One of the other problems caused by the spread of coronavirus is the rising prices. From the day the virus began spreading in Italy, Albanians rushed to pharmacies to get protective or antibacterial masks. Prices went up like magic, and people were reluctant to express anger at pharmacies or pharmacists, forgetting that this was a decision not taken by them.
Anabel.al contacted several pharmacies in the country and received almost the same explanation from them in response to rising prices.
"Masks, gloves, alcohol and hand sanitizers were not previously products that were very popular at the pharmacy, so they were rarely sold. As a result, pharmacies held little stock of these goods. That initial condition was at normal prices , but have been selling out fast since they began to look for them for fear of coronavirus.This, then, pharmacies by the demands of the people began to ask more and more whether different warehouses or suppliers.
The latter, as demand has grown enormously, have increased the prices they sell to pharmacies increasingly. On the other hand, the quantity has also been limited because most of these products are imported from China, but for months China has had a difficult time supplying them, given their own need. As a result, the pharmacies, seeing the demand of the people, have been forced to buy them at the added price and have certainly sold them something more expensive, "a pharmacist told Anabel.al.
So unlike the idea created in public opinion it is not the "fault" of our pharmacies nor their abuse or anything that happens to us alone. As a result of supply and demand, they have been forced to raise prices.
"The Ministry of Finance in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, establish a CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) price - * shipping, customs clearance, pharmaceutical warehouse costs. Depot, buys the product at this price and brings it to us (pharmacies) multiplied by 1.20% (his VAT), so the price varies based on us based on the CIF price. definitely add to this product Business & Shipping VAT and multiply it by the profit margin (same coefficient at any pharmacy nationwide) "- says another pharmacist for our newsroom.
Apart from the nonsense "anger" that citizens express towards pharmacists, the latter indicate that during this situation they feel the danger perhaps even more than others. The girls tell Anabel.al that they themselves work "in fear" and at times feel vulnerable because not all citizens are conscious enough to implement the measures in place.
