The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7424 p513
28 October 2006

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· Pfizer products (4)
· Superdrug
· Electronic prescribing
· Instalment prescriptions
· The profession
· Fractures
· Section 60 Order
· Local councils

Letters to the Editor

Pfizer products

I'm all right Jack!

From Mr A. Matalia, MRPharmS

It is interesting to read the objections of many pharmacists in relation to Pfizer’s sole supplier distribution policy with UniChem. Many of those who object do so on grounds that the arrangement is anticompetitive. The irony is that many of these pharmacists do not object to contract limitation (in fact many openly support it), yet contract limitation is clearly anticompetitive. What a noble, unselfish group of people they are!

A. Matalia
Coventry

Is Pfizer's action part of a sustained campaign?

From Mr D. A. Ellerby, MRPharmS

Your headline “Outrage over Pfizer’s distribution announcement” (PJ, 7 October, p413) held no surprises for me, for it appears that Pfizer has launched a broad and deep war with the intention of not only securing the integrity of product delivery, but also protecting its operational base in the UK.

In The Guardian for 28 September, in an article entitled “Drug firms’ lobby tactics revealed”, it was stated: “Documents obtained by The Guardian under Freedom of Information legislation reveal that the world’s biggest drug company, Pfizer, warned ministers that it could take its business elsewhere.” Those documents said that minutes of a meeting with ministers at which company executives criticised the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, record how Pfizer noted that “there is complacency in some quarters of Whitehall regarding [its] continued investment in the UK”.

It is important that all of us monitor Pfizer closely. The law of supply and demand is a two-edged sword.

I would expect that Pfizer’s new, closely controlled distribution of its products through UniChem should lead to efficiencies that enable prices to fall. But I wonder how soon demand will exceed supply resulting in elevated prices.

Dave Ellerby
Elgin, Morayshire

Another way to thwart Pfizer's proposal

From Mr J. R. Murphy, MRPharmS

I would like to suggest another way to thwart Pfizer’s proposal to distribute all its medicines through UniChem. It seems that any customer wanting Pfizer products will have to open an account with UniChem. Perhaps everyone should open a new account. (Those already getting their stock from UniChem are likely to have an account with another wholesaler.) When Pfizer products become available from only UniChem then we could all use our UniChem accounts to order only Pfizer products and our other account for everything else.

I do not think it would take long for Pfizer to realise that supplying every pharmacy and hospital with twice daily deliveries for a handful of lines is uneconomic.

J. R. Murphy
Upminster, Essex

Pfizer has opened a can of worms

From Mr B. S. Shoker, MRPharmS

Pfizer has opened a can of worms with the deal which includes supplying atorvastatin through UniChem. Many companies and products may tie deals through other wholesalers. The impact of this move could be significant or minor depending on regional prescribing. All pharmacists should write to express concern.

However, in certain primary care trusts, the use of simvastatin is more encouraged as first-line treatment and pharmacists with prescribing suggestions and influence, and those who have good relationships with doctors and PCTs can suggest alternatives to them.

A big problem that may arise will be customer awareness. They may think that all atorvastatin from sources other than UniChem will be fake. This in turn will lead to patients asking about all drug manufacturers and authentication (apart from standard expiry dates and batch numbers). This may lead to pharmacy’s professional image becoming altered because trust is lost.

Pfizer may also lose the support of pharmacists and has to be aware that it has many other products on which it relies. Will all these go in the same direction?

The only winners are UniChem, which has won a big contract, and Pfizer, for making atorvastatin supply exclusive, possibly forcing other manufacturers out of business because consumers may think their product inferior and possibly fake.

Barinderjit Shoker
Birmingham

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