Five Pharmaceutical Companies in Costa Rica Being Investigated For Monopolistic Practices

The Comisión para Promover la Competencia (COPROCOM) - Comisión para Promover la Competencia (COPROCOM) - has begun an administrative process to fine 5 pharmaceutical companies in Costa Rica for misleading practices.

The companies are Cefa Central Farmacéutica S.A., Nueva SAI Productos Farmacéuticos S.A., Farmacias EOS S.A., Laboratorios Internacionales Labin S.A. and Nueva Farmacia Fischel S.A.

The companies are alleged to have adopted the practice of maintaining pricing and conditions of sale for their products, selling in their pharmacies at prices lower that those to wholesale companies who sell to their competitors.

In addition, the COPROCOM will attempt to determine the alleged establishment of supply agreements that imposed conditions on competitive pharmacies such as having to purchase a certain percentage of product, setting prices, including the requirement to use a particular inventory software, among others.

The sanctions for the companies if they are found to monopolistic practices is 410 times the minimum wage or ¢97 million colones today.