Deputy requests access to pharmaceutical computer systems in price fixing investigation

SANTIAGO.- Deputy Jaime Mulet (PRI) has asked the National Economics Office of Investigation to seize the computer systems of Cruz Verde, Salcobrand and Farmacias Ahumada. The three pharmaceutical chains are suspected of having reached an agreement to raise the prices of 222 medications after the latter admitted to doing so during a surprising extrajudicial arrangement.

"Hopefully the investigation office will issue a warrant today to seize the computer systems that contained the databases of the hundreds of thousands of Chileans that I believe were victims of fraud", said the member of parliament, who made his way to the Justice Center to file a lawsuit against those responsible for fraudulent price fixing.

In his opinion, the executives that reached the agreement "should rot in jail" because "it is very likely that there are people here that have had to suffer prolonged pain" as a result of the situation.

"We are talking about ethical medication, prescriptions that cannot be changed, they played with the most precious thing people have – their health", added the deputy.