LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster pharmacy has been fined $1,765 for price gouging by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office for charging too much for N95 facemasks, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Monday.
Regional Discount Pharmacy, located on the 900 block of S. Duke St., sold 353 facemasks at $8 each -- an unlawful increase of more than 20 percent during a state of emergency, Shapiro said.
In addition to the fine, the pharmacy must pay $741.30 in restitution to customers who purchased the masks, according to Shapiro.
“We won’t tolerate illegal price gouging during this emergency, and we’re taking action every day to stop it — here in Lancaster and across Pennsylvania," Shapiro said in a press release. "Pennsylvanians need security and financial protection right now, especially when so many have lost wages and 30 percent are out of work.
"You have a right in Pennsylvania to purchase life-saving goods at reasonable prices in times like these. If you see suspicious price increases on products like groceries and medicine, I encourage you to email pricegouging@attorneygeneral.gov and fill out a complaint form so we can put a stop to price gouging.”
Regional Discount Pharmacy also agreed to fully comply with all provisions of the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law and Price Gouging Act moving forward, Shaprio said.
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Consumers who purchased N95 face masks from Regional Discount Pharmacy may be eligible for restitution if they paid more than they should have, according to Shapiro.
In order to be considered for restitution, consumers should file a consumer complaint form and attach a copy of their receipt showing they purchased the N95 face masks between March 6 and June 22.
Complaints must be submitted by August 24, 2020 to be considered.
