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Mönkäre Denounces Price Fixing of Medicines as Illegal

The Ministry of social Affairs and Health has asked for a report on allegations of price fixing agreements between pharmaceutical manufacturers and Finnish pharmacies. The Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Sinikka Mönkäre, sees such agreements as illegal and immoral.

Under present law, pharmacists are expected to offer patients with prescriptions the possibility to opt for a cheaper generic alternative to brand name medicines. According to recent reports, some pharmacists have agreed with the drug industry to promote more expensive generic alternatives.

During the weekend, the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported on a study at the University of Kuopio, according to which 38 percent of pharmacists choose generic alternatives on the basis of an agreement with the industry.

YLE24