Uzbekistan detects overpricing in 2,500 pharmacies

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In Uzbekistan, violations have been identified in nearly 2,500 pharmacies under an introduced digital monitoring system for pharmaceutical prices, where consumers were overcharged by more than 21.1 billion soums, according to the Committee for the Development of Competition.

The price control mechanism was introduced based on Presidential Resolution No. PP-411 dated 26 October 2022 and provides for the automatic detection of cases of drug overpricing in retail and wholesale trade without human intervention. The system records deviations from established reference prices and enables prompt response to violations.

Since March 2026, the control model has been further strengthened. At the proposal of the antimonopoly authority, automatic validation of invoices by tax authorities was introduced. In cases where wholesale prices exceed the established reference level, document registration is temporarily suspended, preventing the further spread of inflated prices in the supply chain.

According to the agency, the new measures have helped prevent the spread of inflated prices in more than 12,500 pharmacies across the country. Analysis showed that around 2,500 pharmacies exceeded the maximum allowed trade margin ranging from 10% up to three times the reference level, resulting in 686,000 recorded violations.

It is separately noted that in the first quarter of 2026 alone, more than 110,000 cases of unjustified price increases were identified in over 190 pharmacies, amounting to more than 1.4 billion soums. In these cases, measures were taken to refund consumers.

The Committee for the Development of Competition emphasized that the digital monitoring system continues to operate under continuous supervision, and citizens are encouraged to check maximum medicine prices via the official registry and report possible violations through the agency’s hotline.