It is well known that UK generic prices tend to be lower than those in Europe and that the UK recovers faster after shortages and price rises. Typically this recovery takes months, but here is a case where a product recovered in days. Charles Joynson, WaveData MD, puts a spotlight on Letrozole pricing over the last couple of months.
Letrozole Tabs 2.5mg 28 has been priced at less than £5.00 for over ten years. However, in mid-June the average price began to rise toward a peak of almost £25.00 on the 11th July. Since then the average price has fallen quickly, reaching £7.50 on the 4th August. Whilst this is not back to pre-June levels, prices do seem to have stabilised and are falling fast.
This suggests that while generics normally take a few months to recover from a price shock, there are occasions when manufacturers and wholesalers can push additional stock into the market quickly enough to prevent a shortage. This may mean that the product supply forecasting was at fault or that the market demanded more than was usual for this breast cancer medicine. However, it does spot light the need for additional supply capability to buffer patients through a diagnosis or supply blip.