Uzbekistan’s Competition Committee has identified significant instances of overpricing in 473 pharmacies nationwide since the start of the year. According to the agency’s press service, inspections revealed 49,400 violations across 133 wholesale and 340 retail outlets, resulting in unjustified income totalling UZS 5.4bn (nearly $427,000).

Most of these violations were concentrated in Tashkent, where 71 establishments were found to have issued 17,200 cheques with inflated prices, leading to an unjustified income of UZS 1.9bn (over $150,000). Namangan region followed with violations amounting to UZS 1bn (nearly $79,000) in 44 pharmacies, while the Surkhandarya region recorded overpricing of UZS 914mn (over $72,000) across seven establishments.

Tashkent region had the highest number of outlets involved in overpricing, with 111 pharmacies. However, the total income from these violations was relatively low at UZS 39mn ($3,080). In contrast, the Khorezm region had the fewest violations, with five pharmacies involved in overcharging, resulting in UZS 10mn (nearly $800). Kashkadarya region reported a total of UZS 18.8mn (almost $1,500)  from overpricing.

Pharmacies that have engaged in overpricing are now listed on the Committee’s official website. The Competition Committee has stated that regulatory actions will be taken against these establishments to ensure compliance with pricing regulations.

This investigation aligns with the presidential decree issued in October 2002, which mandates the provision of quality medicines. The decree requires that pharmacy receipts be checked against online retail reference prices through the Soliq app. Any detected overpricing triggers a notification to the consumer protection agency for further inspection, with non-compliance treated as a breach of trade regulations.