They were condemned for having offered gifts to pharmacists, in return for the abandonment of commercial discounts.
Justice on Friday condemned the Urgo laboratories to a fine of 1.125 million euros, including 625,000 suspended. The French ETI, known for its brands of dressings, care and food supplements (Urgo, Juvamine, Mercurochrome, etc.) is accused of having offered gifts to pharmacists in return for the abandonment of commercial discounts. What is contrary to the device “anti-gift» in force since 1993 in the sector of the distribution of medical products. Justice has also ordered the confiscation of more than 5 million euros, which had already been seized during the investigation, said the public prosecutor in Dijon Olivier Caracotch.
The DGCCRF’s preliminary investigation, which began in June 2021, revealed “an irregular commercial practice employed between 2015 and 2021» within the Healthcare activity of the Urgo laboratories, based in Dijon. In total, during this period,more than 55 million euros» gifts (valuables or leisure items) were granted to dispensing pharmacists throughout the national territory. According to the prosecution, this system has “allowed laboratories to retain customers with higher commercial margins, and healthcare professionals to obtain personal benefits“.
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Urgo admitted the existence of this system and “taken the necessary steps to put a definitive end to it during the course of the investigation“, according to the prosecution. The DGCCRF recalled on Friday that the device “anti-gift” is “first of all a health imperative, because only public health considerations should guide the acts of prescription and delivery of health products“.
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