A case on a medical cartel at 185 auctions

FAS opened a case against a cartel of medical product suppliers

Participants of procurement for supplies of endoprostheses, implants for osteosysthesis, expendables for trauma surgery and other medical products – “ZetMed” Ltd., “OMT” Ltd., “Ornel” Ltd. and an individual entrepreneur are suspected of concluding and implementing an anticompetitive agreements for around 1 billion RUB.

The auctions took place on 2015-2017 in 11 subjects of the Russian Federation and ended with the minimum reduction of the initial contract prices.

Several economic entities confessed taking part in the cartel.

According to Head of FAS Anti-Cartel Department Andrey Tenishev, said: “Exposing and suppressing cartels for medical products supplies is one of FAS priorities because of their high social importance, especially in such fields as the population health”.

Reference:

Regarding FAS efforts to expose and suppress cartels in health care - in 2015-2017 FAS revealed cartels in 82 regions of Russia.

The total sum of the initial (maximum) contract prices reached over 18.5 billion RUB. Anticompetitive agreements cover nearly all pharmaceutical groups of medicines and all types of medical products.

Dozens of manufacturers, official distributor and customers are involved in anticompetitive agreements.  Inspections showed elements of corruption amongst officials of medical institutions. FAS shall forward materials to the law enforcement bodies to open criminal proceedings.