Corruption center identities illegal schemes used to raise drug prices

Importers of medications into Moldova worked our fraudulent schemes for increasing the prices of drugs before they enter the country so that it is now harder to investigate such offenses, said Iurie Ciorba, deputy director of the Economic Crime Division of the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime. In a news conference on Friday, he said those who will be found guilty of illegally raising the prices of drugs will be punished, Info-Prim Neo reports. Throughout November, the Center's officers carried out inspections at 250 drugstores and pharmaceutical warehouses to check how the prices of pharmaceutical and parapharmaceutical preparations were fixed. There were identified multiple irregularities and imposed fines of 42,000 lei. Administrative action was taken against persons holding responsible positions in 36 drugstores. Goods to the value of over 73,000 lei without documents of origin were seized in 16 drugstores in central and northern Moldova. Nine drugstores sold medications without cash register. The Center will demand that the Licensing Chamber withdraw the licenses of these drugstores. Five drugstores were selling drugs at higher prices. The Center also identified irregularities at the Medication Agency. The foreign products have been included in the Nomenclature of Drugs with violations. The role of the Medication Agency's Pharmaceutical Inspectorate, which has 40 specialists who monitor and supervise the pharmaceutical system, could not be clarified.