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In spring it was protective masks, disinfectants and, at some point, even toilet paper. A new panic product has been available since yesterday: Private individuals are trying to sell Corona’s supposed miracle drug, Echinaforce, at exorbitant prices on Swiss online trading platforms.
A study by the Spiez Laboratory certified that the preparation kills the coronavirus in cell tests. However, it is not very clear whether it has a similar effect on the human body. But that doesn’t detract from the huge demand.
After pharmacists could barely save themselves yesterday from Echinaforce customers, online opinions also seem to have been made: a ricardo.ch seller asked 90 francs for Echinaforce drops. A considerable increase in price: the original price in the pharmacy is between 13 and 32 francs, depending on the size of the package.
Another Ricardo salesman wanted 100 francs for a pack of Echinaforce capsules; claims the product is used. In the photo you can also see that the bottle is already open and the seller is balancing the tablets in his palm.
However, the effort is not worth it for the seller who has become a drug dealer in the short term. The online trading platforms ricardo.ch and tutti.ch remove all ads relatively quickly. In total there have been around 45 offers since yesterday. “Since Echinaforce’s products belong to drug category D, Ricardo is not allowed to sell them,” says a spokeswoman for the platform.
The seller faces criminal prosecution
The Drug Law gets in the way. Although preparations like Echinaforce do not have a prescription, they can only be administered after the advice of a specialist, something that anonymous online sellers can hardly offer.
If you want to make some money off the Echinaforce hype, you risk a lot. A license is required for the sale of drugs. Those who do not have them and still sell them face criminal prosecution. The sentence is up to three years in prison or a fine, as a Swissmedic spokesperson says. In addition to the removal campaigns on the platforms, a Swissmedic unit is also in the process of requesting removal of the ads.
After a study by Spiez Laboratory reported that it was effective in laboratory tests and the headline “Natural remedies work against Corona!” In print, customers were already opening the door to physical pharmacies. In a Basel pharmacy, the preparation ran out yesterday at 9 am Several pharmacists called for supplies and customers ran out of stores with their hands full of boxes of Echinaforce.
