Medicine prices can vary by more than 2,400% in pharmacies in SP

According to the agency, a pack with 30 5-milligram tablets of a medication for erectile dysfunction, for example, can cost R$98.05 in a pharmacy in the north of São Paulo and R$3.87 in an establishment in the south.

A pack with 30 25 microgram tablets of a reference medicine to treat hypothyroidism, for example, can cost R$10.73 or R$41.43, depending on the pharmacy or drugstore where it is purchased.

According to the survey, in general, generic medicines are cheaper than reference medicines, which are branded medicines. On average, a generic can cost 63.05% less than the reference, which can mean big savings for the consumer's pocket.

Because of this large difference in prices between one commercial establishment and another, Procon warns that consumers should carry out price research and always check, before making a purchase, the availability of the medicine in a social program offered by the federal, state or municipal governments, which could guarantee free or discounted access to this medicine.

It is also important to analyze whether there are any discounts offered by the health plan or insurance. Additionally, some laboratories or drugstores themselves may offer discounts on medication prices through loyalty programs.

Another warning from Procon is for consumers to always check whether the medicine is registered with the Ministry of Health and whether the batch number and expiry date and manufacturing date stated on the packaging correspond to what appears on the card. Another tip given by the agency is for consumers to discuss with their doctor the use of generic medicines, which tend to have more affordable prices.

The search

The survey was carried out by Procon in ten pharmacies and drugstores in the city of São Paulo on May 19th and 20th. The research was also carried out in person in ten other municipalities in the state of São Paulo and, online, on ten large network websites.

Both in-person and online research, prices of more than 70 generic and reference medications were compared, such as antipyretics, anti-inflammatories, anxiolytics, antibiotics, contraceptives, antidepressants, and for erectile dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis and cholesterol control, among others.

The full report is available on the Procon-SP website.