Why are antacid tablets so expensive in Ireland?

ebixa82

Arpa wrote: »

I know this is swerving slightly from topic but...

There used to be a book available called the OTC guide, available in pharmacies. Gave you images of nearly every OTC product, it's Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient and dosages etc. It was a UK book I think..so some products were not available in ROI. Anyway, if its still out there, worth buying it. Found an app too http://www.otcguide.net/otcguide-app

Most OTC drugs are just variants on the main active ingredient...so for example Sudafed and Sinutab both contain pseudoephedrine (the thing that does the decongesting) but the sinutab has 500mg of paracetamol added. In the treatment of a blocked nose, this added paracetamol might not be necessary, but your friendly pharmacist will push the sinutab on you...why? One would guess that it's because he/she has your health interests in mind, but really it's because the sinutab are considerably more expensive. Now we're only talking a difference of tens of cents here, but it's substantial.

I say it only to point out, that pharmacies are a business, even when it comes to the drugs you put in your body. Now pseudoephedrine, will more than likely not be kept in the dispensary at a high street pharmacy, however other drugs you buy are kept in generic form and are considerably cheaper. If it is legal to buy it OTC then there is no problem asking your pharmacist.

Coming back to topic...acid/gastric reflux suppressants as in Rennie or Gaviscon.
Rennie is pretty much your basic man and you probably wont find it in active ingredient form in the dispensary. Its use is so widespread now, that it is probably not even prescribed anymore. Gaviscon does have some higher dose cousins on prescription in the dispensary. However these type of things are a combination of a number of drugs, calcium carbonate and sodium bicorbonate etc. An apothecary of old would have prepared themselves but now don't need to. So basically you probably won't find a cheap generic for these type of things in the dispensary.

It is worth knowing the ingredients in your OTC meds though so you can always ask if there's a cheaper generic alternative. But more importantly for when you go abroad and don't speak the lingo. My ex was in awful pain in Turkey from something she ate and I knew what she needed was Motilium, but in the pharmacy there they couldn't understand what we were trying to say and probably didn't recognise the brand name...so we just asked for the chemical name...domperidone...and voila, the guy walks in the back and comes out with the generic drug.


Jesus I should get a job on that show Doctors

No you shouldn't, 90% of what you said is absolute bollix,

Nothingbetter2d

Halloran springs wrote: »

I buy the 150, (or 300) boxes and they last me over a year. Some people I guess get heartburn, and acid indigestion more than others and would require them more often. I am just amazed at the prices over here, and London is no different.

if you suffer from chronic heartburn like i do go get tested for Gastro Esophaegal Reflux Disease (GERD)....... off the shelf antacids aren't worth a crap....its prescription drugs such as omeprozale for me.

Lopraz or Loprazine are the brands.... works great too

SeaFields

Arpa wrote: »

You offer the brand but and they decline? Of course they do. You have to give two minutes of your time, show people it is the same product in every way, made in a lab, same dosages, point out the ingredients on the back. Then if they still don't want it, fine. It's such a strange field for the average consumer that you need to take their hand a little bit. Your average joe isn't going to understand the dosages of every pill, but they should try to know a little. It's the community pharmacists job to help people through this minefield, instead of just standing in the backroom putting the morning after pill in a paper bag and pressing print.

I'm not a pharmacist, I work on the counter and when I explain here is an alternative available I explain why it is an alternative - same active ingredient at the same dose. It's up to them then and many still say no.

ebixa82

Arpa wrote: »

Yeah sorry wasn't quite clear enough on that. They're called nu seals 75 because they are 75mg aspirin, Anadin is 325mg Aspirin, so you just take more nu seals. I am not giving people medical advice however, just informing them that the active ingredients in their branded otc drugs can be bought more cheaply and usually in larger quantities if they just ask the pharmacist.
Nu seals are just aspirin, you'd want to be a pretty anal pharmacist to deny someone nu seals.

As for the zovirax, aciclovir, bought in in bulk from Spain usually and rebranded with English indications...exactly the same thing...but of course people are wary if they don't recognise the packaging or name..they need to be shown that there is no difference. That's why there's no competition...people trust a brand. Panadol have made a killing on it. It's a lack of education.

As for our Irish company Clonmel Healthcare selling their Maxilief and Paralief, trying to keep up with Solpadeine and Panadol...What chance do they have if people don't even know Maxilief exists?

If you don not understand what the difference is between nu seal aspirin and normal aspirin (apart from dose) then it shows you are full of shi.te and have no idea what you are on about.

You really should quit giving incorrect medical advice on these forums. If you want to be a Doctor or Pharmacist go to university and earn yourself a degree.

bleg

Arpa wrote: »

This is no sleight on any pharmacists here, I'm sure you're all very good at your jobs, but I know the game...an expensive and lengthy University education usually in Scotland because it's too difficult to get the points here which eventually leads to a cushy little number in some back room of a high street chain on ridiculous salaries for putting pills in boxes.
The whole thing is a joke but has managed to slip under the radar because people are wary of messing with anything in the health sciences field.
Someone needs to do a Michael O'Leary on the whole industry and perhaps bring us up to date with our European cousins.

Anybody can open a pharmacy in Ireland. It's completely deregulated. You haven't got a clue.

If you want to be brought in line with Germany, Belgium, Spain or France then we would have to put restrictions on: who could own a pharmacy, where you could open one and how far away it has to be from another pharmacy.


Anyway if it's so cushy you can open up your own one. We'll see how long you last with your current level of knowledge.