Bashkiria pharmacies will be checked for rise in price of medical masks due to coronavirus

UFA, 4 February 2020. /Bashinform News Agency, Galina Bakhshieva/ translated by Tatiana Aksyutina/.

The Directorate of the FAS (Federal Antimonopoly Committee) in Bashkiria has not yet received complaints about the increase in the cost of medical masks and antiviral drugs in pharmacies due to the threat of the coronavirus spread, head of the department Andrei Khomyakov stated at a press conference in the Bashinform News Agency on Tuesday.

“With regard to changes in the prices of masks, medicines, we have not yet received such complaints,” he said. “Our region is located quite far from the border with China, but in the event of such complaints, we will, of course, carry out checks”.

This, in particular, is about monitoring pharmacy chains. At the same time, special attention will be paid to major players in the pharmaceutical market, because it is they who have a significant impact on price changes, Khomyakov added.

As the Bashinform News Agency reported, earlier Rimma Utyasheva, a deputy of the republican parliament, said that there was no artificial price increase for medical masks in Bashkiria.

“We do not have a shortage of masks; they are always available at pharmacies. We talked with the directors of large network pharmacies. The retail price ranges from 3.8 to 8 rubles apiece. Such a spread in prices has always been, therefore, citizens of the republic have no reason to worry, ” she commented on the situation.