Pfizer defends direct system
January 31, 2012
PFIZER has defended its direct
distribution system saying there is
no evidence to suggest government
intervention in the distribution of
medicines is necessary, after the
release of National Pharmaceutical
Services Association (NPSA)
research which found that patients
were often forced to wait for days
for medications if they lodged their
prescriptions outside the
timeframe for next-day delivery by
Pfizer (PD yesterday).
According to the NPSA research,
patients whose scripts are lodged
after 3pm Monday - Wednesday
and 4pm Thursday, are facing waits
of at least two days for the
delivery of Pfizer drugs not stocked
by their pharmacist, compared to
drugs delivered under the full line
distribution system which were
found to have a same day or the
next day delivery rate.
Commenting on the research
Pfizer said “pharmacists know they
can contact Pfizer and ensure their
patients’ get their medicines”.
“We make urgent deliveries on
the same day wherever possible.
“We have delivered more than
9,500 urgent orders.
Pfizer also said that it currently
has more than 60 products on its
critical products list, and that these
are also delivered on the same day
wherever possible.
According to the drug giant, an
independent PwC review of DHL
systems and controls relating to its
delivered on time data for October
2011 found that more than 99% of
Pfizer deliveries were made on time
throughout the month.
The auditor also confirmed that
the DHL systems and controls “can
be relied upon to produce
materially accurate ‘delivered on
time’ information”.
“The wholesalers do not release
the same level of information
about their own service delivery,”
Pfizer said.
“The wholesalers have not said
how patients are impacted by their
delivery performance,” Pfizer
added.
The company continued its attack
against the wholesalers saying that
they get almost $200 million from
the taxpayer every year as a
subsidy to fund their deliveries and
that they have a commercial
motivation to be critical of Pfizer.
Discussing its generics business,
Pfizer said that with its first
non-Pfizer generics already in the
market, it will begin to offer
competitive arrangements across
its generics portfolio as it continues
to grow in the future.
“This is good for the PBS and
good for consumers,” Pfizer said.
“The wholesalers have alignments
with generic manufacturers which
give their medicines preference
over Pfizer medicines.
“This is why we are not delivering
our medicines via the wholesalers,”
Pfizer added.
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