Drug stores urged to change ways as grouses top 1,000

The Consumer Council has urged pharmacy and supplement retailers to address deceptive sales practices following a sharp rise in complaints. As of the first seven months of the year, the number of grievances against medicine and supplement products rose by 50.6 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 1,190. One incident involved a traveler who sought the council's help after suspecting that goods he had purchased at a drug store had been replaced with counterfeit items while he was away.

Another case came to light through the Customs and Excise Department, where a medication the customer believed would cost HK$140 ended up costing HK$22,400 - 160 times more - after it had been ground into powder. Council head Alaina Shum advised shoppers to verify product pricing and units before buying and to check the total cost before having medicines sliced or powdered.

To minimize disputes, Shum suggested that sellers should clearly disclose all pertinent information, such as unit and total prices, to enable consumers to make informed choices. If a product is unavailable due to a shortage, retailers should not withhold that information to allow shoppers to decide whether to seek alternatives. The council is set to launch an online platform on October 1 to handle cross-border complaints more effectively.

In addition, the council is enhancing its complaint management system and refining the handling and follow-up process for referred cases. Once the system upgrade is complete, consumer councils in other jurisdictions that have signed a memorandum of understanding with the council will be able to access the complaint management system to monitor the status of cross-border complaint cases with the complainant's approval.