Pharmacists keep 50pc profits as medicine costs fall

From the Independent (Ireland):
Pharmacists will pass on the cuts in factory drug prices to customers -- but they will still claim a 50pc profit from the sale of the medicines.

The manufacturers' price of 300 popular off-patent drugs fell by 40pc yesterday.

But while the amount patients will pay for the medicines in the pharmacy will be less, it will not be by as much as that quoted on the website www.checkthelist.ie, which has been set up as a guide for customers by the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA).

The final prices quoted on the website -- once the wholesaler and pharmacist have been paid -- are based on a profit mark-up of 20pc.

However, the majority of pharmacists are still claiming a 50pc profit mark-up and are also adding a dispensing fee of around €2.50. ...more