A West Midlands-based pharmacy chain has been lambasted on social media for allegedly charging three times more than the normal price for a bottle of Calpol.
Councillor for Bromford and Hodge Hill in Birmingham Majid Mahmood on Wednesday night posted on Twitter a photo that showed bottles of the liquid paracetamol as advertised in a branch of Jhoots Pharmacy.
His tweet said a box of 32 paracetamol tablets, usually priced around £1, was being sold for £9.99 in the same branch.
A 200ml bottle of the infant medicine typically retails for around £6.50, while a 100ml bottle is sold for £3.50.
Jhoots Pharmacy branches elsewhere also inflated their prices to take advantage of panic buyers, it’s been alleged.
A tweet @saabtalk displaying a purchase receipt from a Jhoots branch in Bath read: “Disgraceful £9.99 for paracetamol, not expected from a large Pharmacy like Jhoots.”
The pharmacy chain has blamed “an erroneous communication” for “pricing disparities at a small number of branches.”
According to local media reports, the company has promised to refund overcharged customers, but there was continued fury over alleged “profiteering” on Twitter.
RealGaryWebster tweeted: “That is profiteering and illegal… Shocking behaviour. How does that help the poor, elderly or those on benefits??”
Another Twitter user Ibrahim wrote: “What an absolute disgrace, should be ashamed of themselves. Horrific example of profiteering at a time when people desperately look to pharmacies for help.”
