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 on Monday to the show On en parle to discuss price changes and the implications for consumers.
Significant increase in distribution margin
This increase is the result of 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 also increases slightly.
>> More details in our article: Berne proposes to review the price of medicines, health insurers divided
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 tablets of Ibuprofen 400 mg has doubled, from 5.90 to 10.95 francs.
And if for more expensive drugs, 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”.
Unfortunately, it is the patients who will bear the cost of this reform because, as Yannis Papadaniel states: “From the moment the medicine is prescribed, there is no way to escape the price increase.”
Radio subject: Mathieu Truffer
Adaptation web : Laure Pagella
