The Pharmacy and Poisons Board is investigating on unscrupulous trade practices prevalent among pharmaceutical society in the country.

This follows a survey report by the Consumer Council of Fiji last year highlighting that unscrupulous behavior of charging exorbitant pricing on pharmacy products and medications, over dosage, was prevalent among most pharmacies.

While officially launching the survey report on Prices and practices Pharmaceutical survey 2010 this morning, Chief Executive Officer Premila Kumar highlighted that the pharmacy and Poisons board has already commenced its investigations into the matter and will take further appropriate action.

She said the board has sent a warning letter to all retail pharmacies while the specific breaches are being investigated whereby the board will be following its disciplinary procedure and will summon the respective pharmacies before the board at its first meeting this year.

Kumar highlighted that the unscrupulous trade practices were mostly found to be prevalent in the western division.

Kumar added another major finding is the issuing of receipts where some of the pharmacies were issuing receipts without the company's TIN number and under a name of another company to avoid paying taxes.

Kumar has called on FIRCA to look into the matter.