A study into the variation and availability of prescription drug prices in community pharmacies has revealed that some are charging over double the price for medicines than others.

Furthermore, despite regulatory guidance stating that pharmacies should provide medicine prices to patients, no pharmacies that took part in the study had prices displayed on their website.

According to the researchers at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, prescription drugs are a major source of expenditure for patients in Ireland. They set out to investigate how much prices for commonly prescribed drugs varied between pharmacies.

They looked at the prices of 12 commonly prescribed drugs by  calling 1,500 pharmacies, emailing 320 and checking the website of 370. Over 1,500 pharmacies responded to queries - 1,362 by telephone and 167 by email.  

The study found that the most expensive pharmacies can charge over double the price of the least expensive pharmacies. For example, a typical prescription of the commonly prescibed steroid, prednisolone, cost over €5 more in the most expensive pharmacies, compared to the least expensive, representing an 88% increase.

Furthermore, the mean quoted cost for each of the 12 drugs investigated was higher than the HSE reimbursement price for medical card patients. For famciclovir, which is used to treat herpes zoster, the average price quoted to the researchers was €46.00. This is €8.69 higher than the HSE reimbursement price of €37.31. 

For each drug, the average price quoted to researchers was higher than the price paid by the state for patients who can access subsidised medicines, i.e. medical card holders.  

Meanwhile, the study also noted that for nine of the 12 drugs assessed, the price was significantly higher in chain pharmacies compared to independent pharmacies. 

According to the study’s lead author, James Larkin, a PhD scholar at RCSI’s Department of General Practice, the large price variation and lack of tranparency from pharmacies is problematic.

“It may mean that some people are paying too much for their medication. Or worse, some people are not buying their medication because it costs too much. This is particularly concerning given the current cost of living crisis and resulting cost pressures that many are facing. Consideration needs to be given by government to measures that enforce price transparency or regulating prices,” he commented.

According to the study’s senior author, James O’Mahony, a research assistant professor in TCD, “if the state were to regulate prices, or if there was more transparency on prices, it might lead to lower prices and more people taking their medications”.

“The pharmaceutical regulator’s current requirements on pharmacies to make prices transparent does not really guarantee any easy access to prices for patients. We’d like to see a greater push for transparency on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland,” he said.

The study was published in the journal, Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, and can be viewed here.