Pharma lying

[ajohn]

I wonder if the 1st post relates to small pharma and venture capital money but the post makes no referance to what it was all about. So I wont mention what the small pharma one was about. No I will - blood tests. It all sounded rather spectacular but turned out to be a farce.

 

[Lower]

no it isn't. It's 10% cheaper.

Did you make the mistake of believing Ellal?




2.5p each at tesco

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/257107498

2.5p at Aldi

Search results for "Paracetamol " | ALDI

groceries.aldi.co.uk

2.225p to the NHS.

Medicinal forms | Paracetamol | Drugs | BNF content published by NICE

Pricing and pack information for Oral tablet, Effervescent tablet, Orodispersible tablet, Oral capsule, Oral suspension, Oral solution, Solution for infusion and Suppository forms of Paracetamol

bnf.nice.org.uk

Annoyingly, if the supermarkets are selling at 2.5p, they’re buying for less.

 

[JohnD]

Annoyingly, if the supermarkets are selling at 2.5p, they’re buying for less.

Possibly.

Possibly not.

You know the old saying "must pop in to Tesco to get some headache pills and a bottle of milk"

Come out with £50 of "essential purchases" you didn't know you needed.

 

[ellal]

Big Pharma may have big profits (though they also take big risks), and as with all organisations, there will be some bad apples. But you've made my point perfectly with regard to public services being less efficient than privately operated services. If the NHS with its huge buying power can't manage to buy generic paracetamol at a better price than a supermarket, how on earth could they ever manage drug research!

Because they are strangled by health product buying contracts...

And maybe you could tell us why the NHS has to pay VAT when bidding for medical supply contracts when private companies don't?

Linky Linky

 

[ajohn]

And maybe you could tell us why the NHS has to pay VAT when bidding for medical supply contracts when private companies don't?

But a historical loophole in tax law allows private pharmacies to reclaim the 20 per cent VAT they pay suppliers for medicines
And then charge vat for the service they provide. Hence the term Value Added Tax. It's how vat is supposed to work for businesses so not a loophole. Looks like a separate law would be needed to allow the NHS to claim vat back. Drugs dispensed by NEC hospitals are supplied to patients FOC. Via GP's there is the prescription charge,

VAT on drugs. There was a change in 2023

Change to the VAT treatment of drugs and medicines supplied under patient group directions

www.gov.uk

TBH with the terminology used I don't know what this means. It's intended for pharmacists who I assume would understand it..

 

[JonathanM]

And maybe you could tell us why the NHS has to pay VAT when bidding for medical supply contracts when private companies don't?

Would it actually make a difference? I can't work it out! But my feeling is the money would still be coming from the government, just in a different way.

 

[ellal]

Would it actually make a difference? I can't work it out!

Of course it makes a difference if private companies are making a profit from over charging the NHS

But my feeling is the money would still be coming from the government, just in a different way.

Why do people continually to make the mistake of saying it is government money?

It is our money!

Government simply siphons the public's money off to their corporate chums!

 

[JonathanM]

Of course it makes a difference if private companies are making a profit from over charging the NHS

I didn't mean that. I couldn't understand how it affected an NHS pharmacy's ability to win the tender. I've always had a blind spot when it comes to accounts etc. But I've worked it out now

 

[ellal]

VAT on drugs. There was a change in 2023

The damage to NHS provision had already deliberately been done!

 

[ajohn]

The VAT goes to the Gov who fund the NHS. Circular money. If tendering is being used while considering private companies it could look to be a cheaper option as their vat element would just relate to dispensing costs avoiding the cost of the vat on the actual drugs. If that is happening it's stealth privatisation.

 

[ajohn]

A possible gain. A rather hidden one. Dispensers switch to private pension plans rather than the inherent NHS job one but I would assume they would want paying more and some problems with switching. A number of state job pensions are paid out of traditional pension funds. That may still relate to both employee and employer contributions. Some company schemes have run into grief when employer contributions were stopped.They were not resumed when they should have been.

 

[ellal]

If that is happening it's stealth privatisation.

It's no longer by stealth, it's open privatisation...

Anyone who doesn't understand that is a bit 'confused'

The other tactic across the NHS is to make people wait for so long that they go private...

Although the proliferation of private health care company adverts invariably don't mention the 'P' word...

They use terms like 'self paying'...

As in the recent Boots ad effectively saying you can skip a lengthy wait for a GP by going to them.
With a very hurried 'payment/fees may be required' statement at the end