A Nigerian man has ignited a heated online debate after revealing that he purchased the exact same prescription medication for ₦40,000 at a pharmacy in Gbagada and for ₦9,500 at another pharmacy on Lagos Island. The incident has raised fresh concerns about the wide disparity in drug prices across pharmacies in Nigeria, particularly for essential medicines.
How the Price Difference Was Discovered
The man, whose identity remains undisclosed, explained that he had rushed a person he referred to as his 'P man' to the hospital after receiving a distress call. Following several medical tests, the doctor prescribed a specific medication and directed him to a nearby pharmacy in Gbagada, where he paid ₦40,000. He said, 'Yesterday, I got a call that my P man was not feeling too well, so I had to take him to the hospital. And on getting there, after a series of tests and all that, the doctor recommended I would get this medication. And they referred me to this pharmacy to go and get it.'
The following day, while searching for another medication recommended by a friend, he visited a pharmacy on Lagos Island. There, he unexpectedly saw the same drug and asked for the price. The pharmacist told him it cost ₦9,500. Curious, he bought it to compare with the one he had purchased for ₦40,000. 'So out of curiosity, I asked how much. He said 9,500 Naira. So I bought one to compare, to see if they are the same thing,' he recounted.
Verification and Confirmation
To rule out any doubts, the man scanned the QR codes on both packs and confirmed they were from the same manufacturer with matching serial numbers. 'Before you tell me they are not the same... they are the same thing because I scanned the code. I scanned both of them and they are the same company. Even the serial numbers are the same thing,' he stated. This verification eliminated the possibility that the drugs were different formulations or counterfeit products.
Call for Fair Pricing
The man stressed that his intention was not to call out the pharmaceutical company or damage its reputation but to draw attention to what he described as an unfair pricing system. He said, 'I'm not making this video to drag the company... But this is not fair. Medication no be something wey person plan say e go buy.' He questioned why a medicine that could be sold for ₦9,500 would be marked up to ₦40,000 elsewhere, asking, 'Something that you can sell for 9,500 Naira, you sold it for 40,000 Naira. Do you want to tell me that those people on the island that sold it for 9,500, they've not made their gain?'
Appeal for Empathy in Essential Medicines
He also urged businesses to show more empathy, especially when it comes to essential medicines. 'These are just necessities. They are not luxuries that you want to flaunt. These are just necessary to keep people alive, to maintain their health,' he emphasized. The video has since triggered widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians sharing similar experiences of encountering significant price differences for prescription drugs at different pharmacies.
Broader Context and Expert Advice
While medicine prices can vary because of factors such as procurement costs, location, operating expenses, and supplier pricing, health experts generally advise patients to buy prescription medicines only from licensed pharmacies and, where possible, compare prices before making a purchase. The incident has reignited conversations about the need for greater transparency and regulation in drug pricing in Nigeria to protect consumers from exploitation.
