PRICE VARIATION OF ESSENTIAL MEDICINES ACROSS RETAIL PHARMACIES

Abstract

Essential medicines are meant to be available at a price that individuals and health systems can afford, yet published surveys repeatedly show that the same product can cost very different amounts from one pharmacy to the next. This review, which reports no new price data, synthesises published work on why retail prices vary, how variation is measured, what surveys have found in different settings, and what the variation means for affordability. Brand-versus-generic choice, sector, regulation, trade margins and limited price information all contribute. Evidence is consistent in direction but heterogeneous in method, with few studies following the same outlets over time or linking price differences to patient outcomes.