OREANDA-NEWS. On 16th February 2010, the Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Komi Republic (OFAS Russia) will consider a case, initiated against "Fatum" Ltd. - a pharmaceutical firm in Vorkuta for the signs of overrating the retail price mark-up for face masks, which are products of medical purposes (violation of Clause 10 Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition"), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The case against "Fatum" Ltd. was initiated upon information received in course of verification of prices for antiviral medicines and products of medical purposes in the Komi Republic. FAS Russia started the inspection in mid-November as part of its control-tightening efforts due to flu epidemics.

According to the Komi OFAS Russia, "Fatum" Ltd. fixed a retail mark-up for face masks at 67.9 %. The Decree of the Government of the Komi Republic "On State Regulation of Prices for Medicines and Products of Medical Purposes in the Komi Republic" requires that such mark-ups cannot exceed 30 %.

Also on 10th December 2009, the Komi OFAS Russia initiated proceedings against "Pharmacia" Municipal Unitary Enterprise, of Inta, for applying overrated retail mark-ups for the following medicines: diclofenac, heparin, anti-angine, bellalgine, bromhexine, Corvalol, Monopril, Nazivine, nicotinic acid, novocaine, paracetamol, ambroxol, benzyl-benzoate, petroleum jelly, Vikasolum, and glucose.

Earlier OFAS Russia also opened cases against "State Pharmacies of the Komi Republic" State Unitary Enterprise of the Komi Republic for overrated the mark-ups for Corvalol and loperamide by its Troitsko-Pechorsky branch.

The cases against those entities will be heard on 14th and 26th January 2010.

In total FAS Russia and its regional offices have already initiated more than 170 cases for violating pricing procedures for medicines and products of medical purposes.