Retail Price For Fluvir 75 To IDR 5,000, 5 Pharmacy Employees In Bekasi Become Suspects

Kasatreskrim Metro Bekasi Police AKBP Andi Oddang (center) shows evidence of drug sales cases (Photo: ANTARA)

BEKASI - Four pharmacy employees who work in the jurisdiction of Bekasi Regency, West Java, are threatened with five years in prison after being named suspects in the case of selling drugs above the Highest Retail Price (HET).

"Our four suspects, RH, RM, IDS, and RW, are suspects in the case of selling drugs that are not by the highest retail price," said Kasatreskrim of the Bekasi Metro Police, AKBP Andi Oddang, when revealing the case at the Bekasi Metro Police Headquarters quoted from Antara, Thursday, 29 July.

RH is a BL pharmacy employee in the Jalan Industri area, North Cikarang District, while the suspects' RM, IDS, and RW are MF pharmacy employees on Raya Imam Bonjol Street, West Cikarang District.

"The four suspects work as employees to pharmacist assistants. We do not rule out the owner of the pharmacy as well, depending on the progress of the investigation", he said.

The police charged the four suspects with Article 62 Junto 10 letter (a) of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection with a maximum penalty of five years or a maximum fine of IDR 2 billion.

Andi said that the disclosure of this case began with public reports. Officers then followed up the report by investigating the scene.

"It is true, they sell drugs, especially anti-virus drugs above the highest retail price set by the Ministry of Health", he said.

The suspect was proven to have sold 75 milligrams of Fluvir for IDR 27,500 while the HET for the drug was IDR 26,000 and selling it at retail for IDR 5,000 per tablet from the HET of IDR 1,700.

They also sell 500 milligrams of Azithromycin to the public for IDR 13,333 per tablet from the HET of IDR 1,700 per tablet.

When asked for a statement by investigators, the suspect admitted that he sold a high price to get a bigger profit even though the government had set the highest price for the drugs for handling COVID-19.

"The Indonesian National Police Chief's instructions are also very clear so that action is taken if there are pharmacies selling drugs above the highest retail price. The suspect is not detained, the pharmacy is also not sealed because it is by the National Police Chief's Circular regarding this issue so that the circulation of COVID-19 drugs is not disrupted", he said.

From the crime scene, officers secured evidence in the form of eight strips or 48 tablets of 500-gram Azithromycin and one purchase note for three 500 gram Azithromycin strips from the MF pharmacy.

Meanwhile, from the BL pharmacy, the evidence was 10 tablets of 75 milligrams Fluvir, five 500 milligrams of Azithromycin tablets, purchase invoices and invoices, and sales receipts for one box of 75 milligrams of Fluvir medication, and five 500 milligrams of Azithromycin tablets.