The Interministerial Commission on Drug Prices, a collegiate body of the Ministry of Health of which other ministries and autonomous communities are part, has decided this Thursday limit the maximum price of the tests to 2.94 self-diagnosis antigens. The cap will be published on Friday in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and will take effect on Saturday.
The Commission met this morning with the aim of setting a maximum price after the high demand during Christmas and the lack of stock prices have skyrocketed in some drugstores, with costs of up to 10 or 12 euros per unit. If the limitation has not come before, according to the Executive, it is because first it was necessary to solve the problem of scarcity, that according to Health is already solved.
“The debate we had before or during this Christmas has been, above all, about the supply of these tests; there was an exponential increase in demand but not in supply. This issue has already been resolved; now we will get to control the price of the test of antigens, “alleged Pedro Sánchez on Monday when announcing the future price cap.
Rises of up to 100%
According to the Facua consumer association, the lack of these self-diagnostic tests has led to price increases of up to 100%. Through an analysis of 150 pharmacies in Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia and Vitoria, the entity has verified prices ranging between 4.95 and 10 euros per unit, a cost that has softened in recent days as pharmacies have had more availability of tests.
The Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calviño -one of the departments that are part of the Interministerial- said on Thursday that the intention is to lower the price “as much as possible because it is something of first necessity”, although “the communities have different approaches “.
“Now is the time, it is necessary to fix prices. I have bought at 7-8 euros and it cannot be. In addition to the VAT reduction, we have to make sure that producers and intermediaries do not have extraordinary benefits. “
The PP had asked that the price set be 2 euros and that these tests be considered free for those who cannot pay them due to their income level, while Ciudadanos would applaud the liberalization of sales in supermarkets at a price between 2 or 3 euros.
But the Executive has rejected the sale liberalization, claiming security measures. Despite this, large distribution chains such as Alcampo, Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, Ikea or MediaMarkt insist in offering to sell antigen tests, to facilitate its distribution among citizens and help combat the tsunami of infections derived from omicron.
According to the National Association of Large Distribution Companies (Anged), which also groups Apple Retail, Bricomart, C&A, Conforama, Costco, Eroski, FNAC, Leroy Merlin, Tendam, Toys`R`Us, Sarton, Worten and Dufry, this This measure “would allow the tests to be distributed massively and substantially lower the price.”
Related news
Meanwhile, the General Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges has applauded that the price is finally limited because it will end the “excessive” increases in cost and the tensions in the market of which these professionals have also been “victims”.
.
ttn-24