Health Ministry advises citizens against buying infant formula from private pharmacies

Citizens should stop purchasing infant formula from private-sector pharmacies, since the government has large quantities of subsidized formula on offer through its retail outlets, Health Ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed said on Wednesday, according to Al Borsa. Pharmacists were naturally outraged by the remarks, accusing the government of trying to ruin business for them and squeeze them out of the infant formula market. After a severe shortage in the product last year, the Armed Forces had stepped in to begin importing formula that they would sell through pharmacies at reduced prices of EGP 30 instead of EGP 60 per pack.