Pharmacy pricing difference

prabig on 13/06/2014 - 16:14
Last edited 13/06/2014 - 16:30

Hi

I would like to know if a pharmacy is bound by any rule on pricing on medication. I find significant price difference when buying prescription drugs from big pharmacy (usually cheaper) and local pharmacy. (Usually expensive). For example
Today I paid $13.00 for generic keflex at my local pharmacy. The price at chemist warehouse is $6.00. I am an Internet savvy person and still managed to get ripped off.(I usually check price before buying but today had no charge on the phone) I wonder how many other senior citizens and people who don't check price and are loyal to their local pharmacy get ripped off.

General Discussion

Comments

  • battler on 13/06/2014 - 16:21
    +3

    only has a set price if on the PBS, and even then there can be slight differences.

    Consider analogy of buying bread from your local bakery (say $3) versus buying bread from the big 2 at $1. You are paying for local quality and service.

  • tonyjzx on 13/06/2014 - 17:00
    +1

    buying from a CBD pharmacy is a lot more expensive than a chemist warehouse in an industrial area in the back of whoop whoop

    anyone surprised at this? anyone? bueller?

    • modsec802 on 13/06/2014 - 19:41

      there's a chemist warehouse in Brisbane CBD that has same prices as the burbs, so not necessarily based solely on location

      • NancyCat on 13/06/2014 - 21:43

        Yes, there's My Chemist in Melbourne CBD, same price as the burbs, same catalogues…

  • snappy1234 on 13/06/2014 - 18:25
    +2

    My Mum had a great relationship with her Local Pharmacy (they even home delivered when she was unwell before she passed away) they were so so good- so swings and roundabouts (my one that i use are good too (interstate) yep not as cheap as C/W but they pricematch when they are way over on the list price (you could always ask if they can be a bit more competitive ;)

  • charzy on 13/06/2014 - 19:49

    The majority of senior citizens are on pensions/concessions. They only pay $6 for the majority of scripts. Self funded retirees will pay general prices e.g. the working class. Keep in mind PBS susidised medications are the same rate at ANY pharmacy. If the cost is below them, then there may be price discrepancies between pharmacies. Which in your case the pbs price of cephalexin is $13 that ANY local pharmacy will charge - chemist whorehouse is $6.

    The only difference is the big chemist are trying to starve the smaller chemists before raising their own prices once they gain monopoly. It won't be long until you have travel to the next suburb and wait for your script at your closest chemist warehouse for an hour instead of taking 10 minutes to go down the chemist down your local street just to pay the same amount once there's no competition. It's already evident in the big 2 where they are shrinking the exposure of branded goods by increasing the facing area of home-brand goods. Before you know it we'll all be eating the same bread and drinking the same milk with little choice.

    • nahi11 on 13/06/2014 - 22:54

      Just as a side note, we already are drinking the same milk. There are essentially only two companies that control the dairy industry.

  • Emilia on 13/06/2014 - 21:13

    The other consideration is a warehouse pharmacy can buy larger quantities of medications for cheaper because they have the room to store it all.

    Smaller pharmacies can't do that.

  • prabig on 13/06/2014 - 21:17

    It is good to support the local pharmacy for all the above reasons and they are valid too. The only thing I am trying to highlight is the difference is too big, more than double!!in my case.
    I think local pharmacy has to charge reasonable price as well. I do not expect them to match CW price but not charge more than double.

    • Emilia on 14/06/2014 - 10:41

      If they were purchasing it at the same price as a warehouse pharmacy was, they probably could reduce their prices.

  • AndrewK001 on 03/09/2014 - 19:56

    I actually find Priceline to be really expensive on most things. My wife tells me they are cheap on makeup, and I think a lot of people just assume they are cheap on other things. But they're not!! Eg, ear plugs I use are $11 at Priceline and $7 at Cincotta.

    People must still remember their old add "Priceline, Priceline, you'll pay less at Priceline". So not true!!!

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