RIDICULOUS DISPENSING FEES

I changed from getting my monthly medicine from Dischem to the local Petervale Pharmacy purely for logistics. I get quite a few chronic things per month and didnt usually look closely at what they were charging me for dispensing the medication.

On Triphasil (the pill) Petervale Pharmacy was charging me R66.70 on the medicine which cost R94.56 (total = R161.26). *** meds cost R138.18, one day they charged me a fee of R28.75 & another day the fee was R84.35. *** meds costs R202.80 and the dispensing fee was R108.87!!!! Unreal. And the list continues.

An example invoice total for monthly meds of mine; the meds cost R852 and the dispensing fee was R410. Its ludicrous!

Even for Cataflam (an OVER THE COUNTER medicine) - it cost R72.44 and the fee was R57.02!! Its almost the same amount - for an over the counter medication (but it was purchased with my normal meds so I didnt notice they even charged a fee).

I am not one for conflict, & I certainly wasn't going to get my money back - even doubtful on a reasonable explanation, so I left them and just went back to Dischem - who charge so much less (& I think its a set fee per item).

The (most) people are nice and friendly. But please check your dispensing fees as I did as I was horrified when I saw what they were charging me. I am saving a couple of hundred rand a month due to this. Medical aids are bad enough without pharmacies loading onto the prices. Especially in these difficult times.