Committee for Consumer Rights Protection Identifies Violations in Sale of Alcohol-Based Products

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — During the “Mystery Shopper” initiative in Uzbekistan, authorities detected violations in the sale of alcohol-based products at pharmacies: approximately one in five outlets offered lotion to customers instead of medical alcohol.

According to the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Rights Protection, the agency received complaints from citizens regarding the operations of certain pharmacies. Consumers reported that when requesting medical alcohol, pharmacists offered an alternative product—lotion. In response, the committee conducted a selective inspection as part of the “Mystery Shopper” control exercise.

The review covered more than 20 pharmacies, and in roughly 25 percent of them, cases were recorded where medical alcohol had been replaced with lotion.

The committee explained that amid the introduction of Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certificates and increased quality control over medicinal products, several alcohol producers did not obtain the required licenses and switched to producing lotions instead of medical alcohol. At the same time, consumers were not provided with full and accurate information about the properties of the offered products, leading to potential misunderstanding.

Seventy percent medical alcohol is widely used in healthcare, including for skin disinfection before injections, sterilization of instruments and equipment, treatment and dressing of wounds, and during surgical procedures. Lotions, on the other hand, are considered cosmetic products, usually containing a lower concentration of alcohol and intended for cleansing the skin and removing cosmetic residues.

Offering lotion instead of medical alcohol, the committee emphasized, may not provide the necessary effect and could pose a risk to consumer health. Such practices are considered the provision of misleading information and may result in material or other harm to citizens.

The Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Rights Protection classifies the identified violations as breaches of consumer protection legislation. Appropriate cases may be initiated against pharmacies found to have engaged in such actions.

To prevent further violations, an official request has been sent to the Center for Pharmaceutical Product Safety.