Same prescription, different prices: why does the cost of medicines vary?

Three people, the same health condition, and an identical prescription, but different prices for medications with the same active ingredient. This is a reality encountered daily in pharmacies, where treatment costs can vary depending on the brand and the establishment where it is purchased.

In the Dominican Republic, the Constitution recognizes freedom of enterprise and free competition, allowing commercial establishments to set different prices for the same product; therefore, these differences do not constitute an illegal practice.

However, this situation raises questions among patients, who may be forced to allocate a larger portion of their income to purchasing medications.

Price variations

In pharmacies, medications such as paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, can be found at prices ranging from nine to 19 pesos per unit, depending on the laboratory that markets them.

A 750-milligram unit of the pain-relieving and fever-reducing drug Calox can be purchased for 9.04 pesos. However, the price rises to 12 pesos when Ibero Fármacos Genéricos sells the same pill. Similarly, it reaches 19.65 pesos for the version sold by MK Laboratories.

• Differences also appear in other active ingredients, such as mefenamic acid, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and lower fever.

A 500-milligram unit of this medication marketed by MK starts at 20.75 pesos, while the Colin presentation reaches 47.15 pesos.

Source: Prices compiled for this report from data consulted on Farmacias.do. These are reference values, not a real-time quote. Confirm the price, presentation, and availability at the pharmacy. Differences between presentations do not necessarily mean they are interchangeable.

Price variations are also observed in 25-milligram dexketoprofen tablets. According to prices published on Farmacias.do, Mamey Pharma prices the product at 31.98 pesos per unit, while Gary Farmacéutica starts at 34.42 pesos and Alfa at 39.13 pesos. Other brands, such as Ketofenex and Dextrium, are priced at 70.40 and 90.98 pesos, respectively.

• For amoxicillin, an antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial infections, the 500-milligram presentations have unit prices starting at 6.06 pesos for Caplin, 11.92 for Colin, 13.26 for Feltrex, 14.20 for Mamey, and 17.47 for LAM.

Meanwhile, the 20-milligram omeprazole preparations, used to reduce gastric acid production and treat related conditions, also show price differences.

Costs range from 4.80 pesos per unit for the Caplin Point product, 10.40 for the Macario Farma product, and 13.32 pesos for the Ibero Fármacos product.