In the course of the research, more than 20 pharmacies were covered, and in about 25% of them, when requesting alcohol, they gave lotion instead.
According to the committee, during the period of the introduction of GDPR certificates in the manufacture of medicines and the strengthening of quality control, some alcohol manufacturers began to produce lotions instead of alcohol without obtaining a license. The fact that consumers were not fully informed about this led them astray.
It is known that 70% medical alcohol is used in healthcare, including for skin treatment before injections, sterilization of equipment, wound treatment and surgical operations. A lotion is a cosmetic product with a low alcohol content, intended mainly for cleansing the skin, reducing excess fat and removing makeup residues.
According to experts, offering a lotion instead of alcohol may not have the expected medical effect and harm the health of consumers.
The Competition Committee assesses these cases as signs of a violation of the law, leading to the provision of false information to consumers and causing them harm. It was announced that appropriate cases could be initiated against pharmacies in these cases, and a corresponding letter was sent to the Pharmaceutical Safety Center to prevent such cases.
The Committee warned pharmacies that not providing consumers with reliable and understandable information is considered a violation of the requirements of current legislation.
