State commission on protection of economic competition: in the
Armenian market of medicaments variation of prices was not registered
in the last two m
YEREVAN, January 22. /ARKA/. "Variations of prices were not registered
in Armenian medicament market during the last two months", said Davit
Harutyunyan, Head of State Commission on Protection of Economic
Competition (SCPEC).
On December 21, 2009 SCPEC adopted decision on application of penalty
for a number of pharmaceutical companies for anti-competitive
agreement and groundless increase of prices. Administrative case was
brought on the basis of many publications of mass media and complaints
of the citizens about abrupt increase of prices in September-November
2009.
Five of seven penalized companies applied to the court with
administrative complaint for review of the case and two companies
applied to the court. In two days after the decision of the Commission
reduction of prices of some medicaments were registered.
"Monitoring of medicaments showed that increase of prices was not
registered in the market", said Harutyunyan. In the market of
cardio-vascular, anti-diabetes and anti-virus medicaments violations
of law were registered in seven companies – "Natali Pharm", "Esculap",
"Alfa-Pharm", "Vaga Pharm", "Argo Pharm", "Amicus" and "Arpharmacia".
The companies were penalized in the amount of 2% from their income of
the last year not more than in 300 million drams and are obliged to
reduce prices in 10 days. ($1 – 377.48 drams). –0–