Pharmacy receives R25 000 excessive pricing penalty

20th April 2020 By: Marleny Arnoldi - Deputy Editor Online

Boksburg-based Centrum Pharmacy, in Gauteng, has been ordered by the Competition Tribunal to donate hand sanitisers, surgical gloves and face masks to the value of R25 000 to two old age homes in the area.

This follows after the commission investigated the firm and found it to be charging excessive prices for face masks since Covid-19 was declared a national disaster.

The commission found that the pharmacy's average mark-up for facial masks in March was more than 100%.

Under the terms of a consent agreement between the commission and the pharmacy, which has been approved by the Competition Tribunal, the pharmacy has also agreed to reduce its mark-up on facial masks with immediate effect for the duration of the state of national disaster.