A survey reveals that the prices of drugs are lower on the Internet. But taking into account the shipping costs, the final cost joins, or even exceeds, that in pharmacies.
Gastroenteritis, flu, bronchiolitis, all these epidemics are currently blazing in France. In pharmacies, we imagine that the sales of drugs to treat these pathologies are exploding. And as the Christmas holidays approach, some may have thought about buying on the Internet to save money. An idea to forget. An investigation by theRural Families association reveals that the prices are lower on the Internet compared to the prices in physical pharmacies. But the shipping costs cancel out this advantage and the final price meets, or even exceeds, that offered in pharmacies!
On average, the difference between the price offered in pharmacies and the price offered online is € 1 per box (1). However, the shipping costs amount to € 5.91. And these are only “free” from an average purchase of € 60. The association considers that this bar is too high. In fact, it makes it necessary to buy a large number of boxes at the same time. A situation that is all the more complicated for consumers as “the delivery of 5 boxes per drug is considered an acceptable maximum for non-prescription drugs,” she writes.
Pharmacy: the price of a drug varies from simple to triple
In addition, this Rural Family survey also highlights the price differences in pharmacies. From one pharmacy to another, the price of a drug goes, it’s true, from simple to triple! The same drug costs, on average, twice as much to the consumer depending on the location. These investigators note the particularly eloquent cases of Activir (indicated in the treatment of cold sores) between € 3.20 and € 8.90, or 3 times more depending on the pharmacy visited.
Another example is the Nicopass (indicated in smoking cessation) which varies from € 14.99 to € 31.30. “These price differences are particularly problematic for products that are renewed regularly, such as devices to stop smoking”, regrets the association.
Beware of misconceptions about large and medium-sized stores
Finally, the association recalls that large and medium-sized stores (GMS) and pharmacies are in competition for a certain number of products. But, she concludes that the prices recorded do not allow to conclude that there is an advantage to go to one or the other as the price differences vary according to the products and the territories. In the observatory, two non-medicinal products clearly illustrate this observation.
These are physiological serum “Physiologica” (33% cheaper in pharmacies) and Gallia breast milk (less expensive in supermarkets). In this regard, investigators also deplore that 80% of drug boxes are deprived of price tags. As a result, unless he asks for it, the consumer is not in a position to know the price of the product he wishes to buy over the counter. In addition, after purchase, only 39% of pharmacists issue a receipt, reports Rural Families.
(1) The Familles Rurales association studied the prices of 15 drugs sold in 80 points of sale (39 pharmacies and 40 online sites).
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