There’s little we can do to punish rip-off Hong Kong pharmacies, trade association says
A Hong Kong drugstore which sold two small bottles of medicated oil to a mainland Chinese tourist for nearly HK$40,000 would not face a more severe punishment than annulment of membership, a trade association for pharmacy operators said.
A Hong Kong drugstore which sold two small bottles of medicated oil to a mainland Chinese tourist for nearly HK$40,000 would not face a more severe punishment than annulment of membership, a trade association for pharmacy operators said this afternoon.
“Membership cancellation is the only way we can punish [dishonest members], said Cheung Tak-wing, executive committee member of the General Chamber of Pharmacy.
“We can’t impose a fine because we are not a statutory body.”
The 250-member trade body plans to implement a new accreditation scheme to help customers identify licensed pharmacies, a move widely seen as an attempt to restore public confidence in the sector.
The announcement followed a recent complaint about a mainland tourist being charged HK$39,600 for two bottles of “Hei Gui You” medicated oil – about 100 times the rate at other retailers.
The customer did not ask the price before she made the purchase.
The outrageously high price raised concerns over whether the visitor was ripped off and hence brought into question Hong Kong’s reputation as a shopping paradise.
Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog later intervened in the matter and helped the woman obtain a refund, but noted that such pricing conduct was not regulated in the city, a free market economy.
The Consumer Council received 393 complaints relating to medicine and Chinese herbal medicine in the first five months of this year.
The figures stood at 770 in 2013 and 839 last year.
Telecommunication services are the most complained about business category in the city this year, with 1,577 complaints in the first five months.