Over counter drugs up to 91pc dearer here than UK
Related Articles
CONSUMERS are paying nearly twice as much for common over-the-counter medicines as people in the UK.
Prices for painkillers, herbal remedies and other medicines are up to 91pc dearer than in the UK, a survey by the Irish Independent has found.
As the pharmaceutical industry trumpets the price reductions that have belatedly been introduced on some prescription drugs, consumers are still paying over the odds for many popular non-prescription medications.
This includes a price-tag of up to €4.53 for a packet of Senokot Senna laxatives, compared with a UK price of €2.37 (£2.06), a difference of 91pc.
And for a jar of Kalms, a herbal remedy aimed at improving sleep, the price-tag in the Republic is around €11.39 compared with €6.08 in Britain -- a difference of 88pc.
Prescription
For those who have overindulged, the price of Alkaseltzer is up to 80pc dearer, €5.55 compared with €3.09 (£2.69) in the North.
And big-selling painkiller Nurofen clocks in at up to €5.30 for a packet of 24, compared with €3.44 (£2.99) in the UK, a difference of 54pc.
The UK prices were all obtained from Boots.com, a website that will deliver to UK addresses only. Our survey found that there was considerable variation in prices in pharmacies in the Republic -- with branches of Boots coming out as the cheapest, although still considerably dearer than in the UK. Popular children's remedies which most parents always have in stock, such as Calpol and Sudocrem, were also considerably dearer here.
The price of Solpadeine has also soared in recent weeks, with 24 capsules soaring to €5.08 from about €3. Because of different product sizes and strengths it was difficult to get a comparative price for the UK.
However, Boots in Dublin are still selling Solpadeine capsules at the more favourable price-tag of €2.99.The makers of Solpadeine, GlaxoSmithKline, said they had increased the price of Solpadeine capsules for the first time since 1995 to bring them into line with the rest of their range which had not changed in price. Packs of 24 Solpadeine capsules had been on a fixed price under the medical card scheme since 1995 until it was replaced in January with a larger 32-capsule pack which was only available on prescription. The price of the 24-pack was then revised. However, that only affected the base price and it was up to individual pharmacists what they charged, a spokesman for the company said.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) said that the reason over the counter medicines were much dearer in Ireland than in the UK and other European countries was that manufacturers set much higher prices here.
"We have been calling for reductions for years, but they have refused to budge. Pharmacies cannot simply go to a supplier in another country to get cheaper supplies because it is a highly-regulated market," an IPU spokesman said.
- Aideen Sheehan
Irish Independent
