HARRISBURG―Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has shut down price gouging efforts at Regional Discount Pharmacy in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
“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. Pennsylvanians need security and financial protection right now, especially when so many have lost wages and 30 percent are out of work.” said Attorney General Shapiro. “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.”
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC) with Regional Discount Pharmacy after the Office received tips alleging that the store was selling N95 face masks for unlawful prices. The Office learned that the business sold 353 face masks at $8.00/each.
Under the Price Gouging Act, a price increase of more than 20 percent during a declared state of emergency is considered price gouging. The AVC requires Regional Discount Pharmacy to pay $1,765.00 in civil penalties, in addition to restitution of $741.30 for consumers who purchased the N95 face masks. Regional Discount Pharmacy also agreed to fully comply with all provisions of the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law and Price Gouging Act moving forward.
Consumers who purchased N95 face masks from Regional Discount Pharmacy may be eligible for restitution if they paid more than they should have. 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, 2020 and June 22, 2020. Complaints must be submitted by August 24, 2020 to be considered.
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