Asda Cuts The Cost Of Cancer Drugs

Mon, 24 May 2010

 
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Supermarket giant Asda has begun selling cancer treatment drugs on a not-for-profit basis in a bid to make them more accessible and affordable for those suffering with the disease.

The Walmart-owned retailer announced last week that it would end price mark-ups on all prescribed privately cancer drugs, starting May 24, and called on other retailers to follow suit.

One of the treatments that is now available in Asda stores at a lower price than at other UK pharmacies is the lung cancer drug Iressa.

A pack of 30 can be bought for a permanent non-profit price of £2,167, which Asda claims is considerably cheaper than the £2,601 charged at Lloyds Pharmacy, the £3,251 at Boots and £3,253 at Superdrug.

Other cancer drugs that are available at cheaper prices include the leukaemia drug Glivec for £1,604, Nexavar for kidney and liver cancer for £2,980, Sutent for kidney and stomach tumours for £3,138 and Tarceva for pancreatic and lung cancer for £1,631.

Asda said it found that British pharmacies are marking up the price of the most commonly privately prescribed cancer drugs by up to 76 per cent over cost price.

It added that its research also showed that nearly two-thirds of people (63 per cent) are unaware that the cost of private prescription varies between pharmacies and therefore never think to compare prices .

Earlier this year, Asda began selling privately prescribed IVF drugs on a non-profit basis. It said the scheme has proved successful so far, helping couples to save up to £820 per IVF cycle compared with other high street pharmacies .