Pharmacy Proves Cheaper

Pharmacies have proven to be less expensive than supermarkets in a comparison of a number of common OTC medicine categories.  The survey undertaken by consumer group CHOICE looked at painkillers (ibuprofen, aspirin and paracetamol); sinus medications (phenylephrine); cough, cold and flu; hayfever (Claratyne, Zyrtec and Telfast); products for heartburn or reflux (Mylanta, Zantac); diarrhoea (imodium); and low-dose aspirin.

CHOICE said in general pharmacies “equalled or beat supermarkets on price when comparing brand for brand.
“With larger pack sizes available in pharmacies, the price per dose was even cheaper,” the report said.  Larger discount-style pharmacies and online pharmacies ‘tended to be cheaper than smaller pharmacies,” but for people not bothered about spending a litttle more “supermarkets offer the convenience of one-stop shopping
and often extended hours”.  Moreover pharmacies were found to often sell cheaper brands (generics) than the name brands sold in supermarkets, offering greater savings.  Generic ibuprofen was found to be cheaper in supermarkets. 

Pharmacies were also superior in availability of more effective active ingredients, stronger doses and a broader range of medicines for many conditions.  Interestingly, while the CHOICE survey didn’t look at customer service issues, the authors noted that “in the pharmacies we went to we were often offered assistance, usually by more than one person”. 

The Pharmacy Guild welcomed the CHOICE report, with executive director David Quilty saying it “exposes the ideologically-driven claims that community pharmacy is not competitive.  “The take-out from this report is
clear - community pharmacies are an altogether better option than supermarkets when it comes to purchasing open-seller, over-thecounter medicines,” he said.  Quilty said it was clear from the CHOICE survey that  consumers can put their health care first, without being out of pocket, by making their local pharmacy their “first and preferred port of call for all their medicine needs”.

Source: pharmacydaily.com.au, Friday 10 July 2015