Health is an issue that every person should approach seriously. Generally, the sequence of actions is as follows: a specific problem arises, a visit to the doctor, the prescription of a treatment course, and the purchase of medicines.
Sometimes, along with the health problem, you start thinking about what a specific medication might cost—whether its price exceeds the amount of money you have. There are cases where purchasing them involves significant expenses.
Fortunately, there are pharmacy chains that offer various promotions and benefits to consumers. GPC offers a wide range of medicines, the cost of which is determined by several objective factors.
You might be wondering why medications with the same purpose from different manufacturers cost radically different amounts, why drug prices change so frequently, and most importantly—how you can be treated effectively without spending too much. You will find answers to these and other interesting questions in this blog.
Here, you will learn what determines the final cost of a drug, what the "referral prices" introduced by the state mean, and we will also teach you practical ways to check and find the desired medications at the best price without leaving your home.
To talk about drug prices, you first need to understand the journey a pill takes from the factory to the pharmacy, and then to your bag. For some people, a medication might just be a white tablet or a bitter liquid, but in reality, there is a massive industry behind it all.
This is why drug prices are determined by several key factors, which we will now discuss in more detail:
Research and Development (R&D): Discovering a new molecule and turning it into a medicine takes decades and billions of dollars.
Production and Raw Materials: Purchasing high-quality substances and packaging them in a sterile environment involves significant costs.
Logistics: This includes transportation, especially for drugs that require a specific temperature regime (cold chain).
Marketing and Branding: This is one of the main reasons why some drugs are expensive.
The combination of these factors determines the final price of the medicine.
This is the most important part that every consumer should know. When a doctor prescribes a medication, they indicate the active substance in the prescription. For example, they write "Ibuprofen." In the pharmacy, you will find both "branded" (original) Ibuprofen and its analogs, known as generics.
What is the difference between them? Let’s discuss this issue now:
Original: This is the company that first invented the formula for a specific drug. They spent billions on research. Therefore, during the patent period—usually 10-15 years—they have the exclusive right to sell the drug at a high price to recover their costs.
Generic: When the patent for the original drug expires, other companies are allowed to produce a medicine with the same composition. They no longer need to conduct the initial research because the formula is already known. Consequently, drug prices for generics are much lower—often, the difference is 30-50%.
You must know that a high-quality generic, produced in a certified factory according to GMP standards, is just as effective as the original. Therefore, selecting a generic after consulting with a doctor or pharmacist is the best way to save your budget.
It can be said that significant changes have taken place in the Georgian pharmaceutical market. The state has implemented a "referral pricing" system. This term might sound complicated, but its content is very beneficial for the consumer.
To explain it simply, the state has set a price ceiling on certain medications (initially for chronic diseases, oncology, and antibiotics). This means that pharmacies are prohibited from selling a specific drug for more than the price established by the state. As a result of this reform, the prices of certain medications have decreased sharply.
In the modern world—the 21st century—when you can order everything without leaving home, walking from pharmacy to pharmacy looking for medicine is a waste of time and energy. It often happens that one chain doesn't have the drug, while in another, the price exceeds your budget.
Through technological development, it is now possible to find out in advance what your treatment will cost. Large pharmacy chains, such as GPC, offer consumers a detailed online catalog. This way, you can check the price and availability of the desired medication in just a few seconds.
Online checking has its advantages:
Price Verification: The cost of the drug indicated on the website is accurate for that specific moment. Also, you can see the differences between products from different manufacturers.
Inventory Check: There is probably nothing worse than being sick, going to the pharmacy, and being told: "We no longer have this medicine." This can be avoided—the online system allows you to see which branch has the medication you need.
Reading Annotations: Through the website, you can read about the drug's composition, contraindications, storage rules, and other necessary information from home. You wouldn't be able to do this while standing in a pharmacy line.
Therefore, if you are interested in the cost of a specific medication or want to browse and compare different categories, use the GPC pharmacy chain website.
In addition to choosing generics and online monitoring, there are a few more tricks to help you reduce medication costs:
Loyalty Cards: Never refuse a pharmacy rewards card. With every purchase, you accumulate points that can later be used to buy medicines or self-care products. Often, these points add up to a significant amount over the year.
Promotion Days: Virtually every pharmacy chain has specific days when discounts apply to certain categories. It is worth noting that GPC often treats customers with such promotions and discounts. Therefore, try to take advantage of this opportunity.
Building a Home Pharmacy: Don't wait until you have a headache. Purchase painkillers, antipyretics, and remedies for seasonal viruses when they are on sale. These types of medicines are always needed at home, and buying them ahead of time is a smart decision that saves money.
Of course, saving is important, but when it comes to medicine, safety is paramount. Therefore, medications should always be purchased from licensed pharmacy chains.
Sometimes on the internet or in suspicious kiosks, drugs are offered at surprisingly low prices. In this case, it is essential to be cautious. There are factors you must consider:
Storage Conditions: Medicine is a chemical substance that requires specific temperature and humidity. If it is stored incorrectly (for example, in heat), it loses effectiveness or can even become toxic. In large chains, the temperature regime is strictly controlled 24 hours a day.
Falsification: Cheap drugs of suspicious origin may be made from harmful or useless substances. Therefore, be careful and put safety first.
With these factors in mind, remember that it is better to save through generics or promotions. Buy medicines only from licensed, trusted pharmacies. It is important to note that competent pharmacists work at GPC, who can answer your questions and give you specific advice.
Undoubtedly, purchasing medications should not be a stressful process. Today, consumers can make informed decisions. The GPC pharmacy chain has an online platform where drug prices are transparent for everyone. In addition, through the website, you can see information about their stock, instructions for the medicine, rules for use, and other necessary details.
Be a consumer who is well-versed in various issues—compare prices, ask about generics, and use technological capabilities. Don't waste time in lines and act wisely.
