Drug price comparison

Re: Drug price comparison

Anthony Todd — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:53:41 GMT

[quote user="amy sinton"]Amy[/quote]

Actually this is a convenient plug by me for Vygon who've supplied us with odd I/V connectors giving sets and odd bits quickly, efficiently and cheaper than the vet wholesalers.

All sorts of thingys available like giving sets extensions so you can change the giving sets without rebandaging etc. to make I/V therapy easier and with nice clear pictures.

And, no, I'm not on the take.

Re: Drug price comparison

amy sinton — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:03:09 GMT

[quote user="Mike Martin"]Amy, this links seems to be an NHS logistics company, as opposed to a pharmist. Do you use them?[/quote]

Mike,

we use them to sell our products to the human market rather than buying goods from them. They do however stock a huge range of products including pharma items, much like a veterinary wholesaler.

Amy

Re: Drug price comparison

Rob Loxley — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:00:35 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]Our local pharmacy doesn't get us to write prescriptions if it's for the practice and to be dispensed by us.[/quote]

I was under the impression that this needed a wholesale dealer licence, which most pharmacies don't hold, though I may be wrong. We also have a less than helpful local pharmacist...

Re: Drug price comparison

Bob Russell — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:00:00 GMT

Boots do not want a prescription. They are happy with a written order on headed paper and signed by me!

Re: Drug price comparison

Michael Woodhouse — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:51:12 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]Writing a prescription for each drug at the local pharmacy is a bind if you are regularly ordering lots of different items in smallish quantities. [/quote]

Our local pharmacy doesn't get us to write prescriptions if it's for the practice and to be dispensed by us. We ring them up, go and collect then they bill us monthly.

Re: Drug price comparison

Rob Loxley — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:27:31 GMT

Writing a prescription for each drug at the local pharmacy is a bind if you are regularly ordering lots of different items in smallish quantities. There are other discount wholesalers who will supply directly. We have used DDSA in the past for generic/cascade drugs (e.g. allopurinol, amitryptilline, isopto, amlodipine, tramadol, maxitrol, metronidazole etc.), but they have gone quiet recently. A quick search also brings up http://www.a1plc.co.uk/ ; http://www.fortedirect.co.uk/ ; http://www.pdluk.com/ ; http://www.generics.uk.com/ who all seem to be in the same business.

Re: Drug price comparison

Mike Martin — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:52:14 GMT

It's all part of Bonkers Britain!

I've done a search and found a Birmingham based online human internet pharmacy http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/

Have done a few price checks for common human drugs we use, they are hugely cheaper than Dunlops, and cheaper than the other online pharmacy quote on this thread earlier and cheaper than NVS.

So I need your help and started a new thread for it.

Re: Drug price comparison

Bob Russell — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:12:48 GMT

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]

[quote user="Mike Martin"]

No one has given quotes from their supplier yet? Our is Dunlops - this is not the first time the cost of 'human' drugs has seemed extortionate.

[/quote]

NVS list prices

Omeprazole 10mg £2.73 for 28, 20mg £5.70 for 28

Losec 10mg £29.02 for 28, 20mg £51.98 for 20, 40mg £21.92 for 7

So 1) Losec is vastly overpriced 2) NVS are putting a 179% mark up on if the BNF price is £2.04 for 28x 20mg

[/quote]

The on-line price for Losec is 90p per tablet compared to 50p for the generic so the BNF price seems particularly low. It does still seem the vet wholesalers are doing very well out of these human POM's particularly as they are excluded from discounts.

Re: Drug price comparison

Laurence Webb — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:01:35 GMT

[quote user="Mike Martin"]

No one has given quotes from their supplier yet? Our is Dunlops - this is not the first time the cost of 'human' drugs has seemed extortionate.

[/quote]

NVS list prices

Omeprazole 10mg £2.73 for 28, 20mg £5.70 for 28

Losec 10mg £29.02 for 28, 20mg £51.98 for 20, 40mg £21.92 for 7

So 1) Losec is vastly overpriced 2) NVS are putting a 179% mark up on if the BNF price is £2.04 for 28x 20mg

Re: Drug price comparison

Anthony Todd — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:48:45 GMT

[quote user="Mike Martin"]

We use http://www.infohealth.co.uk/

Ask for Raj Patel

[/quote]

Drugs are delivered at a cost and some things are not stocked; eg scheduled drugs are difficult to source from anywhere.

They look like an internet pharmacy but have a large wholesale business and we have used them for 5 odd years and are happy.

Re: Drug price comparison

Bob Russell — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:40:36 GMT

Most of the drugs are so cheap through the chemist that by the time I have charged for a prescription it is often cheaper for us to get the medication and sell it normally. As we charge for all prescriptions I do not care much which route owners chose to take.

Re: Drug price comparison

Mike Martin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:36:21 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

I have tried a number of on-line pharmacies but keep returning to the local chemist! I cannot understand how the veterinary wholesalers have become so uncompetitive (other than taking advantage of vets inertia!).

[/quote]

I agree, how is it possible for me to get drugs cheaper from the local chemist than a wholesale supplier?

That then begs the question..... do I simply give the owner a prescription instead?

No one has given quotes from their supplier yet? Our is Dunlops - this is not the first time the cost of 'human' drugs has seemed extortionate.

Re: Drug price comparison

Bob Russell — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:18:07 GMT

Re: Drug price comparison

Mike Martin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:07:07 GMT

[quote user="amy sinton"]

have you contacted NHS supply chain?

[/quote]

Amy, this links seems to be an NHS logistics company, as opposed to a pharmist. Do you use them?

Re: Drug price comparison

Mike Martin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:06:01 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

We use http://www.infohealth.co.uk/

Ask for Raj Patel

[/quote]

So this seems to be a human online/internet pharmacist. Are your orders then posted to you? Or delivered?

Re: Drug price comparison

amy sinton — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:50:25 GMT

have you contacted NHS supply chain? For those of you that don't recognise the name they are the human equivalent of Dunlops/Centaur/NVS.

Most of their fast moving pharma products are tendered for and so are forced to sell at a set price (and the margins are no way near that of the vet wholesalers) . It might be worth asking them?

Hope this helps

http://www.supplychain.nhs.uk/portal/page/portal/Public/Contact%20us/Customer%20services/Customer%20service%20teams

Re: Drug price comparison

Anthony Todd — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:53:07 GMT

We use http://www.infohealth.co.uk/

Ask for Raj Patel

Re: Drug price comparison

Mike Martin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:30:08 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

There are human wholesale chemists who will supply vets and at humane prices.

[/quote]

That would be good, can you recommend one or pop in a link? Thanks

Re: Drug price comparison

Anthony Todd — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:13:56 GMT

There are human wholesale chemists who will supply vets and at humane prices.

Re: Drug price comparison

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:42:39 GMT

Until Prascend came out, I could get pergolide for my own geriatric pony far cheaper from the localchemist than the veterinary who;esaler

Wynne

Re: Drug price comparison

Bob Russell — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:20:12 GMT

No it was gabapentin that was a fraction of the price in that case. It is worth asking the local pharmacy for prices anyway!

Re: Drug price comparison

Bob Russell — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:15:33 GMT

Both Losec and the generic are listed separately and priced similarly so this is not the case with this drug unless they are sending out Losec even if the generic is requested!

The local pharmacy charged a client around £12 for 100 so in bulk packs it appears even cheaper. I will check but I posted a couple of months ago about the same drug!

Re: Drug price comparison

Andrew Kent — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:10:15 GMT

I believe with dunlops there is also a difference in cost between brand drugs eg Losec and the generics though it was a while ago I last looked into this.

Andy

Re: Drug price comparison

Bob Russell — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:05:19 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

£2.04 price for 28 20mg tabs on BNF

[/quote]

Now who is profiteering? them or us?

Re: Drug price comparison

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:16:22 GMT

£2.04 price for 28 20mg tabs on BNF