Cyanocobalamin Pricing

[Galixie]

Anyone else feeling gouged on price lately? I used to be able to buy a 10ml vial of injectable cyanocobalamin for about $15. The price seems to have skyrocketed. I recently was charged $75 for ten 1ml vials (and 1ml vials were all they had). A compounding pharmacy quoted me a price of $106 for a 10ml vial. The real kicker came when I talked to a big chain pharmacy and asked about their prices. I was told that a 10ml vial would cost $14.99 but that they didn't have any and the person I spoke with didn't think they'd be getting any in again because they are "moving toward single dose vials wherever possible because it is safer for the patient". However, the price they are charging for the "single dose" 1ml vials is $12.99!

So you used to be able to get 10ml of B12 for $14.99 and now the same amount of B12 costs $129.90! [If we were still using the old forum there'd be a string of angry and cussing emoticons here.]

[Poppet11]

A prime example of supply and demand?

Maybe the positive side to all this is that at least the message might be getting through?

[Galixie in reply to Poppet11]

The thing I took away from my conversation with the pharmacist was that they are perfectly willing to still sell 10ml vials for $14.99 if they have them. BUT they are also selling 1ml vials for nearly the *same price* as the 10ml vials. That's not supply and demand. That's price gouging.

I also don't really believe that single dose vials are any safer than multi dose vials. Honestly, if I'm filling a prescription for 10ml of B12, I'm going to be getting 10ml of the same batch/lot whether it comes in one bottle or ten. And, as the only person using my supply, I'm not going to have any cross-contamination issues either. It really sounds more like a scheme to make more money on the same product.

[Hidden]

I get my cyanocobalamin in single dose ampoules, 5 of them, for around 2 euro 50 cents in Spain, so 50 (euro) cents per ampoule. The prices you quote seem absurd...I believe the multi dose vial contains (a little) aluminium, as a preservative, and that is taking that out say with the single vials, which seems sensible, but I can not see any reason for the price rocketing so much. Marre.

[Jane01]

I use hydroxocobalamin for around $12 for a box of 3 x 1ml vials. Some places here in Aust even sell them for $8 a box of 3... Those prices seem fairly steep!