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The State Tax Administration, the State Inspection for Prices, and the State Inspection for Quality of Medicines will start checks at drug stores from November 2 to make sure drug stores have medicines from the list endorsed by the Health Ministry and to check the prices of medicines

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced this during the conference call meeting on Saturday.

"All of the said organizations will start from Monday (November 2) to control each drug store," she said.

Tymoshenko said the government won't tolerate higher prices of medicines at drug stores during the A(H1N1) flu epidemic.

'We won't allow pillage on those troubles Ukraine faces now. The owners of drug stores, and drug stores engaged in the pillage will be immediately deprived licenses for good," the prime minister said.

She said the government considers one of its priorities the provision of drug stores and hospitals with the required list of medicines.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Health Ministry on October 30 declared the A(H1N1) flu epidemic throughout Ukraine.

The Cabinet of Ministers has introduced quarantine in nine regions, banned organization of mass events, and closed schools for three weeks because of the epidemic influenza.