Posted by ed_uk2010 on May 20, 2018, at 10:20:22
In reply to Re: Switching from Parnate to Trintellix » ed_uk2010, posted by linkadge on May 16, 2018, at 18:09:53
Hi Link,
The thing is, if a manufacturer wanted to charge a lot for a new antidepressant in the UK, doctors would be told not to prescribe it. Manufacturers of new products are well aware of this. Price competition is high for this type of product (general low level of uniqueness). To charge a large amount, the product would need to offer something very unique or have few alternatives.
The health service gets considerable value for most medications used in primary care. A few examples of prices paid by the NHS for this month:
Venlafaxine 75mg tablets - £1.94 for 56.
Risperidone 2mg tablets - £1.36 for 60.
Aripiprazole 10mg tablets - £1.99 for 28.Now imagine a company trying to sell a new antidepressant for £500....
Even if you were visiting the UK from Canada and got a private/non-NHS prescription for one of the above three products, you'd probably only pay about £4.50 at the pharmacy.
A non-NHS prescription for a box of 28 vortioxetine would cost you around £35 at an average high street pharmacy. Most European countries have restrictions on branded medicines prices, with the system varying according to the country.
poster:ed_uk2010
thread:1098634
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20180331/msgs/1098791.html