Saturday, August 16, 2014

The Role Of The OTC Medicine Wholesaler

By Tanisha Berg


Medicine and its supply to the public is a massive industry. Pharmaceutical companies report revenue measured in billions of dollars, while there is a tablet or syrup for practically every ailment that doctors diagnose, as well as a host of other supplements and elixirs for dietary, fitness and cosmetic preferences. Pharmacies sell medication to the public on a retail basis, but they in turn face several issues when dealing with their over-the-counter or OTC medicine wholesaler.

Wholesalers are the enterprises in the economy who purchase their merchandise from the manufacturers and importers and sell it on to the retailers. They therefore have to compare pricing on a global basis. This may involve the exchange rate with an overseas currency, or the comparative properties of different available products in a single market niche, such as beauty ointments or herbal supplements.

Another source of contention in the medication industry is patent. Patented drugs cannot be supplied by anyone other than their manufacturer. This makes their price higher and their supply more limited. Pharmaceutical companies are usually extremely reluctant to relinquish the patent on a successful product and will even try to extend its period of enforcement.

If a patent does eventually expire, other manufacturers try to supply their generic products to the industry. Generic medication is always much cheaper, but it may be manufactured far away, such as overseas. Negotiating successfully with foreign providers so as to acquire the cheapest generic option is something that the wholesaler needs to be able to do.

However, price is not the only consideration in sourcing medicine. Modern medications are scientifically composed chemical compounds. They are intended as interventions for identified symptoms and illnesses. Sometimes, they may also be associated with substantial side-effects. Their suppliers must have the ability to analyze a new medication so as to confirm its composition, efficacy and safety. This analysis can become less easy if the manufacturer is in another country or has never supplied anything to anyone in the wholesaler's home country before.

Safety and reliability are imperative for products on the OTC medicine market. They dispense remedies to their customers in the absence of a doctor's prescription or any medical advice at all. The customer may have the necessary information to ask for a medication by name, or they may merely explain their symptoms the pharmacist or sales staff. That they are successfully treated by the medication they are given is sometimes due more to its extreme effect than its targeting of their exact symptoms.

Related to the absence of medical expertise is the educational level of patients. Many people do not understand how a medication works or why they should take it. They cannot properly comprehend the package insert or other literature either. If they are buying something without a prescription, they are placing absolute trust in the pharmacist. The initial source of the product, i. E. The wholesaler, then has the responsibility of ensuring that people are provided with correct and safe products.

OTC medicine is used by people who are trying to eliminate the cost of visiting a doctor. The market offering in the OTC sector is determined largely by its wholesalers, via their purchasing and importation objectives. Patients require them to source effective medicine at the lowest cost.




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