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Inflation now affects almost every area of our lives. We feel the rising prices when buying bread and other food products, refueling the car or going to a DIY store. Has the price increase also hit pharmacies? We check.
- In recent months, we have observed some changes in the “pharmacy basket”, i.e. products that we most often buy from a pharmacist
- Most of these modifications are due to seasonality, but there is also one worrying trend
- We ask the Master of Pharmacy about changes in our purchasing habits and drug prices
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
What do we buy in pharmacies today? One disturbing trend
What we most often buy in pharmacies largely depends on the season. When it gets colder outside, the risk of diseases caused by viruses and bacteria increases, so the need for antiviral, antipyretic and sore throat medications increases.
– In recent months, with the beginning of the fall-winter season and the growing number of cases of viral and bacterial infections, we have observed a clear increase in sales of products for colds, increasing immunity and vitamins – says Maria Janik, Ziko Apteka, MSc in pharmacy in an interview with Medonet. – However, it is difficult to talk about a change in the trend, because it is rather typical for this period of the year. Due to the lockdown and the resulting reduction in the scale of social contacts, the number of bacterial infections has significantly decreased over the last 1,5 years. As children and teenagers returned to school, for the first time in a long time, we saw an increase in the sale of antibiotics.
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Products from two categories are now found in our pharmacy basket less frequently.
– Compared to last year, patients buy less vitamin D. This is not a positive trend, because in our latitude, with less sun exposure in the autumn and winter period, the human body is not able to produce sufficient amounts of it on its own. Therefore, especially now, additional vitamin D supplementation is recommended. We are also seeing a decline in sales of antiallergic products. However, this is also typical of this season. The pollination of grasses and trees ends, so most allergy sufferers can rest a bit, adds Maria Janik, MA in pharmacy.
The rest of the text is below the video.
Will we pay more for the drugs? Not yet, but that may change soon
We already know what Poles are most often looking for in pharmacies. The question remains whether the drugs they buy are currently more expensive than a few months ago. Has the general price tag hit also pharmacies?
– In terms of reimbursed drugs, the price regulator is the Ministry of Health. If pharmacies receive top-down guidelines regarding changes in the prices of preparations, they will have to adapt to them. So far, such increases have not taken place. However, we take into account that producers of OTC (over-the-counter) drugs and supplements – along with an increase in the prices of raw materials, production and transport costs – may increase the prices of manufactured preparations. We estimate that it may take place at the beginning of next year – adds Maria Janik, MA in pharmacy.
At the moment, drug prices have not changed year on year. Poles pay the same for products from pharmacies as in 2020. But their buying style has changed, so they can pay more at one time.
– With the same list of purchased preparations, the patient does not spend more than last year – sums up Maria Janik, MA in pharmacy. – Patients now prefer less frequent and more thoughtful and comprehensive purchases. They buy more drugs at a time and visit pharmacies less frequently. This can affect the value of one-off purchases and the perception of a higher price.
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