Genius / idiot level thinking

Re: Genius / idiot level thinking

Bob Russell — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:10:46 GMT

[quote user="Martin Jones"]

OK, so it's a devils' advocate question.

There's a lot of moaning that internet pharmacies are selling to our clients cheaper than the prescribing vet can buy the same product from the wholesaler.

So why not write ourselves prescriptions for said drugs, to the internet sellers, and miss out the wholesalers altogether (apart from the bleeding obvious)? Ultimately, we might get a supplier which is uniquely sensitive to our demands, and which is based on lowest single transaction costs rather than backdoor reduced-price bulk buy selling.

Apart, again from the bleeding obvious?

Martin

[/quote]

Already doing it on occasions. Mainly a hassle thing related to automatic ordering!

Re: Genius / idiot level thinking

Laurence Webb — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:29:47 GMT

I suppose it depends on whether you are comparing the price pharmacies charge with the list price or the price that you actually pay for the drugs once offers and wholesaler discounts are factored in as to whether it's worthwhile. The generic marked is building so companies are fighting to get some share with ludicrous offers

Suppose a drug company has an offer on a generic meloxicam of buy 2 get 3 free and you also get a wholesaler discount of 10%. If the list price is £10.00 then you're actualy only paying £3.60 per bottle. Bang them out at £9.00 including VAT and you're still pulling in more than a 100% mark-up despite the fact that you're selling them at less than the list price.

Do many practices factor in drug company offers into their pricing structures? You'd need to monitor offers constantly and clients would have to be aware that the prices may change as offers change too. Once the offer comes to an end you couldn't keep on selling at such a low level and also have to remember that a 100% mark up on a £10 bottle gives you £10 income, but 100% on £3.60 only gives you £3.60 income so you need to sell three times the amount to do it this way and break even.

Re: Genius / idiot level thinking

Hannah Wynne Richards — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 09:26:25 GMT

Good idea in theory My worry would be whether I was inadvertantly breaking the law by buying from abroad without the appropriate licence

Wynne