On 19th March, a Birmingham councillor expressed his disappointment at a local pharmacy inflating prices of a bottle of children's Calpol which was being sold at £19.99.
City councillor Majid Mahmood from Bromford and Hodge Hill tweeted about the huge increase. His tweet read,
“Really disappointed that a local @JhootsPharmacy in my ward is charging extortionate prices for paracetamol and calpol. Just last week it was charging £1.39 for 32 paracetamol and today it is £9.99.
“Not good for a community pharmacy putting profits before people. #COVID2019!”
The Pharmacy is a branch of Jhoots Pharmacy, a Walsall-based company with more than 100 branches across the country. The firm said it was investigating.
A 200ml bottle of infant Calpol - a paracetemol based suspension for tots - normally retails for around £3.99. But amid shortages it has been increased in the pharmacy to a staggering £19.99.
In response Jhoots Pharmacy tweeted, "It has come to our attention that some branches have increased their prices, we are currently investigating the matter. Meanwhile our staff are working hard to serve our communities during difficult times and putting on extra provision for free deliveries."
In the meantime, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have said they are monitoring price increases in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and are ensuring that traders do not exploit the current situation.”
