Tesco enters the Pharmacy market

parsi

digitaldr wrote: »

Bizarrely a pharmacist is not allowed to suggest a generic alternative to what's on the prescription. By doing so a pharmacist is going out on a limb for your benefit - can't imagine Tesco doing this.

Didn't know that. My local offered me the generic last week - saved a fiver.

UDP

parsi wrote: »

Didn't know that. My local offered me the generic last week - saved a fiver.

Also I was in a pharmacy in Dublin last week and they had signs on the shelves that said to ask them for generic drugs to save money.

kearneybobs

UDP wrote: »

Also I was in a pharmacy in Dublin last week and they had signs on the shelves that said to ask them for generic drugs to save money.

I dont suppose they had some bargains to be had? At least if you were to share them here then there would be at least some bargain alert in this thread.:rolleyes:

n97 mini

An observation. Tesco 16 pack of paracetamol in the UK: 16 pence. How much here?

Looking for example of pee taking down here: GPs' "refrigeration fee" of €10 for keeping a vaccine in the fridge.

ceegee

n97 mini wrote: »

An observation. Tesco 16 pack of paracetamol in the UK: 16 pence. How much here?

Looking for example of pee taking down here: GPs' "refrigeration fee" of €10 for keeping a vaccine in the fridge.

Realistically we'll never see those kinda prices for paracetamol here unless tesco open up an awful lot more pharmacys. At that price markup must only be a few pence, and youd need to move a huge amount just to cover the cost of licensing it here, makes far more sense for them to just undercut other stores by 5-10 cent on the existing brands

juuge

digitaldr wrote: »

This will be coming in soon - it's called price referencing (it already applies in the UK).

Bizarrely a pharmacist is not allowed to suggest a generic alternative to what's on the prescription. By doing so a pharmacist is going out on a limb for your benefit - can't imagine Tesco doing this.

Always get your GP to specify the Drug Name rather than the brand name - that way the chemist can give you a generic alternative.

Drakar

I bought a box of paracetemol and a box of ibprofen in Asda (uk) this morning and my bill was 43p.

Nonoperational

Some good points here. Your right that technically pharmacists shouldn't switch to generics, but now most will if you ask. And I completely agree some people have an irrational fear of generics. The things people have said to me regarding generics are bizarre to be honest. Everything from not liking them to being allergic to them.

wmpdd3

ceegee wrote: »

Realistically we'll never see those kinda prices for paracetamol here unless tesco open up an awful lot more pharmacys. At that price markup must only be a few pence, and youd need to move a huge amount just to cover the cost of licensing it here, makes far more sense for them to just undercut other stores by 5-10 cent on the existing brands

The mark up could be more than that, even 50%. A few years ago I was prescribed paracetamol, I think I got a jar of 30 or 60 for €3.50. (no medical card)

Considering it's currently €1.59 for 12.

digitaldr

There seems to be a body of opinion out there that pharmacies should charge little or no mark up. Yet people don't think twice about buying a bottle of water (300%+ mark up) at their local Spar or even worse a restaurant or pub.

ceegee

wmpdd3 wrote: »

ceegee wrote: »

Realistically we'll never see those kinda prices for paracetamol here unless tesco open up an awful lot more pharmacys. At that price markup must only be a few pence, and youd need to move a huge amount just to cover the cost of licensing it here, makes far more sense for them to just undercut other stores by 5-10 cent on the existing brands

The mark up could be more than that, even 50%. A few years ago I was prescribed paracetamol, I think I got a jar of 30 or 60 for €3.50. (no medical card)

Considering it's currently €1.59 for 12.

Paracetamol is dirt cheap to produce, the main cost being passed on is the packaging (must be blister packed - more expensive than a plain tub) and the regulatory costs of having it licensed for sale here. Therefore the cost to manufacturer is very similiar between a 12 pack, 24 pack and a 100 tub (for prescriptions)

Tesco could probably have a product manufactured cheaper than other companies but those licensing costs will still prevent a massive pricedrop from being economically possible til tesco have a huge foothold on the pharmacy market here.

drumm23

digitaldr wrote: »

There seems to be a body of opinion out there that pharmacies should charge little or no mark up. Yet people don't think twice about buying a bottle of water (300%+ mark up) at their local Spar or even worse a restaurant or pub.

Selling water is not a regulated industry, the local Spar compete with the local Tesco, transparently, and without recourse to the State for the cost of the bottle.
The pharmacy industry will change dramatically in the next decade it will soon be dominated by the large retailers; three independent pharmacies in each town will be a thing of the past and, obviously, salaries will collapse in sympathy with the newly found efficiency. I can't say it's a bad thing considering how pharmacies have bled the state with anticompetitive nonsense and gaming state payments for at least the last ten years. What goes around.........

bk

ceegee wrote: »

Tesco could probably have a product manufactured cheaper than other companies but those licensing costs will still prevent a massive pricedrop from being economically possible til tesco have a huge foothold on the pharmacy market here.

Are licensing costs so much more expensive in Ireland, then in the UK?

Really there should only be one licensing authority, run at EU level, that applies to all EU countries. It is ridiculous that you have to license in each separate country in a supposedly free and open market.

You could then have easy cross border competition and even online sales. That would quickly drive down the price of drugs here.

Groinshot

bk wrote: »

ceegee wrote: »

Tesco could probably have a product manufactured cheaper than other companies but those licensing costs will still prevent a massive pricedrop from being economically possible til tesco have a huge foothold on the pharmacy market here.

Are licensing costs so much more expensive in Ireland, then in the UK?

Really there should only be one licensing authority, run at EU level, that applies to all EU countries. It is ridiculous that you have to license in each separate country in a supposedly free and open market.

You could then have easy cross border competition and even online sales. That would quickly drive down the price of drugs here.

True, but you have to look at everything like that. Of the cost of drugs is brought to match that of the ei, then surely alcohol should've reduced to the same level. Alongside that, the wage levels should be reduced accordingly, to brin us more in line with the EU?
If wages are higher so is the cost of living...

bk

Groinshot wrote: »

True, but you have to look at everything like that. Of the cost of drugs is brought to match that of the ei, then surely alcohol should've reduced to the same level. Alongside that, the wage levels should be reduced accordingly, to brin us more in line with the EU?

Wages, cost of alcohol, drugs, etc. should all be open to a purely competitive open market and the price set based on supply and demand.

Just because you had a central European regulator doesn't mean you would have the same prices across Europe. Other factors would come into play like the cost of shipping the goods and the level of competition locally.

However a central European regulator would remove one of the most significant barriers to competition in the Irish drugs market.

BTW wages in the private sector do work this way. Wages in the public sector should also work this way.

Groinshot wrote: »

If wages are higher so is the cost of living...

Not necessarily true at all, wages are typically higher in the US, while the cost of living is typically lower.

ceegee

bk wrote: »

ceegee wrote: »

Tesco could probably have a product manufactured cheaper than other companies but those licensing costs will still prevent a massive pricedrop from being economically possible til tesco have a huge foothold on the pharmacy market here.

Are licensing costs so much more expensive in Ireland, then in the UK?

Really there should only be one licensing authority, run at EU level, that applies to all EU countries. It is ridiculous that you have to license in each separate country in a supposedly free and open market.

You could then have easy cross border competition and even online sales. That would quickly drive down the price of drugs here.

Licensing costs are similiar but youve a far smaller market to recoup that cost.

An EU-wide license would be great but difficult to implement as it would need to meet each countrys legislative criteria (almost impossible) or realistically mean handing medicines regulation to europes control, which would be unpopular with the public (imagine the uproar if the EU decided codeine should be prescription only)

I can only presume that any product being offered for sale EU-wide would need to have all relevant info in all EU main languages, would be a bit of a clusterfcuk marketing wise

RandolphEsq

UDP wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfSi0D7KESk

1:54 seconds into that I was given nightmares of Half Life 2 where I had to take down several of those robot-insect things. The psychological scarring runs deep.

Compak

Why does everyone think Tesco will be cheaper? Because they said it? What about the current medicines they stock?

I went to purchase a packet of strepsils on Sunday, €4.30, sore throat or not no thank you. Hall soothers it was, and at €1.30 even that was dear.

So excuse me if I give a, I'll believe it when I see it approach and ignore the media's few choice prescription selections

NewHillel

bk wrote: »

Are licensing costs so much more expensive in Ireland, then in the UK?

Really there should only be one licensing authority, run at EU level, that applies to all EU countries. It is ridiculous that you have to license in each separate country in a supposedly free and open market.

You could then have easy cross border competition and even online sales. That would quickly drive down the price of drugs here.

That's exactly it. It's also what was supposed to happen, since the days of he 'Common Market'. Let's hope that movement in this area is something positive the Troika can achieve for Ireland.

drumm23

Compak wrote: »

Why does everyone think Tesco will be cheaper? Because they said it? What about the current medicines they stock?

Uh, because they almost always are cheaper than their small independent retail competitors? They will crush the independent pharmacies within a few years; the old idea that every town had three pharmacies is just that: old.

FLOOPER

Sorry chaps (ess')

But is this not BA or am I in the wrong house?

mightybashful

Compak wrote: »

Why does everyone think Tesco will be cheaper? Because they said it? What about the current medicines they stock?

I went to purchase a packet of strepsils on Sunday, €4.30, sore throat or not no thank you. Hall soothers it was, and at €1.30 even that was dear.

So excuse me if I give a, I'll believe it when I see it approach and ignore the media's few choice prescription selections

It's cheaper because of the prices they charge. Got a Symbicort inhaler Tesco Naas last night at €20odd cheaper than I have been paying for the last 5 years. Jackpot!!
Tho it was still €65

Nanazolie

mightybashful wrote: »

It's cheaper because of the prices they charge. Got a Symbicort inhaler Tesco Naas last night at €20odd cheaper than I have been paying for the last 5 years. Jackpot!!
Tho it was still €65

I pay 75 for an epipen. Will check their price, I just can't afford this kind of money and I haven't renewed the last one, which is now out of date by 8 months. I just prayed I wouldn't need it

mightybashful

Nanazolie wrote: »

mightybashful wrote: »

It's cheaper because of the prices they charge. Got a Symbicort inhaler Tesco Naas last night at €20odd cheaper than I have been paying for the last 5 years. Jackpot!!
Tho it was still €65

I pay 75 for an epipen. Will check their price, I just can't afford this kind of money and I haven't renewed the last one, which is now out of date by 8 months. I just prayed I wouldn't need it

It is sad the way any illness is preyed upon here. I dispair when I hear price comparisons with very near neighbours.

Nonoperational

Nanazolie wrote: »

I pay 75 for an epipen. Will check their price, I just can't afford this kind of money and I haven't renewed the last one, which is now out of date by 8 months. I just prayed I wouldn't need it

That's ridiculous. If you can't afford €70 quid every few years for something that could potentially save your life you should be entitled to a medical card.

daithimacgroin

so if i go up the north shopping, can i get cheap generic pills yeah?

Jimdagym

daithimacgroin wrote: »

so if i go up the north shopping, can i get cheap generic pills yeah?

You can get cheap generic pills here.

vimes

Jimdagym wrote: »

You can get cheap generic pills here.

Except, you can't, not really anyway.

Walk into a Boots or Tesco or whatever in UK and you can pick up a bottle of 50 or 100 paracetamol or ibuprofen for a pound or two.

Walk into an Irish pharma and you can have max 24 of them for about 2 yoyos.

One of those scenarios fits the description of "cheap generic pills" - the other one does not. No prizes for guessing which one is in the Rip Off Republic.

wmpdd3

daithimacgroin wrote: »

so if i go up the north shopping, can i get cheap generic pills yeah?

Just order online:

http://www.pharmacyfirst.co.uk/

Jimdagym

vimes wrote: »

Except, you can't, not really anyway.

Walk into a Boots or Tesco or whatever in UK and you can pick up a bottle of 50 or 100 paracetamol or ibuprofen for a pound or two.

Walk into an Irish pharma and you can have max 24 of them for about 2 yoyos.

One of those scenarios fits the description of "cheap generic pills" - the other one does not. No prizes for guessing which one is in the Rip Off Republic.

I'm not talking about paracetamol. I'm talking about prescription drugs which are widely available down here in generic form for a much cheaper price than the brand name.

daithimacgroin

tbh, i was referring to the ability to buy large amounts of commonly used over-the-counter medicine to stock up the family medical cabinet.
ala huge cheap bottles of ibuprofen as Vimes suggested

i was over in the states, and in Walmart u can get really really cheap meds.

i haven't been back home for a while, but i do notice the cost of visiting GP's,
and i remember how expensive irish pharmacies were, so i'm hoping to do some damage-limitation by stocking up from the UK

palmcut

Tesco may be a bit surprised at the pharmacy expenses here.

Pharmacist registration in the UK=£267 per year versus €400 here.

Pharmacy registration in the UK=£221 per versus €2,250 here.

No that is not a mistake. Annual pharmacy registration here is €2,250 per year.