Kids medicine (generic)

wmpdd3

Myself and a few friends clubbed together and bought a few of theses bundles. My mother disapproved of generics and the fact they were ordered form the internet.

http://www.pharmacyfirst.co.uk//medicines/childrens-essential-medicines-bundle/prod_8763.html

Care Antiseptic Cream 30g - For Cuts and grazes

Ibuprofen 100mg/5ml 100ml - For Pain and fever relief

Paracetamol 120mg/5ml 100ml S/F - For Pain and fever relief

Qwikstrip Plasters - For Cuts and grazes

Chlorphenamine Maleate 2mg/5ml Solution 150ml - For allergy relief

Until she read the label and found out that 3 of the items were made in Clonmel!

My share cost me €11 delivered, we used parcel motel.

donnacha

Thanks - keep meaning to do one of these UK pharmacy orders.

It would be great if others that have done this before could post recommended online stores. I'd seen a thread a few months back that recommended Chemistdirect.co.uk - I never got around to placing an order with them but I am on their ridiculously frequent email/spam list.

Kevtherev

I've ordered from pharmacyfirst before without any issues. Just ordered 600 antihistamine tablets for €17 including delivery.

groom

A friend was coming over from England recently and brought me a bag full of Asda Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. It is all approximately 10% the cost of buying the same quantity of the same drug here.

paddyp

Well worth it, for every euro we spend on generics from uk we save about €3 overall. Things like zyrtec are 10 times cheaper than the irish generic!
http://www.pharmacyfirst.co.uk//medicines/hayfever-allergy/hayfever-bundles/4-x-30-10mg-cetirizine-tablets/prod_10330.html

MuffinsDa

I used chemistdirect.co.uk and they were very good too.

iguana

I always get my medicines from the UK, when I lived there my mum always had a big order for medicines for me to bring back. We were living there for a few months last year and I stocked up on my baby medicines. Sam has had some of that exact, 99p a bottle, ibuprofen last night.

sok2005

Made an order, cheers OP.

The only thing I worry about is is there any legit way of stopping this package from reaching me?

I ordered doggy scent from the UK and it never arrived, no letter from customs or anything, just disappeared.

lindtee

If you are ordering from pharmacy direct, I would advise to parcel motel it. I made an order a couple of years ago (things like paracetemol, ibuprofen, antihistimines, pain relief cream, cortisone cream and other medicine cabinet supplies) and the parcel was stopped by customs most of my order was seized and destroyed:mad::mad: It was all over the counter stuff just at a mere fraction of what it would cost here.

However I recently made an order using parcel motel and there were no issues whatsoever.

irishproduce

Is there a calpol or nuerofen for children equivalent on that site?

j191

Seriously folks have I missed something. Buying drugs online is VERY dodgy but buying drugs for kids online........ Mad

athtrasna

A day trip to Newry is the way to go! Or stock up when you're away. Was in London for the day yesterday, came back with a stash of Calgel baby teething gel for my nephew. My sister and loads of other people say it's the only thing that really works but for some reason the IMB haven't licensed it here.

sok2005

j191 wrote: »

Seriously folks have I missed something. Buying drugs online is VERY dodgy but buying drugs for kids online........ Mad

Did you read the OP's message, 3 of the items are made in Clonmel!
It's the exact same stuff you buy in an Irish chemist but cheaper as we get ripped off here. It's not someone brewing up a batch of Nurofen in their backyard!

j191

Might look like real deal but that doesn't necessarily mean its legit. Yes prices are crap here but I would be wary of putting stuff in my kids. Risk it for a biscuit on myself but the kids are a different story. It's like a cartel here as prices vary so little.

L1011

j191 wrote: »

Might look like real deal but that doesn't necessarily mean its legit. Yes prices are crap here but I would be wary of putting stuff in my kids. Risk it for a biscuit on myself but the kids are a different story. It's like a cartel here as prices vary so little.

The UK actually has a legal structure for internet pharmacies, something we don't have. Additionally, none of these are prescription items in the UK, they're OTC and freely sold even in supermarkets. Take a look at the medicines aisle in Asda if you're in NI any time soon - they have own-brand painkillers, B2 agonists (heartburn drugs), antihistamines, the works.

You'll notice that that site doesn't even list prescription drugs, you have to send them your script.

And yes, a huge amount of generics in the UK are actually made here. Load more are made by Galpharm in Yorkshire, name most football fans would recognise.

Moonbeam

boots up north does own brand kids stuff too.
The best 2 things up there are calprofen and calgel.

thesandeman

sok2005 wrote: »

Made an order, cheers OP.

The only thing I worry about is is there any legit way of stopping this package from reaching me?

I ordered doggy scent from the UK and it never arrived, no letter from customs or anything, just disappeared.

Why did you want to smell like a dog?

sok2005

thesandeman wrote: »

Why did you want to smell like a dog?

When I wrote that message I actually thought it sounded exactly like you said so I explained that it was a cologne for dogs that was safe for animal use, then I decided to scrap it since I was waffling off point, but that came back to bite me on my arse!

Nonoperational

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Myself and a few friends clubbed together and bought a few of theses bundles. My mother disapproved of generics and the fact they were ordered form the internet.

http://www.pharmacyfirst.co.uk//medicines/childrens-essential-medicines-bundle/prod_8763.html






Until she read the label and found out that 3 of the items were made in Clonmel!

My share cost me €11 delivered, we used parcel motel.

What age is the child your giving the chlorphenamine to? (the anti-histamine)

Kurtosis

Nonoperational wrote: »

What age is the child your giving the chlorphenamine to? (the anti-histamine)

Chlorphenamine liquid is actually an unlicensed medicine here, which makes it a prescription only medicine and so it's not legal to purchase it online.

IMightKnow

What penguin88 said is exactly what I thought when I saw this.

The chlorphenamine maleate is available in chemists here in tablets as Piriton but the liquid is prescription only so as said above its illegal to purchase it online.

iguana

irishproduce wrote: »

Is there a calpol or nuerofen for children equivalent on that site?

Yes. The pic in the OP shows a bottle of ibuprofen suspension made by Galpharm, that's the same as Nuerofen. For babies from 3-12m it contains 40 doses. For older children, it's 20 doses. One of the other bottles is a paracetamol suspension which is the same as Calpol. They sell the paracetamol suspension separately for 99p; http://www.pharmacyfirst.co.uk//medicines/paracetamol-250mg/5ml-oral-suspension-sugar/colour-free-100ml-for-children-6-/prod_8112.html But not the ibuprofen for some reason. Though I'm sure some of the other pharmacies will sell it, as does Amazon.

If you are ever in the north (or other parts of the UK obv) you can get it in any pharmacy, supermarket, household stores like Wilkinsons or most poundshops for 99p a bottle. It costs about €15-20 between petrol and tolls to get from Dublin to Newry and back. If you stock up on medicines for the year it's worth it very fast.

Nonoperational

penguin88 wrote: »

Chlorphenamine liquid is actually an unlicensed medicine here, which makes it a prescription only medicine and so it's not legal to purchase it online.

Yep. And routinely giving sedating antihistamines to young children is a bad idea in my opinion.

Nonoperational

iguana wrote: »

Yes. The pic in the OP shows a bottle of ibuprofen suspension made by Galpharm, that's the same as Nuerofen. For babies from 3-12m it contains 40 doses. For older children, it's 20 doses. One of the other bottles is a paracetamol suspension which is the same as Calpol. They sell the paracetamol suspension separately for 99p; http://www.pharmacyfirst.co.uk//medicines/paracetamol-250mg/5ml-oral-suspension-sugar/colour-free-100ml-for-children-6-/prod_8112.html But not the ibuprofen for some reason. Though I'm sure some of the other pharmacies will sell it, as does Amazon.

If you are ever in the north (or other parts of the UK obv) you can get it in any pharmacy, supermarket, household stores like Wilkinsons or most poundshops for 99p a bottle. It costs about €15-20 between petrol and tolls to get from Dublin to Newry and back. If you stock up on medicines for the year it's worth it very fast.

You must use a lot of OTC meds!

iguana

Nonoperational wrote: »

You must use a lot of OTC meds!

Nope, I don't the price differentials are just absolutely enormous. But my husband takes allergy medication that costs €14 here or £1 there. Just one box of that along with one bottle of children's ibuprofen and you've cancelled out the costs of the trip. Add in a couple of 16p boxes of paracetamol, 14p aspirin and 32p ibuprofen, a tube of acilover cream for £1 (if anyone in your family gets coldsores), a couple of boxes of lemon powders and calcium carbonate tablets, some antiseptic cream and muscle rub and you'll stock your medicine cabinet with a couple of years worth of medicines for less than the cost of two packs of Rennie.

L1011

Nonoperational wrote: »

You must use a lot of OTC meds!

You'd save €15 on a years worth of painkillers for a family of four that don't have any major health problems alone.

The prices we pay here are ridiculous, due to how few items are general sales. Pharmacies are never going to sell products at supermarket prices. Add to that the wholesalers here are gougers - the state can't even buy ibuprofen for the medical card scheme at anywhere close to what Lidl NI can sell it at - and you have a major problem.

Nonoperational

It's all relative, €1.99 for 24 paracetamol that last most people months isn't a big issue for most people.

The state can get ibuprofen for around the same as what it's selling for in the North...

L1011

Nonoperational wrote: »

The state can get ibuprofen for around the same as what it's selling for in the North...

The reimbursement price to a GMS dispensing pharmacist is about 5x what its selling for retail in the North. Might actually be more, I'd need to check a recent price list.

wmpdd3

My son was prescribed antihistamine when he was 11 months old for 1 week. It was explained to us that this was unusual and only because he was so bad.

He has needed it twice since then for no more than 2 doses. If we dont catch it quick it can lead to needing a nebuliser. It doesnt make him drowsy at all. Half a periton and I'm out cold.

Over the counter it is €11.49 for 80ml in Boots in Waterford. Can't think of the brand name, same ingredients, its a white label with grey writing.

Nonoperational

100 Ibuprofen 400mgs is reimbursed at just under €3. That's under 3cent per tablet. The cheapest I can see in the uk is about 2p per 200mg tab. That works out at £4 for the equivalent.


Not sure where your getting 5 times more from? Maybe I'm incorrect...



wmpdd3, what are you showing there in the pic? That's just a box for ibuprofen...

L1011

Which brand is reimbursed at that price? Cheapest I'm aware of is closer to five for that pack price, and in the UK its roughly a pound - well under 2p a tablet is possible in that bulk. Even if your figures are completely correct, they're still paying more than NI sale prices.

I'm not in work so I can't check either systems. Point still is that we're being utterly ripped by wholesalers and by the state in so far as general sale is so stupidly restricted.

Nonoperational

Melfen 400mgs is reimbursed at €2.91 per box of 100.

77364 Melfen Tabs. 400 mg. 100 (A) €2.91

Your point was that the state had to pay 5 times more for Ibuprofen than Lidl UK sell it for, which is not correct as far as I can see. Anyway, there are far bigger issues with the way the health service operates other than the reimbursement price of ibuprofen!

L1011

Lidl don't sell 400mg, which makes the comparison to that unreliable, however the state are still definitely paying more than UK retail. Same applies to virtually every single drug which is OTC in the UK.

Nonoperational

Lidl sell 200mg tabs at 2p per tablet, the state pays 3cent for the same here. Actually a bit less than 3cent since FEMPI.

L1011

Nonoperational wrote: »

Lidl sell 200mg tabs at 2p per tablet, the state pays 3cent for the same here.

...which is still significantly more, when you consider that Lidl has VAT on OTC meds its twice the price. I may be wrong on the 5x, but its nowhere close to "the same" as you claimed.

Nonoperational

Melfen again.

This is a pointless back and forth, obviously certain OTC meds are on the whole, considerably cheaper in the UK. They must be complete less leaders for the shops selling them but that's not the consumers problem!

MYOB wrote: »

...which is still significantly more, when you consider that Lidl has VAT on OTC meds its twice the price. I may be wrong on the 5x, but its nowhere close to "the same" as you claimed.

Jeez man, I said around the same not identical, and I was using 400mgs as the example as it is by far the most usual dose of ibuprofen.

L1011

Nonoperational wrote: »

Melfen again.

This is a pointless back and forth, obviously certain OTC meds are on the whole, considerably cheaper in the UK. They must be complete less leaders for the shops selling them but that's not the consumers problem!

Decided to actually look by brand and found them - the HSE don't like making this easy (for anyone bored - http://www.sspcrs.ie/druglist/search.jsp)

There's still profit make at those prices, the prices paid to the manufacturer are that low in the UK. Its the effective cartel of wholesalers we have here as well as ridiculous rules on parallel imports that are the issue.

Nonoperational

There could be a tidy saving made if the whole system was overhauled. I suspect the HSE have very little clue about the reality of the reimbursement process. Anyway, the bargain alert has been pointed out, and I'm not helping any further with it!

ted1

Any drug that has being out on the market for 20 years is out of patent and the generic drugs are exactly the same, paying for a brand name is just that. It's the reason why pharma companies close plants on Ireland after x amount if years as the profit is gone due to loss of patents and china are doing the same product but for cheaper

Nonoperational

ted1 wrote: »

Any drug that has being out on the market for 20 years is out of patent and the generic drugs are exactly the same, paying for a brand name is just that. It's the reason why pharma companies close plants on Ireland after x amount if years as the profit is gone due to loss of patents and china are doing the same product but for cheaper

Well not China no, but other companies in Ireland and Europe move in ya. The issue in Ireland is that the State (and the people) are still paying too much for them.

ted1

Nonoperational wrote: »

Well not China no, but other companies in Ireland and Europe move in ya. The issue in Ireland is that the State (and the people) are still paying too much for them.

Yes China, I work with many pharma companies. Look at Pfizer little island, the product they made lost its patent and is being made by companies in china for a fraction if the price that is why they are closing.

Prof Nincom Poop Ph.D

All this over the counter stuff....wtf, it's all bull, nothing but a racket. Non of it does anything, nothing good anyway, extra work for your liver is all, paracetamol, allergy wot-sits, cuts and grazes creams, packet of plasters is only thing mentioned worth getting.

ted1 wrote: »

Any drug that has being out on the market for 20 years is out of patent and the generic drugs are exactly the same, paying for a brand name is just that. It's the reason why pharma companies close plants on Ireland after x amount if years as the profit is gone due to loss of patents and china are doing the same product but for cheaper

Indian drugmaker Ranbaxy to pay record fine in the US

Now, you wouldn't pass much remarks on this until you read the behind the scenes.

Dirty Medicine

The FDA is a joke.

FanadMan

Kinda off topic but still goes to show the rip off here in Ireland. My dad is on Lipitor and Tritace meds and isn't on medical card. There is no way he could pay for the brand name meds so his doc suggested getting the generic brands instead. That was fine - much cheaper but then a friend suggested going into the North (handy for us cos we live in Donegal). Took him into a small chemist in Derry and what he paid for the 2 months of the generic brand of Lipitor in Derry was less than one month of the same thing in Letterkenny.

The markup on meds here is ridiculous - so if you have prescriptions to get and have kids, go to the North for the day and stock up.

Prof Nincom Poop Ph.D

FanadMan wrote: »

Kinda off topic but still goes to show the rip off here in Ireland. My dad is on Lipitor and Tritace meds and isn't on medical card. There is no way he could pay for the brand name meds so his doc suggested getting the generic brands instead. That was fine - much cheaper but then a friend suggested going into the North (handy for us cos we live in Donegal). Took him into a small chemist in Derry and what he paid for the 2 months of the generic brand of Lipitor in Derry was less than one month of the same thing in Letterkenny.

The markup on meds here is ridiculous - so if you have prescriptions to get and have kids, go to the North for the day and stock up.

Who is maker of Generic Lipitor?

FanadMan

Prof Nincom Poop Ph.D wrote: »

Who is maker of Generic Lipitor?

Branded as Teva UK Ltd but manufactured by Belmac in Spain.

The branding on the generic Tritace is also Teva and also made in Spain.

To buy two months of 20mg Atorvastatin (Lipitor) and 5mg Ramipril (Tritace) is around £23 in Derry compared to over €80 in Letterkenny

ted1

FanadMan wrote: »

Kinda off topic but still goes to show the rip off here in Ireland. My dad is on Lipitor and Tritace meds and isn't on medical card. There is no way he could pay for the brand name meds so his doc suggested getting the generic brands instead. That was fine - much cheaper but then a friend suggested going into the North (handy for us cos we live in Donegal). Took him into a small chemist in Derry and what he paid for the 2 months of the generic brand of Lipitor in Derry was less than one month of the same thing in Letterkenny.

The markup on meds here is ridiculous - so if you have prescriptions to get and have kids, go to the North for the day and stock up.

You are aware that there is a cap on the amount you can spend in prescription drugs,

wmpdd3

true but the cap is the same as 2 weeks food shopping.

i added the pic to show that i had to orded from the uk, a product thats made 15 miles from my home.

tesco sell 400mg ibuprofen 24pk for 36p in the uk.
o
is there a generic ibuprofen available in ireland? i was given the brand name on a perscription.

snubbleste

There is generic ibuprofen available from behind the counter in pharmacies. You need to ask for it. Don't know how much it costs.

Nonoperational

ted1 wrote: »

Yes China, I work with many pharma companies. Look at Pfizer little island, the product they made lost its patent and is being made by companies in china for a fraction if the price that is why they are closing.

Chinese generics are not sold in Ireland or Europe. Generics made in Ireland and Europe are competing with Pfizer, not Chinese made generics.

Not sure what line of work you do, but I don't see Chinese generics being licensed in Europe any time soon.

snubbleste wrote: »

There is generic ibuprofen available from behind the counter in pharmacies. You need to ask for it. Don't know how much it costs.

It's not much cheaper.

ted1 wrote: »

You are aware that there is a cap on the amount you can spend in prescription drugs,

€144, not relevant for somebody prescribed just Lipitor and Tritace every month.

wmpdd3 wrote: »

true but the cap is the same as 2 weeks food shopping.

i added the pic to show that i had to orded from the uk, a product thats made 15 miles from my home.

tesco sell 400mg ibuprofen 24pk for 36p in the uk.
o
is there a generic ibuprofen available in ireland? i was given the brand name on a perscription.

The generics have "brand names" too. Melfen is the most common one.

wmpdd3

Just looking online there and there still seems to be quite a difference in OTC medicines still.

I haven't found a generic Ibuprofen liquid, though everyone seems to think its available.

Prices are from chemistdirect.co.uk. probably cheaper if you are in a b&m store in the UK.

The_Conductor

And if you want the brand name products- they're available in far larger packet sizes in the UK or Northern Ireland- than we have here- aka a 200ml bottle of Calpol or Neurofen (perfect for teething children- or children with scarey temperatures). 100 packs of neurofen/panadol (need a prescription- but they simply won't sell them here). Etc etc etc.

It hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet (probably because its a zombie thread that was reanimated)- but Healthwave in Dundrum offer generics at 50% discount to the HSE agreed prices- so a trip to Dundrum may be worthwhile (and they'll fill 6 months of scripts in one go- if you're coming up from down the country). Word is they're going online sometime soon- so we'll have our own online pharmacy- its still double the UK prices- but its significantly cheaper than elsewhere in the country.