All prices are rising, inflation has jumped, families are struggling to make ends meet. And let alone if this appointment could have lacked the drugs. This is because in pharmacies starting from January 1, following a provision introduced in the usual Finance Law, there has been a small revolution, of which few, outside the insiders, have noticed: the liberalization of the price of Sop drugs (without prescription) and Otc, the so-called over-the-counter drugs. This means, in practice, that for these medicines an imposed maximum price will no longer be indicated, on which the pharmacist could apply a discount, but each pharmacy will be free to set the price it wants. The measure in itself makes sense and had become almost obligatory after the sale of these drugs had been "dissolved" from the monopoly of pharmacies (authorizing it in supermarkets, for example). The goal was and is to open up to competition that would lead to a drop in prices: in England, for example, there has been a 30 percent drop after liberalization; in the United States, where the sale has always been free, over-the-counter drugs cost significantly less than in Italy, in the case of some widely consumed pills even less than half. However, the hoped-for long-term saving effect for consumers collides with another factor, which made its effect felt immediately. The fact is, say the pharmacists, that in many cases the manufacturers have increased their, let's say, wholesale prices, also because they had been blocked since 2005. For now, therefore, the result is that in many cases consumers spend more, at a time when they certainly didn't need it. All that remains is to hope for the "long term". It is worth recalling that the law nonetheless provides that prices must be "clearly disclosed to the public at the point of sale, through price lists or other equivalent methods", which have not yet been defined. Given the quantity of packages, however, it seems impractical to consult a kilometric menu. *Corriere Salute manager A few days ago in the pharmacy I bought an over-the-counter medicine that I usually use and, surprise, I paid more for it, even if only slightly. But how? We have heard so much talk and discussion about overpriced medicines, the discounts that pharmacists could have made and the novelty of medicines that can be purchased at the supermarket "this way they cost less"… And now? Was it all a comedy that promised savings for consumers, or did I miss some unpleasant news? Letter signed Corriere della Sera dated 10/02/2008 ed. national p. 58
