Fasa admits loss of client trust following price fixing

SANTIAGO.- The head of marketing for Farmacias Ahumada (Fasa), Andrés Hidalgo, stated today that the company has put forth "its best effort" to compensate clients, but they are still aware that customers are distrusting due to the price-fixing agreement reached for medication.

"Apparently the trust or the feelings that some groups of customers might have, are decisions to be made by them and we have to face this just as we have faced the rest of the situation, with our eyes fixed on the future", the executive told Radio Cooperativa.

When questioned about the sum of the reimbursements, Hidalgo assured that the money awarded for damages "was established along with Sernac; they considered all of the products from the period of December 2007 to March 2008, the 220 products, the price before the hike was taken and the increase in the price was subtracted, producing a difference and that difference was multiplied by 220 and that was multiplied by the total number of products sold during the period, and that is how we reached the final sum".

Hidalgo also stated that "there is going to be an independent company, well-known auditors, which are going to make sure that the process is perfectly audited".