PHARMACIES WHICH charge additional fees for dispensing drugs without telling their customers could find themselves in trouble with the law.The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) yesterday warned pharmacies that they must inform customers before they charge a prescription fee for over-the-counter drugs as any failure to do so can be seen as a breach of the Fair Competition Act (FCA).
The FTC said that investigations revealed that the prescription fee could amount to as much as $40 per item.
According to the FTC, several customers often become aware of the charge when their bills reflect a price higher than the originally stated cost of the drugs.
"If the customer's bill reflected a higher price for an item than the price at which the same item was displayed, this would amount to a sale above the advertised price, which is a breach of section 41 of the FCA," the FTC said in a statement yesterday.
It also noted that the FCA does not prohibit the charging of such fees but consumers must be told before the fee is charged.
