Pharmacist Charges NT$1,500 for Box of Panadol 普拿疼1盒1500元? 藥師10倍價哄抬遭查

Name: Pharmacist Charges NT$1,500 for Box of Panadol 普拿疼1盒1500元? 藥師10倍價哄抬遭查 ｜ 公視新聞網 PNN
Uploaded: 2022-12-29T17:06:04+08:00
Description: A resident recently reported that a pharmacist charged him NT$1,500 for a box of Panadol. This pharmacist denied the accusation, but an audio recording proved he was lying. Now, the Federation of Taiw

發布時間：2022/12/29 17:06 更新時間：2022/12/29 21:05

C. Chuang

A resident recently reported that a pharmacist charged him NT$1,500 for a box of Panadol. This pharmacist denied the accusation, but an audio recording proved he was lying. Now, the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Association, the Taipei City Department of Health, and the Taipei City consumer protection officer are all investigating, and the pharmacist has apologized.

Antipyretics are currently hard to find in Taiwan. A resident recently reported that a pharmacist at a Taipei pharmacy was selling a box of Panadol for NT$1,500.

Mr. Liao, Resident (Dec. 28, 2022): “He (the pharmacist) insisted on charging NT$1,500, saying he couldn't lower the price.”

There was an audio recording of the conversation, and the Federation of Taiwan Pharmacists Association confirmed that the price was artificially inflated. On Dec. 29, the pharmacist, a man surnamed Hung, issued a public apology. He said he charged NT$1,500 because the pharmacy had no stock and he was trying to get out of this awkward situation.

Implicated Pharmacist: “My phrasing was inappropriate, and caused misunderstandings. I feel deeply uneasy. I would like to apologize to this customer and to society.”

As this incident involved the Fair Trade Act, Taipei City's Department of Health and consumer protection officer went to the pharmacy to check the medicine's stock record and other information to determine if any laws were violated. The FTPA also held an emergency meeting and decided to punish the pharmacist.

Huang Chin-shun, Chairperson, Fed. of Taiwan Pharmacists Associations: “The implicated party must be transferred to the Fair Trade Commission. We will also collect related evidence to give to the Pharmacist Disciplinary Committee. The heaviest punishment will be to annul his pharmacist license.”

Chiu Chia-liang, Taipei City Consumer Protection Officer: “The fine will be higher if he violated the Fair Trade Act, so we should apply the Fair Trade Act instead of Consumer Protection Act in determining the punishment.”

This pharmacy is currently closed for business. Under the Pharmacists Act, the heaviest punishment is a license annulment if an investigation confirms violations. The name and workplace of the pharmacist will also be made public. If it's confirmed that the price was artificially inflated, a fine of NT$50,000 to NT$25 million can be imposed for violating Article 25 of the Fair Trade Act.

中國疫情延燒，全台傳出退燒藥出現缺貨。但台北一間藥局被爆出，一盒普拿疼要賣給民眾1500元。

民眾廖先生說：「他（藥師）說不行，要就是1500，他沒有辦法降價賣這樣。」

查證錄音檔，藥師公會全聯會發現確實有哄抬價格的情形。29日一早，這名遭到指控的洪姓藥師也公開道歉，表示藥局內其實沒有庫存，會喊1500元，是希望民眾知難而退。

洪姓藥師致歉：「關於個人用詞不當，造成表達與認知的誤會，本人深感不安，在此向這位消費者及社會大眾來致歉。」

由於此案涉及《公平交易法》，台北市衛生局和消保官一大早就到藥局，調出藥品進貨紀錄等資料，了解有無違規事實。全國藥師公會也召開緊急常務會議，決議對第一時間沒有誠實以對的藥師做出懲處。

藥師公會全聯會理事長黃金舜表示：「要把當事人移送公平交易委員會，並且我們會再蒐集相關的佐證，移送藥師懲戒委員會，最重會把他的藥師執照廢除。」

台北市消保官邱家梁指出：「如果有違反《公平交易法》的罰鍰金額是比較高的，所以應該是要去適用《公平交易法》，而不是適用《消保法》來處罰。」

這家藥局上午關下鐵門，暫不營業。雖然藥師已經道歉，但依據《藥師法》規定，如果衛生局調查屬實，懲戒方式最重將廢止藥師證書，也會公告姓名及工作地點；另外若有哄抬價格，可能涉及《公平交易法》第25條，可處5萬到2500萬元罰鍰。