NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday called on state residents to denounce any price gouging by stores facing shortages of children’s pain relievers and fever reducers.
The attorney general, a Democrat, issued a consumer alert amid a surge in COVID-19, RSV and flu cases, urging anyone who spots a price hike in children’s medicines to report it to her office. . This amid a national shortage of these drugs.
“This year’s tripledemic disease is keeping many sick children and babies at home, and families trying to care for them are facing national shortages of children’s Tylenol and other medications,” James said. “The last thing a family needs when a child has a fever or pain is for the price of the medicines she needs to go up.”
The prosecutor said she was notifying speculators that her office stands ready to investigate any incidence of dramatic price increases.
He noted that New York law prohibits merchants from taking unfair advantage of consumers by setting unreasonably high prices for something vital to the safety, health, and well-being of New York residents.
James also cautioned consumers to buy only the amount of children’s medication they need and not hoard supplies that others may need. Retailers, he added, are allowed to limit the amount of drugs they sell to individual consumers when there is limited supply.
When reporting price increases to the District Attorney’s Office, consumers should:
- Report the specific price increases, the dates and places they saw the price increases, and the types of drugs sold.
- Provide copies of your sales receipts and photos of advertised prices, if available.
- New Yorkers should report potential price gouging concerns to the DA’s office by filing an online complaint or by calling 1-800-771-7755.
