skopzz - can you prove this in any way whatsoever? Nearly every topic I've seen you post on has no basis / fact attached whatsoever

Even a smidgen of proof will do me on this one- a tiny weeny bit of proof?

Irish pharmacists work on a 30% margin on non-medical card pharmacuetical products - this is fixed. It covers the cost of the retail outlet, staff, rates, rent, utilities etc etc. It is not excessive and is a similar rate to that of other european countries. That is published FACT.

All pharmacuetical product sold in Ireland must be approved for sale by the Irish medical board - the preference is that there should be a European medical board approving medicines for sale europe wide - that would see a lot more generic medicines available.

Skopzz

As usual, the greedy Pharmacists like to blame someone else with excuses (IMB or EMEA). These Pharmacists never sell generic brand names because they can make bigger profits by stocking big brands.

Remember the Community Drugs Scheme that Irish Pharmacists were forced to lower their predatory prices on?