Pharmacies, drugs and natural products

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Pharmacy: a real business in Chile

Pharmacy in Chile is a real business, very lucrative for the few families that own the pharmacy chains. Indeed, in Chile, few pharmacies work as independent stores. Most are part of a network with a common brand.

The three biggest players in this market are:

• Farmacias Ahumada
• Cruz Verde
• Salcobrand

Prices in these networks are really expensive. A few years ago, these 3 networks reached an agreement to raise prices (up to 40-50 times the previous prices for certain products for diabetes). There even is a WikiPedia page on the topic if you speak Spanish.

It is supposed to over, but prices remain really high and quite consistent between chains.

Furthermore, in most countries, it is now normal for pharmacies to suggest generic drugs so that the client saves money. In Chile, the staff does get a bonus on sales. There is no incentive to promote generic drugs (some say it is even prohibited for staff to proactively offer generic drugs, but I have not been able to verify that).

That's why you are never going to get the best deal if you don't ask. Ask systematically for generic drugs (¿tiene genericos?). This is going to cost you 6 to 10 times less than what they want to sell you.

You are likely going to hear vague excuses such as:

• We don't have the generic drug in inventory
• The doctor has written the brand-name drug, so I can't give you another drug.

That's just plain bullshit. Don't hesitate to change pharmacy. Anyway, they are all located in the same places. When you find one, you can be almost certain that there is another less than 200m away.

Natural products and dietary supplements: pay attention to what you buy

For natural products and dietary supplements, the rule is the same: don't buy in pharmacy. Indeed, each pharmacy chain usually owns or has an agreement with an ISAPRE (a private health insurance), which allows the client to use their "excedentes" (the difference between the 7% of compulsory social contribution and the real cost of their insurance) to buy any product in the pharmacy.

This practice (anti-competitive obviously) allow pharmacy brands to use predatory pricing on drugstore products such as supplements.

Example for spirulina, a green alga very rich in proteins:

• A bottle of 60 caps of 500mg spirulina is sold for 14900 pesos in a pharmacy. They sell an entry-level product, without any organic/quality certification
• In shops selling natural products, you can find a Chilean brand of spirulina with organic certification, which offers a bottle of 360 caps of 500mg for 13900 pesos. That's 6 times more product, with a certified quality, at a lower price.

This gives you an idea of the margin level that pharmacies make on these types of products.

Be aware also of ferias (kinds of flea markets), very popular in Chile. Products sold here can be very artisanal. The manufacturer is not necessarily required to comply with the same level of quality than a normal shop. Ask if they have resolucion SEREMI de salud (the state agency that takes care of product quality control).

Farmacias populares: the solution to get drugs at the right price

Traditional pharmacy chains steal their clients to such a level that municipalities started to implement "farmacias populares" (pharmacy for people).

In these pharmacies, drugs are sold at what they really cost. These pharmacies don't intend to make a profit, just to cover their operational costs. They are generally sponsored by the city or the public healthcare system. As a result, the same drug will be sold way cheaper than in a pharmacy chain.

This was an initiative of the city of Recoleta, but more and more of these pharmacies are opening everywhere in Chile.

To know if the city where you live has one, you can check using Google.

Try: [Name of your city] + farmacia comunitaria [Name of your city] + farmacia popular

Be aware, these pharmacies require you to live in the city. You need to go at the city hall first with a proof of address to get a card/attestation allowing you to buy in these. For example in the city of Providencia, you need to get a Tarjeta Vecino (neighbor card)

Recoleta

Av. Recoleta 5640 https://www.recoleta.cl/farmacia-popular/

Santiago Centro

Botica comunitaria Doctora Eloisa Díaz

Adress:

Santo Domingo 916, Local 21.

Providencia

Adress:

Av. Salvador 1029, Providencia

Ñuñoa

La botica de Ñuñoa

Adress:

Jorge Washington 107, Ñuñoa, Región Metropolitana, Chile

Do you want to go more in detail?

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✅ Practical tips based on 7-year relocation experience
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✅ Last updated in 2024

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