What Preps are you doing this week? Part 13

[GeraldTheBonzai]

The medicine shortage is getting worse. SHMBO needs asthma medication. Tried to get the prescription yesterday but they didn't have one of the inhalers in. "Try tomorrow". Tried this morning - still not in. Had a word with the pharmacist who I know and indeed the shortage is now spilling over to other medications.

Only suggestion was either to wait until Monday or he print off the prescription and I try some of the big pharmacies like Boots or Tesco. OR if al else fails, go to A&E. Fortunately we can last into start of next week.

Have you tried the online pharmacies?

ha... The wholesale price for this drug in question is £13. Online pharmacies are selling it for £39.
The markup on basic asthma medication is also monstrous. Retail price for Ventalin is £1.59. Online price around £8.

[berbie]

Ah,
Are no online pharmacies who fulfil NHS prescriptions like high street pharmacies?
I have only dealt with onine prescriptions for pets and it usually works out about a third of the price of the vets.

[GeraldTheBonzai]

Ah,
Are no online pharmacies who fulfil NHS prescriptions like high street pharmacies?
I have only dealt with onine prescriptions for pets and it usually works out about a third of the price of the vets.

Its a totally different business model, and is borderline criminal in my opinion.
The NHS sets a "list price" for a drug. Lets say £1.50. This is what they will pay the pharmacy if the pharmacy fulfils a prescription.
The pharmacist buys the drug from one of a few wholesalers. The wholesaler is selling it at £1.20 so the pharmacist buys it at that price, gives it tou you, and claims the list price, so they make a small profit. This is how they stay in business.

Now the drug goes into demand, due to some shortage. The wholesaler raises the price to £2 but the NHS list price has not been updated - it has a slow update rate. The pharmacist buys it at £2 but can only claim, at this point in time, £1.50 back from the NHS, so they are running at a loss. The NHS eventually updates the list price to reflect market prices. The pharmacist can now claim a refund from the NHS for the price difference, and regains the loss. However, during this period, the pharmacy has a -ve cash flow. This is why so many small pharmacies are going out of business - they can't absorb the cashflow issues that the likes of Tesco or Boots can.

The online pharmacies are totally different. If the wholesale price of a drug is £2, they can actually bid £2.50 for it. They are then free to. sell it for whatever price they want.

[berbie]

I had no idea. That's disgraceful.
A worse service for no actual gain anywhere