# Pharmacy prices Shop Around!



## gearoid

I have a regular purchase to make in the chemist - Artelac 10ml eye drops. It is an OTC product i.e. no prescription required.

Some example of the variations involved.

Pharmacist at the KCR in Kimmage charges 4.90
Doc Morris Rathmines                                 4.55 
Boots Rathmines                                        6.20 (or 6.40 not sure which so went for the lower).

The usual price charged in pharmacies is between 4.53 to 4.57.

The pharmacist at the KCR is persistently higher. I enquired as to whether they were "dual pricing" but received no satisfactory answer.

The Boots price could be a glitch but it is seriously out of the normal range.

The reimbursement price on the HSE website is 2.55 euros or thereabouts.

Mad price differences so it pays to shop around!


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## maureen

hi, I agree on shopping around. but for what it's worth I popped into KCR pharmacy yesterday and got a few products and was very surprised to see the prices....one product bio-oil was half price and then 30% off Elave products and nappy bags were 1.99 for 250 and my usual chemist charges 2.99 for 200. I was very happy coming out...this time


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## Ash

I second this.  Prices can vary significantly.
My recent experience is with generic paracetemol.
In a local pharmacy, a box of 24 paracetemol capsules by one maker (red box; sorry can't be precise at the moment) costs just €0.65.  Another box of generic paracetemol by another maker (blue box) costs €1.95.  I remember both manufacturers are Irish.  The pharmacist told me the difference is because the manufacturer of the more expensive box has imposed a minimum retail price on each product.


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## Complainer

Ash said:


> The pharmacist told me the difference is because the manufacturer of the more expensive box has imposed a minimum retail price on each product.


Isn't it illegal under competitions legislation for a manufacturer to set a retail price?


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## Crugers

My recent 28 day perscription was filled by the pharmacist by suppling 30 day quantity. He said that the price was a little higher (+€8) than usual because of this!
When I opened the bag at home the tablets were in a different box and different blister pack inside. Both the outer box and the inner blister pack had an English language 'description' stuck onto the 'original' Italian version.
I paid €118 and the box had " Prezzo €: 46.73". 
I'm not too good at Italian but my opinion of what happened would possibly breach posting guidelines #7! 
So...
I would give a qualified approval for the Manufacturer to set the retail price...


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## delgirl

We don't buy anything in pharmacies south of the border any more. 

We can get 6 months prescription meds in the north for the same price as 1 month in the south.


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## fizzelina

I bought a packet of 5 Lempsip Max in my local chemist last year for €5.69 and then checked the price in Boots which is actually 2 doors down the street and saw the exact same product for €3.69. I couldn't believe the price difference! I went back to the first chemist and asked for a refund and told them the reason, they gave the refund and I never bought OTC products there again although I buy some other things that may be on special offer (shoewr gel, toothpaste etc) ....Defo pays to shop around chemists. BTW I am now getting 600mg generic Ibuprofen in Spain, less than €2 for a box of 40 tablets!!! Miles cheaper than the Nurofen price here...


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## olddoll

delgirl said:


> We don't buy anything in pharmacies south of the border any more.
> 
> We can get 6 months prescription meds in the north for the same price as 1 month in the south.


 

Can your use a prescription by a doctor in the South or do you need to go to a GP in the North?


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## gerryp2000

olddoll said:


> Can your use a prescription by a doctor in the South or do you need to go to a GP in the North?


 
Definitely:
You really do need to shop around these days - 

I was, up until recently, paying an astronomical amount for my monthly supply of drugs, purchased in Dublin. 
Check out the comparison on the euro amount below, to the sterling equivalent - 

Neurostil 100mg(x60) 
Euro €31 
Sterling £5

Simvastatin 40mg(x28)
Euro €30
Sterling £5

Protium 20mg(x28)
Euro €21
Sterling £5

I am saving just over €800 per year on just those meds alone!! - 
Pharmacies up north *do take Irish prescriptions*.


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## delgirl

olddoll said:


> Can your use a prescription by a doctor in the South or do you need to go to a GP in the North?


If you go to Boots in the North, they will check on their computer to see if the Irish GP is 'EU registered'.  If they are, they will fill the prescription without a problem.

The GP also has to write the generic name of the drug on the script, because if for example they write 'Coversyl' and that particular brand is not in stock at the Pharmacy in the North, they cannot dispense the generic version of that brand.

I went once to Boots and then to a Pharmacy in Newry - McKeever's on the bridge, Mill Street, Newry near the Buttercrane Shopping Centre.  They didn't check to see if the GP was registered and dispensed without any questions.

Don't go to Boots in the Buttercrane Shopping Centre in Newry, it's not a dispensing outlet.

If you're prescribed unusual drugs or unusual dosages, you may need to fax the script to the Pharmacy a few days before you go to collect the items as they may not have them in stock.


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## shesells

I had a learning experience in pharmacy price differences in the last few weeks. Have a prescription for a strong painkiller to deal with a knee injury, it had a repeat on it so I could fill it three times in total.  

30 Caplets Painkiller X

Pharmacy 1 - Baggot Street Area €10.52
Pharmacy 2 -Grafton Street €10.86
Pharmacy 3 - Blanchardstown €9.07

Pharmacy 3 was almost 20% cheaper than 2. Next time I'll put up with the pain in work and fill my prescriptions nearer home!


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## Eithneangela

We buy all our medication overseas (Enteric Aspirin and painkillers in Walmart in the States, Blood Pressure and HypoThyroid stuff in France or Spain, Osteoporosis tabs in France or Spain...)  The savings pay for the price of the travel.  We checked this week with the local pharmacy just to make sure the prices here were still so high - 1 month's supply of Atenelol for €15, 3 months supply in Spain for €3.  No brainer!


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## maureen

I went up to Newry last year and got some basic stuff soo much cheaper. Allergy tablets  that cost about 7/8 euro down here - were about GBP3. Calpol for children was about half price. Headache tablets a fraction of what they are down South. I didn't buy any prescription medication. But the price difference very noticable.


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## gegser

*The Cheap North!*

we regularly visit Northren Ireland to see relatives, not only are most medicines cheaper there so are most other goods
unfortunatly so are income rates and social welfare rates, teachers, social service workers and professionals ( ie our relations ) all make much less that their southren counterparts, so it seems like deflation in all sectors  of both employment and retail are required for us to be the same as our northren counterparts.
as it is most of us seem quite happy to get our high wages/ welfare here and spend it up north


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## dereko1969

Sorry gegser the huge difference in pharmacy costs cannot be put down to the usual culprits, our whole healthcare system is designed to keep the vested interests happy. 
why aren't generic medicines prescribed? why are the prices that the HSE pays for medicines way higher than in the rest of the EU? if Mary Harney had bothered herself to actually do something for the people of Ireland it would have been quite easy to immediately implement these changes.


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## Silvergirl

*Pet Meds?*

My friend's dog has just been diagnosed as having a heart complaint, and has been told that he needs a tablet a day, trouble is the meds are costing over E 30.00 per week. They've had significant costs x-rays, vet fees etc (I know now why pet insurance is getting so popular) but is there anything they can do? Might sound like a daft questions but he is a beloved family pet and is quite a young dog - 4 yr old lab. Any suggestions on cheapest animal meds greatly appreciated.


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## Midweek

*TV3's Midweek - Report on buying prescription drugs in the North*

Hi everyone! 

My name is Elaine and I'm a researcher with TV3's 'Midweek' show, which is broadcast on Wednesday nights at 10pm on TV3. We are currently off air but we will be returning for a new series on September 19th. 

For our September 19th show, we will be looking at the high costs of prescription drugs. We will be travelling to the North to compare prices and we would very much like to interview a person who travels North to purchase their prescription drugs. 

Would you or someone you know be interested in taking part in our report on the issue or in the studio discussion that we will be having on September 19th?

We would like to speak to you about why you choose to travel North for your prescription drugs and the savings that you make by doing so. 

If you would like to discuss this further, it would be great if you could email me your contact details to elainef.crowley@tv3.ie and I will contact you at a time that is convenient for you. 

Many thanks,
Elaine.


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## roker

I have a repeat prescription  x 6, my local pharmacy will only give 1 month at a time, I assume this will be the same in the North which means I will have to make 6 journeys.


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## Complainer

roker said:


> I have a repeat prescription  x 6, my local pharmacy will only give 1 month at a time, I assume this will be the same in the North which means I will have to make 6 journeys.



No, I've brought a six-month script to an NI pharmacy and got six months supply. You might need to let them know beforehand to make sure they have enough stock.

The limitation here seems to be something to do with the various Govt schemes.


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## roker

Thanks for that, It cost €100 per month for my wife and myself, I will take prescriptions up next time I go to my son's


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## shesells

roker said:


> I have a repeat prescription  x 6, my local pharmacy will only give 1 month at a time, I assume this will be the same in the North which means I will have to make 6 journeys.



It depends on the medication...some drugs they can only supply a limited quantity of but the reason (in some cases) that pharmacists don't like dispensing all of the prescription is that they make less money - 1 dispensing fee instead of 6. I recently stood my ground with a local pharmacy and got all six months of my prescription filled. A not insignificant saving.


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## BOXtheFOX

Purchased cholesterol lowering generics yesterday in Boots Dublin and there has been a noticeable decrease in the cost from circa €35 to €28 per month. I would be interested to know how much these cost in Northern Ireland?


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## Complainer

shesells said:


> It depends on the medication...some drugs they can only supply a limited quantity of but the reason (in some cases) that pharmacists don't like dispensing all of the prescription is that they make less money - 1 dispensing fee instead of 6. I recently stood my ground with a local pharmacy and got all six months of my prescription filled. A not insignificant saving.



Were you availing of the Drug Prescription Scheme? I've had the scheme quoted as the reason why they can't dispense six months at a time.


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## gerryp2000

BOXtheFOX said:


> Purchased cholesterol lowering generics yesterday in Boots Dublin and there has been a noticeable decrease in the cost from circa €35 to €28 per month. I would be interested to know how much these cost in Northern Ireland?



I bought Simvastatin (Lipitor equivalent) 40mg(x28)
for £5 -  So I bought six months supply.
Suggest you ring them for a price for your type - it's a pharmacy in The Quays, Newry.

Note: I have an annual prescription for the above as I take it daily.
The pharmacist will give a maximum supply of six months, so just 2 visits up north per year - Happy Days!


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## shesells

Complainer said:


> Were you availing of the Drug Prescription Scheme? I've had the scheme quoted as the reason why they can't dispense six months at a time.



No - it's a single item prescription that comes below the DPS monthly amount even for 6 months' supply.


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## Sue Ellen

How much is Crestor 10mg costing these days?


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## Kimmagegirl

Sue Ellen said:


> How much is Crestor 10mg costing these days?


 
I am on Crestor generic, Provostatin. 20mg's. I pay €28.51 in Boots here in Dublin. Most other pharmacies are quoting €35 for the generic. I would be interested to know how much it is up North.


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## riya99

Is there any obligation on pharmacies to display a price-list - of products or services incl. dispensing charges?


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## Time

Nope. It is very secret.


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## twofor1

My prescription is for Crestor 10mg, My local Bradleys pharmacy gives me the generic Rovustatin for around €5.00 less for 30 tabs. Prices have dropped recently, This month I was charged €27.00 for Rovustatin.

Earlier in the year I was in Newry with a new 6 month prescription, I tried two chemists, both said, no problem, they could dispense 6 months, but both also said they could only dispense exactly what the prescription said, which was Crestor so could not dispense a cheaper generic version. Might ask the GP to state Rovustatin on next prescription and try again next time I’m up there. I forget the exact prices but had I taken the Crestor I would have saved nothing in the first chemist and a minimal amount in the second, but not enough to justify paying 6 months in advance.

I brought my box of Rovustatin into a chemist in Portugal during the summer, they did not have that brand but offered me Crestor 10mg x 30 for €47.00.


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## amtc

Hickeys Pharmacies offer a 10% discount if you work or live near one.


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## Sue Ellen

twofor1 said:


> I brought my box of Rovustatin into a chemist in Portugal during the summer, they did not have that brand but offered me Crestor 10mg x 30 for €47.00.



I have gotten Crestor 10mg from Lanzarote and Spain x 28 tabs from pharmacies for €25.49.


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## Ravima

Lipitor 10mg x28 €23 in Cork today


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## twofor1

Recently, I brought my new six month prescription for 10 mg crestor in to my local Bradleys Pharmacy and asked for six months (180 tabs) of the generic Rovustatin, no problem, I was charged €133.19, I assume one dispensing charge rather than six explains the saving.

Previous month, 30 x Rovustatin was €27.


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## putsch

It seems to me that every time I fill my blood pressure meds prescription the price is different. I have tried to educate myself on the various prices and the impact of getting multiple prescriptions filled at one time to reduce the dispensing charge etc but with all the changes its hard to be sure.

I find pharmacies are not conducive to price comparision as tprices are not displayed so to get a "quote" is difficult as there is usually a queue, the pharmacist is busy and sometimes you are asked to call back and anyway how many pharmacies can you realistically call to. I haven't tried phoning around but suspect it might be difficult to get a price on the phone. An online comparison like the HIA site for health insurance or pump.ie for fuel would be great - does anyone know if such exists?


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## browtal

I would like more information on the following:

I recently got a prescription from my local chemist. The blister pack had an additional label over the original strip. Our of curiosity I stripped the label off and saw a different name on my prescription.
I queried this and the following emerged:

*It seems that common practice now with pharmacies is to buy from different distributors who purchase direct from countries where the same drugs are manufactured and labelled under a different name used in that country, and are supplied much cheaper. I am not for a moment suggesting there is anything wrong with the drugs or the practice, I would be of the opinion that that seems a good idea, but we should all benefit from the reduced cost.*

*The Department of health are aware of this and they currently pay 97% of the full cost of the drug, as traditionally supplied here, under the drugs refund scheme.   *

It seems the time is right to pay the pharmacies a much lesser amount more in keeping with the cost of the drugs that these pharmacies pay. The current deficit being projected by the HSE could be benefit from the savings. 

I would be interested to know what type of saving the pharmacies are making and why, if the department, are paying 3% less, that they do not make full investigations and pay an amount proportionate to the savings. 
Browtal

W


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## macdo

Is it like the grey market? Is there not heavy regulation in this area?


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## Slim

I recently visited my local pharmacy to fill my monthly prescription. The assistant asked me if I had any objection to getting a generic drug and that it would be a couple of € cheaper. I agreed and that is fine. Of course, I had forgotten that when all the meds and a non med item are added up, I will still pay the max €144 per month anyway.

*This leads me on to a question*: If I fill my meds in the North, then added to the non med item, I will still exceed the €144 minimum. Can I include items purchased in NI to make up the €144 claim from PCRS? Thanks


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## Stu

Hi Delgirl.. Do you still go to the North for your drugs? I'm looking for a case study for an RTE programme. Perhaps you could drop me a line? stuartsmith@cocotelevision.ie


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## twofor1

I was paying €133.19 for 6 months supply of 10 mg Rovustatin which is the generic version of Crestor.

I asked my GP could I get a prescription for Lipitor instead and then get the generic version of that, he said no problem the active ingredient is the same, 6 months supply of the generic Atorvastatin in my local Bradleys now costs €38.93.

For cholesterol medication anyway, It appears there are far bigger savings to be made by getting a generic version of a different brand here, rather than travelling up north.


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## SoylentGreen

There are a lot of generic statins out there. I was abroad last year and purchased two different makes. One lot in Holland and one lot in Germany. Both made by different manufacturers. I had a slight reaction from one of them that made me slightly dizzy shortly after I took the tablet even though they were generics of a well known brand. I wonder are the active ingredients always the same.


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## Ger1234

Hi . Does anyone know how much Lipitor or the generic version is currently in Lanzarote; it's currently  €14.50 for 30 tablets in Ireland


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## Sue Ellen

Hi Ger1234,

Welcome to AAM.  Sorry I can't give you a price for Lanzarote.

You don't state what strength of tablet that you are seeking and there appear to be 3 of those in Lipitor.  [broken link removed] appear to have 6 locations and are pricing them as follows:

10mg x 30 tabs = €  9.41
20mg x 30        = €11.73
40mg x 30        = €16.02

Rosuvastatin (generic) at 10mg x 30 are €4.29.  A relative of mine is using those and finds them to be grand.


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## twofor1

Ger1234 said:


> it's currently  €14.50 for 30 tablets in Ireland



Why not buy 6 months supply at a time, that way you only pay one prescription charge.

As Sue Ellen says, a good saving to be made in the Pure Pharmacies, my 6-monthly prescription would only cost €25.71 there, however none are convenient for me, but my local Bradley’s give me 180 x 10 mg Atorvastatin which is a generic Lipitor for €39.18, so €6.53 for 30.

Interesting, looking back in this tread, I was paying €27 for 30 similar tablets in 2012.


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## noproblem

I buy Benecor 10mg (for blood pressure) in 2 by 14 tablet strips (28) here in Mayo for €30.00. The prescription lasts 6 mths, then has to be renewed at a cost of €25.00 so the 6 months, inc prescription costs €205.00. In mainland Spain recently and bought "without prescription, 2 by 28 packs for €27.50.  I have friends going over at least twice a year so easy to just give them the packet and they get it for me. I've already asked the Spanish chemist and he does a huge Irish trade with people retired over there and bringing back meds for friends and neighbours. Very respectable chemists they are too and have a very large store. I've tried in the past to get same in Lanzarote but cannot without a prescription.


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## Joeaine

Hi.  Can any one tell me the price over the counter for anti statins 40 mg 28 tablet box.


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## Laramie

Both myself and my wife stocked up with our meds on a recent trip to Portugal. An out of date prescription was sufficient. Everything one third the price compared to Ireland and double the quantity.  A box of 20 Paracetamol was €1. Usually between €1.50 and €1.80 here for 12.
It is definitely worth the trouble to stick an old prescription in your case when heading abroad, you could save the cost of your flight.


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## odyssey06

Just to note something about generics, they have the same active ingredient but the 'carrier' or binding ingredients may be different. 
I've taken some generics and not noticed any difference, with a small number I have to stick to the branded version.

If you are going to Newry to pickup some cheaper meds, the Boots in the Quays shopping centre doesn't have a pharmacy counter. 
There is a small chemist in the shopping centre near Debenhams, and the Sainsburys has a full OTC medicines shelf. 
I didn't see any real difference in branded OTC medicine prices e.g. Lemsip, but for anything Sainsburys brand they are much cheaper than in Republic e.g. paracetamol, cough medicines, sainsburys version of lemsip.


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## Sue Ellen

Joeaine said:


> Hi.  Can any one tell me the price over the counter for anti statins 40 mg 28 tablet box.



Welcome to AAM.

If you read my post quoted above and below you will see that the statins in Pure pharmacies for 30 of 40mg = €16.02.

You can get their locations of branches and prices on this link:  [broken link removed]

Sue Ellen







Sue Ellen said:


> Hi Ger1234,
> 
> Welcome to AAM.  Sorry I can't give you a price for Lanzarote.
> 
> You don't state what strength of tablet that you are seeking and there appear to be 3 of those in Lipitor.  [broken link removed] appear to have 6 locations and are pricing them as follows:
> 
> 10mg x 30 tabs = €  9.41
> 20mg x 30        = €11.73
> 40mg x 30        = €16.02
> 
> Rosuvastatin (generic) at 10mg x 30 are €4.29.  A relative of mine is using those and finds them to be grand.


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## Ger1234

Thanks so much for your response Sue Ellen


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## Ger1234

Thanks twofor1 for your response. I'll be buying 6 months. I wasn't aware that the pharmacy made so much for dispensing the goods; I thought their profit was with dthe product....you learn every day


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## Miakk

I am a pharmacist.

Can I just point out that the restrictions on availability of drugs on prescription  -or not- is the decision of the medicines regulator, the HPRA, not the pharmacist or pharmacies.

Charging more than the cost price of a drug is not all profit (see post above this), as is the case in all goods and service industries, including healthcare.

If we as a profession weren't so over-regulated by the government regulator, the PSI (look them up, thepsi.ie), prices here might be closer to the north and Spain too.

By the way, anyone in Ireland can open a pharmacy, once they meet the regulations, pay the extortionate annual fees and employ a pharmacist. It's now the case that the majority of pharmacists are employees and in the main "pharmacy owners" are non-pharmacists/companies with a business background.
So ye can all have a go if you're so inclined!


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## MrEarl

Miakk said:


> I am a pharmacist
> 
> .....Charging more than the cost price of a drug is not all profit (see post above this), as is the case in all goods and service industries, including healthcare.
> 
> ....



Hello,

Firstly let me say that you have both my respect and appreciation for being willing to speak out on behalf of your profession.

Having said that, I would ask you directly - what is your gross and net margin please (and also, what is the average gross and net margin in the pharmacy sector in Ireland) ?  ....I'm asking this on the basis that I have absolutely no idea who you are or where your business is located and assume others here don't know you either, so your personal finances remain confidential.

I'm a little out of touch, but a few years ago I would have had access to the financial accounts of a few pharmacies in different parts of the country and I can say with absolutely certainty that they were making far superior profit margins to many other goods and service industries (with relatively similar levels of Turnover).

I would be of a firm view that a pharmacy is entitled to be profitable, but there needs to be a degree of equity and fairness when it comes to the margins being made on medication which is required for peoples health  (I've no issue whatsoever with the margin that a pharmacist might make on other non-medical products or services sold btw).

.


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## Brendan Burgess

Miakk said:


> If we as a profession weren't so over-regulated by the government regulator, the PSI (look them up, thepsi.ie), prices here might be closer to the north and Spain too.



Two pharmacy groups in the Republic charge lower prices than in the North and offer free delivery as well! 

*Discount pharmacies in Ireland - Healthwave and Pure Pharmacy*

Brendan


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## Miakk

MrEarl said:


> Hello
> 
> Having said that, I would ask you directly - what is your gross and net margin please (and also, what is the average gross and net margin in the pharmacy sector in Ireland) ?  ....I'm asking this on the basis that I have absolutely no idea who you are or where your business is located and assume others here don't know you either, so your personal finances remain confidential
> 
> I would be of a firm view that a pharmacy is entitled to be profitable, but there needs to be a degree of equity and fairness when it comes to the margins being made on medication which is required for peoples health  (I've no issue whatsoever with the margin that a pharmacist might make on other non-medical products or services sold btw).
> 
> .



Thank you Mr Earl,
But I, as is the case with the majority of my pharmacy colleagues and acquaintances, am an employee and therefore have no say in the margins charged or profits made. I certainly can't speak for the margins in the whole sector - which, may I clarify, is not just retail pharmacy. There are pharmacies & pharmacists in hospitals too!
We pharmacists as individuals are personally heavily regulated, but pharmacy owners not so in terms of the margins they can charge or profits they can make, which is the price of capitalism, rightly or wrongly. (How they treat their staff from a professional perspective is also another concern). The financial landscape for pharmacies (and pharmacists) has changed dramatically in recent years and is far less robust than you may have seen previously. 

With regards to the pharmacies that Brendan refers to, from my limited knowledge of these businesses, they were able to set up new business models without the legacy debt and costs that other existing pharmacies carry. They also provide a limited range of medicines at those lower costs.  I am a pharmacist not a businessperson, and don't know the details of their model. However, I do know that Businesses respond to competition and don't want to lose customers/patients to Healthwave, NI, Spain or anywhere else, so the baseline costs are a legitimate reason.


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## Páid

Can someone explain to me why there is such a huge price difference between the price of Cetrine 30 pack in Dublin (I have never seen it below €9.99) and the rest of the country? 

I've seen it in Longford for €3.45 and in Leitrim for €2.95.







It costs €9.00 here - [broken link removed]
Boots don't even stock it anymore and some pharmacies only stock the 10pack @ €5.00.

Why is there such a huge disparity in price?


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## odyssey06

Not sure if this is any help to you for cetrine... online Irish pharmacy has 30 pack for €4.50 excluding delivery.
http://www.inishpharmacy.com/p/cetr...-10mg-cetirizine-tablets/p-cetrine-cetirizine


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## Páid

They are based in Donegal and less than half the price of the RRP in Dublin.


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## Sue Ellen

As far as I can see Pure pharmacies won't be beaten price wise for the cholesterol meds @ €4.00 for 28 tabs but Tesco pharmacies are regularly cheaper for other meds.  The moral of the story as usual it pays to shop around.


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