Another Scandal: Authorities Uncover Thousands of Cases of Price Gouging in Pharmacies and Among Wholesalers

Recent inspections conducted by the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection have revealed widespread violations in the sale of pharmaceuticals. Pharmacies and wholesalers have been found to have engaged in tens of thousands of cases of unjustified price gouging on essential medications, delivering a serious blow to the wallets of ordinary citizens. Tashkent emerged as the leader in deceiving customers, with 17,266 violations recorded in 71 pharmacies, resulting in illegal profits totaling 1.9 billion soums.

The situation is alarming: across the country, 473 pharmacies were found to have violated pricing policies. Of these, 133 were involved in wholesale trade and 340 in retail. In total, more than 49,000 instances of price gouging were identified, leading to unlawful earnings of around 5.4 billion soums for unscrupulous sellers.

Who Will Be Held Accountable?

During the inspections, it was found that in many cases, pharmacies and wholesalers abused their positions by setting markups that significantly exceeded permissible levels. This is particularly outrageous given that these are medications essential for maintaining people’s health.

The authorities have pledged to continue working in this area and ensure that the violators do not go unpunished. The Committee intends to closely monitor the situation and regularly publish lists of offenders on its official resources.

What Should Ordinary Citizens Do?

If you notice inflated prices on medications or encounter violations in pharmacies, it’s important not to remain silent. Report such cases to the appropriate authorities (the tax inspection or the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection). Only by working together can we stop those who try to profit from people’s health.

This scandal underscores once again the need for strict control over drug prices and the protection of consumer rights. It’s crucial that every citizen has access to essential medications at a fair price, and that profiteers are not allowed to deceive and exploit others’ misfortunes.

The text has been translated by AI. For more accurate information, please refer to the Russian version of the article.

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