PARACETAMOL OR CHALK POWDER? THE ANSWER IS GENERIC

Bertie got a lower price; chemist made a better margin—that seemed like a win-win

- MARKETS with Bertie

Much to the annoyance of his missus, Bertie still buys things in physical shops. She has tried to impress the merits of online shopping on him but Bertie still prefers to go out, cloth bag in hand. It is probably the earthy fund manager in him who wants to interact with merchants and fellow shoppers that makes him do this. That he can pass these expeditions off as channel-checks is a bonus.

Last week, Bertie found himself at the local chemist shop with a list of drugs. Nothing serious; the usual mix of pain-relievers, multi-vitamins and antacids that make up the medicine cabinet in any home. Proponents of online shopping underestimate the joy of handing over a handwritten piece of paper to the man behind the counter and then looking around the shelves to see what's new. Bertie was thus inspecting a bottle of 'Ayurvedic Ozempic' when the pharmacist asked "You want specifically this?" Bertie did not understand the question—isn't that the point of making a list?