Paracetamol price unchanged in 2027

The price of paracetamol made in France will stay the same in January 2027, according to Virginie Beaumeunier, head of the Economic Committee for Health Products (CEPS), as reported by APMnews and Le Moniteur des pharmacies. This decision cancels a proposed 13% drop in the tax-free price for a box of paracetamol tablets, which would have lowered the cost by 10 cents.

Proposed tax reduction reversed

The proposed tax reduction would have lowered the manufacturer price of a paracetamol box, which contains eight 1,000 mg tablets or sixteen 500 mg tablets. However, the CEPS stated that any decrease would be offset by a revaluation, meaning the final price for medicines containing French-made paracetamol would not change.

French companies support local production

French pharmaceutical companies that sell paracetamol, such as Opella with Doliprane and Upsa with Dafalgan and Efferalgan, have pledged to support efforts to move the production of the drug to France. These companies aimed to increase the price of their medicines after a two-year price freeze that started in 2024.

CEPS considers supply security in pricing

The CEPS will now use industrial criteria as a guarantee of supply security when setting prices, as allowed by the 2022 social security financing law (LFSS) and further defined by Article 75 of the LFSS for 2025. This approach aims to ensure a stable and secure supply of medicines.

Negotiations for a unified price continue

Discussions are ongoing to create a standard price for paracetamol, along with discount mechanisms that benefit products made in France. Paracetamol sold in France without local production could face discounts to ensure all prescription paracetamol is available at the same public price, including taxes. Upsa said negotiations are still in progress and that it is waiting for a response from authorities by the end of August.