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Re: Generic Fluoxetine Vs. Prozac

Posted by ed_uk2010 on March 12, 2010, at 14:03:35

In reply to Re: Generic Fluoxetine Vs. Prozac, posted by morganator on March 12, 2010, at 2:02:08

> What?!! Brand Prozac costs less than seventeen bucks? That's with insurance I presume. If it's without insurance that is ridiculously cheap. Why would GSK sell it for so much cheaper in the U.K.? It has to be the price your getting for it after insurance covers it.

The US and UK have *completely* different health systems. Drug prices in the UK are among the lowest in the world. Drug prices in the US are among the highest in the world.

In the UK, very few people have health insurance. As is the case in most European countries, taxes are quite high in the UK eg. to pay for our National Health Service (NHS).

In Europe, governments also exert many price controls on branded drugs, as well as on generics. Manufacturers cannot just charge whatever they want.

In the UK, there are two types of prescription: private prescriptions and NHS prescriptions. If you see an NHS doctor (which is free), you will get an NHS prescription. If you have an exemption from charges (eg. diabetes), your prescription will be completely free. Otherwise, there is a fixed charge of £7.20 per item (about $10.90), the government pays the rest. NHS prescriptions cost £7.20 regardless of the actual cost of the med.

If you see a doctor privately (ie. you pay to see a doctor because you do not want to go to an NHS doctor), you will get a private prescription. This is rather like the USA system ie. you pay the full cost of the med plus the pharmacy's mark-up.

Currently, the wholesale price of branded Prozac in the UK is £4.25 for a box of 30 caps. This is about $6.42.

If you had a private prescription for branded Prozac, you would have to pay the wholesale price plus the phamacists fees. On average, you would pay about £8 or £9 for a box of 30 capsules. This is about $12.00 to £13.50.

So yes, branded Prozac in the UK is much less expensive than your USA generic.

If you had a private prescription for 30 caps of generic fluoxetine, you would be charged about £3.50 to £5.00 ie. about $5.30 to $7.50.

I hope this information is of interest to you! It certainly shows the difference between US drug prices and European drug prices.

 

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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100305/msgs/939280.html