Retailers will have to pass on Euro benefits to consumers: Tanáiste

I can understand that branded goods will be more expensive but nearly 10 times more expensive? As for the packet, the quantities were the same. Besides in France the drugs were bought in a pharmacy which you would expect to be more expensive.
 
theoneill said:
I can understand that branded goods will be more expensive but nearly 10 times more expensive?
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I don't know. But comparing some generic product with a big brand version is simply not comparing like with like.
Besides in France the drugs were bought in a pharmacy which you would expect to be more expensive.
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Why?
 
Generally I would expect over the counter medicine to be more expensive in a small local pharmacy in an isolated mountain village than in a large supermarket.
 
I think there is something stopping them selling generic brands here. All the UK chemists and supermarkets sell their own version of everyday medicines yet they don't carry their own line over here. I always stock up when I am in the UK or USA.
 
That seems very strange, if other countries allow the sale of generic medicine in supermarkets why not here? Why are we a special case?
 
theoneill said:
Incidentally I was looking at the price of You & Your Money and their Sterling / Euro price was appalling. Shame on you Eddie, you have been added to my list.
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You & Your Money is €2.95 here, and £2.00 (€2.53) in the UK.

When VAT is excluded, the price here is €2.43, compared to €2.53 in the UK, ie the price here is actually cheaper!
 
I have heard pharmacists' trade representatives on the radio quite recently explaining that the State medical card system is structured in such a way that pharmacists actually lose money on prescription drugs supplied to medical card patients, as the State does not refund the full cost of the drugs supplied to patients. They claim that they recoup this by inflating their charges to other customers. I don't know whether this is true, although I suspect that it is. If my suspicion is correct, then this would explain the price difference across borders. Ultimately another stealth tax :(
 
The main reason medicines are so much dearer in Ireland compared to other European countries is our smaller population (and therefore smaller market for the products). In order to place a medicine on the market, it must be licensed by the Irish Medicines Board. (Similarly, meds sold in UK must be licensed in UK, meds in France licensed in France etc.)

This licence fee in each country is a huge cost to the manufacturer. They recoup it by factoring it into the price charged for the med in the country. In Ireland, because our population - and hence market for the med - is so small, the cost is spread over relatively few people, and so the price is far higher. These higher cost prices are agreed between the manufacturers and the Irish government. This is even before wholesalers and retailers apply a markup.

Cost price charged by manufacturer to wholesaler -> wholesaler adds markup to yield wholesale price charged by wholesaler to retailer (e.g. pharmacy) -> retailer adds markup (zero markup in the case of medical card prescriptions!) to yield retail price charged to consumer.

In fact, the retail price of some meds in countries like Spain is lower than the cost price in Ireland due to economies of scale!

Many meds simply aren't licensed in Ireland at all because it wouldn't be cost effective. The range of meds available in the UK is far greater. Unlicensed medicines are posing an increasing problem in medical practice in Ireland.
 
The only way that the UK retailers are going to listen is if a shopping boycott can be organised , maybe a symbolic boycott of Tesco ( they can definitely afford it) for a day . All that's needed is a well known personality to lead .
pjq
 
Up until quite recently £1 Sterling would get you €1.50. Do you think if the euro had weakened and retailers had raised raised their prices consumer rights activists would support that? People are trying to have their cake and eat it with this issue. I'm no fan of UK retailers but they are entitled to price items as they see fit in different markets. If you don't like it don't buy it or hop an a plane and go elsewhere to buy it. This is real playing to the gallery stuff from the politicians.
 
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