The price gap of Tyrenol ER, Gelfos and Tak-Sen widened up to 150 percent among different pharmacies selling the drugs, which contrasted against high-priced bundle-packaged drugs showing barely any gap.

Daily Pharm surveyed 22 pharmacies in Incheon for their frequently sold over-the-counter (OTC) drug retail prices as of February, and it found Tyrenol ER Tablet (6 tablets per package) is sold at maximum 2,500 won and minimum 1,600 won showing around 156 percent, or 900 won difference in prices. The average price for the product is 2,176 won.

Gelfos M Suspension (4 packets per package) is sold at maximum 4,500 won and minimum 3,000 won, which also showed about 150 percent, or 1,500 won difference among pharmacies. The average is at 3,940 won.

Average priced at 2,976 won, Tak-Sen Soft Capsule (10 tablets per package) are sold at maximum 3,000 won and minimum 2,000 won with 1,000 won (150 percent) price gap.

A bundle of Insadol Plus Tablet (100 tablets per package) is priced at maximum 34,000 won and minimum at 31,000 won with an average price of 32,000 won.

Insadol’s competitor Igatan F Capsule (100 tablets per package) is also similarly priced at maximum 34,000 won and minimum at 30,000 won showing insignificant price difference among pharmacies. Igatan’s average price is 32,500 won.

The pharmacies seem to have found the stabilized price for Aronamin Gold Tablet (100 tablets per package) as they are sold at maximum 28,000 won and minimum at 24,000 won. Also Beecom-C Tablet and Comp Urusa Tablet’s price gap among pharmacies are 4,000 won and 3,000 won, respectively. .

Ranging from 70,000 won to 50,000 won, B-max Meta Tablets (120 tablets per package) are sold with about 20,000 won difference (140 percent). And Impactamin Premium Tablet (120 tablets per package) prices ranged from 60,000 won to 50,000 won with 10,000 won gap. The drug’s average price is 59,000 won.

Meanwhile, there are frequently consumed drugs with no price gap. Low-priced drinks like Gas Whal Myung Su-Q and Benachio-F Solution had no price difference across all pharmacies.

The detailed OTC drug prices across the Incheon region surveyed by Daily Pharm can be found in the following website: (Click HERE for the website)

Daily Pharm monthly surveys and discloses frequently consumed OTC drug prices to promote stabilized pricing of the OTC drugs. As frequently consumed OTC drugs are sold with low margin rate, the fair pricing of these drugs is an integral issue for the pharmacist society. Even regional pharmacist organizations are campaigning ‘Fair Pricing for OTC Drugs.’ To make frequently consumed OTC drugs a boost for pharmacy business and not marketing bait for consumers, the fair pricing with adequate rate of margin should be enforced.