Your district pharmacy defying the pharmaceutical giants from the USA

It is a paradox. Thomas Kappeler are a few weeks ago, sales in one of its lines of business backed out, he reported them and what the pharmacist emits? A certain amount of satisfaction.

the HIV-pre-exposure prophylaxis, a short-Prep called. This has Kappeler in his pharmacy professionals in-house and in the online shop Swissprep.ch sold until recently as one of the few Switzerland legally and for a reasonable price. 75 Swiss francs costs for him currently, a month supply of the generic product – a fraction of what the original preparation, the US pharmaceutical company Gilead, the cost of The sale price of Truvada is 899.30 francs.

study as a sales killer

Meanwhile, the University of Zurich has started with the land of Gilead, and the Federal office of public health, the Swiss-Prepared study. Who takes part, receives the specimen for 40 francs. Therefore, Kappelers sales fell by a third, "but that's all right," says the pharmacist. Its turnover is in decline – the thing is, however, the Kappeler, which is a big step forward.

those customers who do not participate in the study Remained with him, Prep but want to prophylactically take. After all, the eradication of the HIV Virus is associated with the means of a great hope:. Because the original product is so expensive, consumers are looking for cheaper variants. Many take detours, for example via online shops in India or the UK – the much smaller "detour" via the Schaffhauserplatz, however, is often forgotten.

Only the condom counts

How it came to be that, of all things, a small, independent Zurich pharmacy is a pioneer in HIV prevention? At the beginning of 2018 Thomas Kappeler met at a conference Jan Fehr. The Zurich-based infections Loge is now in charge of the Swiss-Prepared study. The conversation had come to the HIV prevention and the experience of the surrounding foreign with Prep.

In the case of Thomas Kappeler, the impression is that Switzerland had been suspended "out of sheer condom" somehow arose. We focus here mainly on Safer Sex, the condom is regarded as the only and the best means of the HI-Virus to eradicate. You deny the reality, says to the pharmacist: There are people who want to Sex without a condom, the behavior of promiscuous and dangerous. And anyway: Why not use a agent that works proven safe and efficient in this country? Why not be combined with the various ways of prevention?

"the focus here is mainly on Safer Sex. The condom is considered to be the only and the best means of the HI-Virus to eradicate."Thomas Kappeler, pharmacist

Thomas Kappeler had a kind of Déjà-vu: it reminded him of those with the HIV home test, was banned in Switzerland for a long time. In conversation with Jan Fehr was clear: Switzerland is in need of a cheap, safe and legal Prep product that should import the Apotheke schaffhauserplatz from the near abroad.

Kappeler was looking for a way and found a gap in the authorisation. The original drug Truvada is not approved for the prevention of HIV, but only for the treatment of the disease. The pharmacy, in turn, allows the Import of generic products with the indication of Prep. What just tones, be logistically complex and bureaucratically challenging, says Kappeler.

And the patient's well-being?

you took at the pharmacy Schaffhauserplatz like to purchase. Philipp von Euw leads to another, his personal Motivation in the field: anti-capitalism. Von Euw is for the control of Therapeutic products approved Prep Shop is responsible, and arrived at work with Prep to the conclusion that the discussion of the Mediterranean is not first and foremost to the Patient, the HIV-prevention, but in order to Profit.

He is of the opinion that the state should intervene more, and the interests of the patient more strongly represented. He sees, therefore, the current Prep-study skeptical: the aim of the manufacturer, Gilead, is it that the health insurance companies paid to their preparations. Because there is potentially a lot of young users, the use of the drug for decades devoted; the market potential is enormous. In addition, get Gilead thanks to the study of patient data.

Prep not underestimate the value of

The Swiss-Prepared-study to show where there is "need for action", says Daniel Koch from the Swiss Federal office for health. The head of the division of communicable diseases, warns, Prep to underestimate. It was the same drug that was used for the treatment of HIV, "with the advantage that you can take it off again". It is important, however, to keep the side effects in the eye, as well as the problem of drug resistance. Who take Prep should do so under close medical supervision.

Daniel Koch contradicts that Switzerland was in Prep in the residue. The prophylactic intake of the drug Truvada already is a recommendation, says cook. Now, it is important to look at how consumers were at a reasonable cost to the product.

stock no creating

Prep, there is only against a medical prescription would be prescribed it is almost exclusively HIV specialists, says Thomas Kappeler. Such a is ordered, the pharmacy, the product in Germany – depending on for one, two or a maximum of three months. Storage, is prohibited in pharmacies, under.

The majority of customers would obtain the product at the pharmacy, maybe a third of the business on the online platform. What is most remarkable, says Philipp von Euw, the number of orders from the West of Switzerland; it is a pharmacy that sell Prep was missing there. For this reason, you have decided to operate the Webshop in addition to German and English but also in French language.

Created: 24.11.2019, 21:27 PM