After a reform of the pricing system which came into force on Monday, consumers who go to the pharmacy must expect significantly higher prices for certain medicines previously considered cheap. Ibuprofen, for example, doubles in price.
Yannis Papadaniel, head of health at the Fédération romande des consommateurs (FRC), returned to the program On en parle on Monday to discuss price changes and the implications for consumers.
Significant increase in distribution margin
This increase results from a change in the calculation of the price of medicines, a decision taken by the Confederation last year. In this new system, the manufacturing cost remains the same but the distribution margin increases significantly. As for VAT, it is also increasing slightly.
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Disproportionate impact on cheap drugs
“This new, relatively complicated system mainly affects cheap medicines, whose prices are increasing,” says Yannis Papadaniel. For example, the price of a box of 20 Ibuprofen 400 mg tablets has doubled, going from 5.90 to 10.95 francs. And while for more expensive medicines, prices tend to fall, the FRC health manager argues that “this new pricing is still quite problematic since we are in a context of inflation.”
A somewhat discouraging conclusion
Unfortunately, it is the patients who will bear the brunt of this reform because, as Yannis Papadaniel declares, “from the moment the drug is prescribed, there is no way to escape the increase in price.”
Radio subject: Mathieu Truffer
Adaptation web : Laure Pagella
