Pharmacy shortage of antigen reagents in the social platform "minimum 100,000 copies" starting order lawyer: if counterfeiting up to life imprisonment

Front cover news reporter Shi Wei

Recently, the new coronavirus antigen test reagent has become a "net red" material. Many netizens have reflected that they can't buy antigen test reagents in pharmacies, but there are many people peddling and even promoting them on social platforms.

The cover news reporter contacted the seller on the social platform, they all claimed to "have the resources of the manufacturers, to protect the regular source of goods". They asked customers to buy at least a minimum of one box, and even some people said "100,000 branches to start, less do not ship," the public release of information that "today do not buy tomorrow, but also to increase the price".

There are also netizens who have posted information that the reagents they purchased were suspected of having problems, and when they were uploaded after the test, the system showed that the QR code on the reagents had been uploaded by someone and could not be resubmitted.

Lawyers said that individuals selling antigen reagents privately is illegal, and if the reagents appear to be counterfeit and pass as qualified, the circumstances are serious and can be sentenced to life imprisonment.

Touting the release of information

Antigen reagents online and offline shortage

Some people social platforms touting that "no longer buy price"

December 9, the reporter called Wuhan, Huangshi, Shijiazhuang and other places in a number of pharmacies to ask whether there is still antigen test reagents for sale, only one pharmacy in Hankou, Wuhan, said that the sale of antigen test reagents, and that there is a need for the sale of antigen test reagents. A pharmacy in Hankou, Wuhan, said "there are four boxes", other pharmacies said "sold out".

The pharmacy, which still has stock, said it is currently selling the whole box, a box of 25 copies at a total price of 125 yuan, with a unit price of 5 yuan a copy.

A pharmacy in the Hanyang district said the store originally had more than 200 boxes in stock, which were sold out a few days ago and are currently being restocked.

Cover News reporter in the e-commerce platform to see, a number of platforms have antigen reagents on sale, but a large number of commodities in the click in, there is "sold out do not shoot" "out of stock" label. These antigen reagents on sale, the general price of a single copy of less than 10 yuan, there are many between 11 yuan and 15 yuan, some of which reached 20 yuan.

Some stores don't sell small portions, but only large portions for more than 5,000 people, with the higher the quantity the cheaper the unit price. Others are labeled "pre-sale," with orders based on specifications that take seven to 15 days to ship.

On Dec. 8, several media outlets reported that the Clove Doctor app showed that the average daily sales of antigen reagent self-test kits had increased more than 400 times from November.

The cover news reporter in the WeChat circle of friends and a video platform to see, there are a number of people in the sale of antigen reagents, they all said that "there are manufacturers of resources, goods authentic. Two of the sellers said that there is no stock in hand, to determine if you need to wait two days, they are replenishing. Another few said they can be shipped at any time, but only to receive large customers, at least 1,000 copies will be shipped.

The reporter learned from several sellers, their unit price between 4.3 yuan and 5.3 yuan. December 8, a seller in the circle of friends to release sales information, said: do not buy, but also to increase the price.

Netizens questioned the message

The seller refused to take a small order and asked for "100,000 copies"

Netizens questioned the reagents were reused

A man who peddled antigenic reagents on social media platforms said he had a large amount of stock in his hands, and there were many brands to choose from, but the minimum price was $100,000, and the unit price was $4.3 to $5.3, which is the price per unit. 100,000 copies to order, the unit price of 5.3 yuan. "If it is shipped to Wuhan, I can introduce my friends in Hunan, where the shipment is closer, also starting at 100,000 copies."

He also promised that invoices can be issued in the name of qualified medical institutions.

Peddlers circle of friends information

December 9, cover news reporter saw, there are two netizens in the social platform video released that recently purchased antigen reagent suspected problems. After they tested with the reagent and uploaded the results to the small program, they were prompted by the system that the reagent had been uploaded by someone and could not be uploaded repeatedly.

One netizen called out the reagent manufacturer in the accompanying text, saying the reagent was purchased at a pharmacy. Another netizen said in a comment that he "bought it from a friend". Reporters tried to contact the two netizens to verify the details, but received no response.

The reporter asked the people selling the reagents online whether the antigen reagents they were selling were qualified, and whether they would be inaccurate. One seller said "you can not buy" and hung up. Another salesman said that he had just sold out 3 million copies, and only 200,000 copies were left on hand, "Aikang and Zhongyuan Huiji are available, and the goods are absolutely regular. At present, the state only allows 36 enterprises to produce, as long as the 36 production are no problem."

The reporter asked whether these antigenic reagents are from a regular source, and whether an invoice can be issued for after-sales traceability.

The salesman responded that he here is 50,000 copies of the starting order, the last few days to take goods a lot of people, he did not sleep well. "There are no invoices for picking up goods now. Because you come to me for a large batch, I do not have enough in hand, but also to go to you to find goods, you look for me to ask for a ticket, I still have to look for a ticket for the upper, impossible."

The reporter expressed doubt that this transaction is not legal. The seller said, they are to earn quick money, who first hit the money to whom the shipment, such as the hands of this batch of goods out of the next will look for qualified organizations to cooperate, but also will choose to have the operating qualifications of the buyer shipments, in order to avoid the risk.

Under a seller's account, a netizen left a message: private sale of drugs is a felony, don't money did not find, get yourself to the police station.

Antigen reagents on the e-commerce platform 20 yuan a copy

Lawyer: private sale of antigen reagents illegal and serious counterfeiting can be sentenced to life imprisonment

Shield News reporter noted that, March 30, 2020, the State Drug Administration issued the "China's new coronavirus test reagents and protective equipment regulatory requirements and standards," will be the new coronavirus testing reagents as a third class medical device management.

In March this year, the State Drug Administration issued the "Notice on Doing a Good Job in Supervising the Quality and Safety of New Coronavirus Antigen Test Reagents", which requires that retail pharmacies and medical device companies that have obtained a drug license or a medical device license and have the appropriate storage conditions be allowed to sell new coronavirus antigen test reagents.

Tianyecha information shows that a number of companies have recently been fined for selling new coronavirus antigen test reagents in violation of the law. Among them, a logistics company in Shanghai unauthorized to buy antigen reagent kits at a price of 5.15 yuan per person, and then sell them to the public at a price of 10 yuan per person, selling 46 copies *** counting 460 yuan, was fined 50,000 yuan and confiscated the illegal income.

Zhao Ling, general manager of Hubei Changjiang Pharmacy Chain Co Ltd, said the new coronavirus test reagent, as a Class III medical device, cannot be sold by private individuals. "The reagents are indeed too scarce at the moment, and our pharmacy is currently out of stock. But it is still recommended that the public from the regular hospital, pharmacy channels to buy, from the circle of friends of these private hands, the reagent source and reliability can not be guaranteed, out of the problem you can not find someone."

Zhao Ling said, reagent results uploaded by the prompt "the reagent has been uploaded", this situation under their pharmacy in the sales process has not been encountered, the manufacturer has not been done in this regard, the specific reasons or need to ask the manufacturer.

The cover news reporter has called the official phone number of Mind Bio, Wanfu Bio, Aikang Bio, and the phone has been on the line or prompted as "the number is busy, dial again later".

Fu Jian, director of Henan Zegen Law Firm, said the new Crown pneumonia virus test reagent belongs to the third category of medical equipment, unqualified individuals selling privately is illegal. By the county-level or above drug supervision and management department ordered to stop operating, confiscate the illegal operation of the product and illegal income, illegal income of more than five thousand yuan, and impose a fine of more than two times the illegal income of more than five times the following; in addition to administrative penalties, if it involves disrupting the market order, the circumstances are serious, may be suspected of illegal business crime, illegal business amount of more than 50,000 yuan, or more than 10,000 yuan of illegal income, has Reached the standard of prosecution of criminal offenses, should be investigated by the public security organs.

Fu Jian said, if the private sale of antigen reagents are counterfeit products, or fake for real, substandard products as qualified products, and the sales amount is large, but also suspected of production and sale of shoddy products crime. According to the provisions of the Criminal Law, the sales amount of more than two million, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment, and impose a fine of more than fifty percent of the sales amount of more than two times, or confiscation of property.