To lower the prices of non-prescription drugs, the Competition Authority decided to sell them in supermarkets. Pharmacists say they charge reasonable prices.
On Thursday, the Competition Authority issued a favorable opinion for the sale of non-prescription drugs in supermarkets. The Authority intends to open this market to competition and thus make the price of these self-medication products to reduce the bill for the French. And this market, which represents more than 2 billion every year in France, obviously attracts all kinds of envy. In particular that of the boss of supermarkets E.Leclerc who is eyeing this financial windfall. The latter has been claiming for years that he will sell drugs between 25 and 30% cheaper than in pharmacies.
A web portal for transparency on prices
To this attack, the Order of Pharmacists replied yesterday that the prices of French products are not excessive. “And we will soon be demonstrating this to consumers, with a new drug price web portal that will be launched. He will demonstrate to the French clearly and clearly the truth about the price of their drugs which are among the cheapest in Europe ”affirms Philippe Besset, President of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France (FSPF), contacted by why actor.
The Federation has already ordered IMS Health to conduct a study in 80% of French pharmacies. It aims to make statistics on the prices of all French self-medication products. The company will eventually have to establish price ranges for each drug sold without a prescription. The purpose of this tool, “to provide data quickly to consumers in order to show them that there is no price abuse on the part of their pharmacist.” », Specifies Philippe Besset. “The competition on this market is important and the offer of choice in terms of prices is very wide”, already promises the French trade unionist.
Listen to Philippe Besset, president of the FSPF: ” By giving, for example, the price range of Daflon, the French will be able to see if their pharmacist exaggerates (or not) on the price of this drug... “
Constantly decreasing prices
Finally, thanks to this portal which should be launched in the first quarter of 2014 (in April at the latest), Philippe Besset above all intends to show skeptics that French drugs are among the cheapest in Europe. For a long time, the drug companies union (Leem) has been trying to reassure consumers by indicating that industrial prices of drugs in France are in the low European average. “The manufacturer prices of recent French drugs are lower than those charged by our European neighbors, especially in Germany”, recently argued the union. As for public prices, they are in the European average and are “constantly decreasing”, he added. And Philippe Besset to drive home the point by recalling that a good number of cross-border workers (Belgians, Germans, Italians …) come to buy their drugs in France.
Listen to Philippe Besset, president of the FSPF: ” French border workers know that French drugs are among the cheapest in Europe. They can see very well every day, the Belgians, the Germans, or the Italians, coming to buy their products from us.… “
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