The whole network has been opened to protect rights and carry plagiarism reports
In this fast-paced urban life, many people have developed the habit of purchasing daily necessities through online shopping.
Compared with traditional brick-and-mortar stores, online shopping prices are more transparent and more diverse. However, just recently, the story of a man sparked widespread public concern and discussion about the price of medicines.
Here's the thing, the man bought an erythromycin ointment worth 3.6 yuan on an e-commerce platform. And when he went to a nearby pharmacy to buy another one, he was told that the price was 39 yuan!
In other words, the difference between the online and offline prices of the same drug is nearly 10 times. As a result, the man complained to the local market supervision department in anger and posted a complaint on the Internet.
Soon, the matter sparked heated discussions online. Some netizens believe that this crazy "extortion" pricing of pharmacies has seriously violated conscience and is nakedly harming the interests of consumers.
However, some netizens spoke for pharmacies, saying that the pricing power lies with the merchants, and if they feel that it is too expensive, they can choose not to buy it. Some netizens analyzed that offline pharmacies can provide instant services, and from this point of view, it is reasonable to have a slightly higher price.
Either way, this incident undoubtedly unveils a long-hidden topic: why do the prices of the same drug vary so much in different sales channels? What kind of secret is hidden behind it?
In fact, from the production of drugs to the final sale to consumers, there is a complex distribution link in the middle.
Manufacturers will first wholesale drugs to pharmaceutical business enterprises at all levels, and then these drug distributors will distribute the drugs to retail terminals, such as pharmacies, hospital outpatient clinics, etc. At each level of circulation, there will be a certain amount of room for price increases.
Taking the most common "two-tier distribution model" in mainland China as an example, drugs flow from manufacturers to distributors, and then from distributors to terminal retail pharmacies, with a price increase of about 15%-20% at each level.
According to the analysis of industry insiders, the ex-factory price of each erythromycin ointment manufacturer may only be about 1 yuan, and when it flows to the terminal pharmacy through the two-level distribution system, the price is already more than 3 yuan.
As the final retail end, pharmacies also have to bear operating costs such as store rent and employee wages, so they often increase the price appropriately on top of the purchase price.
In general, the markup at pharmacies is around 40%. In other words, the purchase price of drugs with a purchase price of more than 3 yuan is likely to be around 5 yuan in pharmacies.
It can be seen that the online shopping price of 3.6 yuan and the offline pharmacy price of 39 yuan are actually reasonable and explainable. However, online shopping platforms can take goods directly from manufacturers, which reduces distribution links in the middle, so the price is so low.
Of course, the reality may be more complicated than that. The lack of supervision, price gouging by distributors, and collusion between manufacturers and sales terminals may distort and affect drug prices.
Some reports show that in some regions, the price difference between the same drug in different sales channels is more than 5 times.
Despite this, as a livelihood commodity, the price of drugs has always been a sensitive topic. In order to protect the public interest, drug pricing also needs to comply with certain laws and regulations.
For example, for the drugs in the medical insurance catalog, the medical insurance departments of various provinces and cities will formulate a unified payment standard according to factors such as drug classification, and pharmacies are not allowed to arbitrarily increase prices.
In addition, many drug experts have also called for strengthening industry supervision, standardizing the order of drug circulation, and effectively protecting the legitimate rights and interests of consumers.
They suggested that manufacturers should set ex-factory prices openly and transparently, and that price increases at all levels of distribution should also be subject to necessary supervision and constraints.
Only by making the operation of the entire drug marketing chain transparent and sunny can the rights and interests of consumers be effectively protected.
There is no doubt that improving the public's awareness of the drug price mechanism and improving the transparency of the drug marketing chain require the joint efforts of relevant departments, enterprises and the public.
Whether online or in-store, consumers should be able to equitably access the medicines they need. Returning drugs to their original essence - an affordable commodity that guarantees people's livelihood and health is the most simple expectation of everyone.