photo: Editor, PrahaIN.cz/Lékárna Dr. Max in Prague
COMPARISON: Not only some food, cigarettes and other tobacco products, but also medicines and medical preparations are what Czechs from the border buy in Poland. Some of them are many times cheaper than our northern neighbors. And prices vary significantly even within one multinational pharmacy chain.
“I go shopping in Poland quite regularly, but the pharmacy didn’t occur to me. Until I once read in a discussion on the Internet that 240 ml of Tantum Verde solution costs 120 crowns in Poland. I couldn’t believe it, because by coincidence I bought it from us a few days before and paid over 300 crowns for it,” Monika Jonášová from Liberec told PrahaIN.cz.
The editorial staff of PrahaIN.cz therefore checked the information and used the e-shop of the pharmacy chain Dr.Max, which operates a network of stores both within the Czech Republic and Poland, to compare prices. She chose the most common drugs that are used in the treatment of colds. For the conversion, she used the exchange rate of 6 crowns for one Polish zloty.
The difference is 185 crowns for 240 ml of Tantum Verde
And the differences in favor of the Polish e-shop were confirmed, including the already mentioned Tantum Verde. The Czech Dr.Max offers it in a 240 ml solution version for 305 crowns, while in Poland it actually costs around 120 crowns.
The editors also discovered differences in other items. For example, a 36-piece pack of Strepsils lozenges with a honey-lemon flavor costs 249 crowns in the Czech Dr.Max, while 137 crowns in Poland. Robitussin Expectorans expectorant cough syrup with a volume of 100 ml is available in the Czech Republic at a price of 179 (currently with an 18 percent discount), while in Poland it costs approximately 40 crowns (currently, however, it is not available in the Polish e-shop).
Comparison of drug prices on e-shops in the Czech and Polish chain Dr. Max. Source: Editorial office, PrahaIN.cz
The editors also discovered a lower difference, but still with a more favorable purchase in Poland, for the hot drink Coldrex Max Grip with lemon flavor. A package of Coldrex with 14 bags costs approximately 191 crowns on the Polish e-shop, while 239 on the Czech one.
Other prices also for own brand products
The editors also took a look at the Dr.Max cough medicine, namely Dr.Max Tussical used to treat dry cough. You can buy it in the Czech Republic for 149 crowns, in Poland for around 96 crowns.
If we add up the purchase of the above mentioned products in the Czech Republic, then we will pay 1,121 crowns. In the case of Poland, only 584 crowns. The difference amounts to 537 crowns, i.e. in the Czech Republic we will pay as much for five items without 47 crowns.
We wrote
Every year, Czechs return tons of unused medicines to pharmacies. SÚKL warns against throwing them in the trash or the toilet.
Regarding the reasons for such different prices, the editorial staff of PrahaIN.cz turned to Michal Petrov, press spokesman for Dr.Max for the Czech Republic: “I don’t know the price policy of the Polish Dr.Max network, but I can say that the price on the market is determined by a number of factors – from the costs, which are different in individual countries, to the price of competition, which therefore also differs in individual states. Not all states have the same costs related to, for example, rent or logistics, not to mention wages and taxes. All this is reflected in the final prices for the customer. Of course, the size of the market is also important.
If you look at similar products on the Czech market, you will see that the prices of our products, as well as those of others, in our network are completely comparable to those sold by other operators of domestic pharmacies.
Where the costs are similar, the final prices are usually similar – unless, for example, introductory or promotional prices are involved.
In general, different market conditions lead to different prices, so you will find lower prices for fully comparable products and services in Poland wherever you look. By far, it only applies to our network, and it is far from only applying to pharmacies and medicines,” said Michal Petrov.
2024-03-31 15:37:54
#Prices #Dr.Max #pharmacy #Czechs #Poles
