According to the agency, overpricing of up to 7,000 percent was found in the inspected entities, which exceeded the amounts set by the National Commission on Drug and Medical Device Prices.

First, the wholesale company Distribuidora Hospitalaria de Cucuta S.A.S. was found to have sold 47 medications exceeding the maximum prices from October 2022 to June 2023, by percentages ranging from 1.24 percent to 7,000 percent, the source noted.

He added that an example of this is the medication Tisseel, used in surgical procedures to prevent hemostasis as a tissue sealant.

The maximum retail price for this product is 585,368 pesos (about $145 at the current exchange rate), and it was sold for a value of 4,750,000 pesos (approximately $1,187).

It was also found that Fabilu S.A.S., as a wholesale distributor, sold nine medications from January to December 2023 that exceeded their maximum prices by percentages ranging from 3.5 percent to 164.7 percent.

The Superintendency emphasized in its statement that the direct price control regime for medications and medical devices is an essential measure adopted by the national government to protect the public interest and prevent potential abuses by market players.

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