Generic Drugs

Davidth88

Guys

Can I ask why generic drugs such as Ibuprofen are not available in the Republic Of Ireland ?

When ever I go to the UK I always by large boxes of Ibuprofen/paracetamol , usually at a cost of 1-2pence per tablet. Here you can only buy branded drugs..... is there a reason for this ?

Even the packs of 16 which are the only ones you can get at a ' non-pharmasist ' type shop are around 3-4 pence.

This compares with 3 euros odd here for 16 tablets of Nurofen ( you are of course paying for the extra advertising etc ) , the amount of active ingredient is the SAME.

jtbub15

it is all down to the drug manufacturing company to apply for a license to sell in each individual country. Even if a drug is manufactured in Ireland it may only have applied for a license in America (for example), by the FDA.
To sell in the republic, manufacturers must apply to the IMB, to obtain a license..not an easy task and can be costly.
If the company does not think the drug will make a profit in the country they wont bother applying....

GerardKeating

Davidth88 wrote: »

Can I ask why generic drugs such as Ibuprofen are not available in the Republic Of Ireland ?

But many of them are, you need to ask for them.

Davidth88

But many of them are, you need to ask for them.

Are they ?

Ok Ill ask next time, but they are certainly not available ' on the shelf ' of Boots/tesco etc. Would I have to go to a Pharmacist then ?

As for licencing , is that really true , are you telling me Mr Anadin has to apply for a licence as does Disprin etc etc , if the active ingredient is licenced isn't that enough ?

( Ill be honest I have no idea but I would be really surprised if Tesco/Sainsbury/Boots have applied for licences etc in the UK )

jtbub15

you'll find that must drugs that have the same active ingredient has been produced by the same manufacturer. But if the drug is different, in any way, a license must be obtained..after alot of clinical research and data. It can take up to 14 years from drug discovery to a drug being marketed.

ejmaztec

I think that the Germans must be at a bigger disadvantage (not to mention a few more countries around Europe), because the pharmacists there seem to be the only ones allowed to sell even Aspirin.

One day, with a blinding headache, I had no choice but to cough up nearly five Euro for a pack of 20 soluble Aspirin. I thought that for that price my headache would vanish by just looking at the packet!

Here, in Listowel, we've got a decent chemist. If you go in there and ask for a particular medication, he doesn't hesitate in letting you know that he's got a cheaper generic brand. In other places, you have to ask whether they have a generic alternative. On the whole, you just get the evil eye.

grahamo

I'm not sure about the present day but up to a few years ago Pharmacists were paid by the drug companies to promote their products so they automatically offer you the more expensive branded drugs. You have to ask specifically for generic aspirin/paracetomol etc. and its usually hidden away under the counter.

Rebel021

I go to the Pharmacists in Dun Laoghaire area and when asking for headache tablets to paracetamol I am always offered generic brands

gamblor1975

Hopefully, in the wake of the recession, people power will demand changes in the way the Irish Pharmacies are governed. Its a joke and a cartel. We pay way over the odds for medication that can be bought all over the world at a fraction of the cost. The whole industry is over regulated and as far as I can see they are all one big "Clique".
The sooner they are deregulated the better. People are well informed enough to be able to choose which generic brand they want of the medicine prescribed to them.

Once people have the right to choose, the clique will be broken, prices will fall and availability will rise, then we can get started on the Insurance companies......(:-)

ceegee

grahamo wrote: »

I'm not sure about the present day but up to a few years ago Pharmacists were paid by the drug companies to promote their products so they automatically offer you the more expensive branded drugs.

Any sort of evidence for that statement? I can guarantee that this doesnt occur and certainly wasnt happening "up to a few years ago". There is clear legislation spelling out what "gifts" can be provided to pharmacists by drug companies - it basically amounts to pens or post-its.

Nody

gamblor1975 wrote: »

Hopefully, in the wake of the recession, people power will demand changes in the way the Irish Pharmacies are governed. Its a joke and a cartel. We pay way over the odds for medication that can be bought all over the world at a fraction of the cost. The whole industry is over regulated and as far as I can see they are all one big "Clique".
The sooner they are deregulated the better. People are well informed enough to be able to choose which generic brand they want of the medicine prescribed to them.

Once people have the right to choose, the clique will be broken, prices will fall and availability will rise, then we can get started on the Insurance companies......(:-)

Thank you, I needed a laugh. You think that more deregulation will lower the prices? You do know that for example US has insanly much higher cost for medicine then Canada and that US has far fewer rules etc.

If you want to break your so called clique you want regulation that require that every purchase of medicine in a pharmacy also require the pharmacy to offer an generic drug if available. Same goes for the doctors prescribing the medicine etc. That can bring down the prices, not by letting the drug companies run around as they see fit. You have to only look to the US (both medicine AND economy) to see why that is not a good idea to let companies have a free run with no/minimal non enforced legislation.

foggy_lad

paracetamol asparin ibuprofen etc are severly limited in the quantities you can purchase in shops and pharmacies so there is really no way you could buy a 100tablet bottle of paracetamol unless you have a prescripton and even then the same paracetamol costs hundreds of times more here than in europe!

Davidth88

paracetamol asparin ibuprofen etc are severly limited in the quantities you can purchase in shops and pharmacies so there is really no way you could buy a 100tablet bottle of paracetamol unless you have a prescripton and even then the same paracetamol costs hundreds of times more here than in europe!

Why.....

I understand shops not selling large amounts of the drugs , but arn't phamacies allowed to ?

Why should they cost more , apart from the usual ' Rip off tax ' ( not imposed by the government ) . ?

It was a genuine question in my OP , I will now go and ask in a pharmacy. However if the cost is still higher , on my reasonably frequent trips to the UK I will continue to buy ' over the counter ' medicines such as paracetamol there. ( I don't use tons of these by the way , but they have a long shelf life )

brightspark

more here on this subject in an earlier post

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055433921