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Colombia: Regulator to probe optometrist guild over barriers

By  |  November 7, 2016

Colombian market regulator SIC has announced a new investigation into the optometrist and ophtalmologist professional guilds, seeking to find evidence of alleged practices limiting free competition by preventing the establishment of ‘online’ contact lens retailers.

The measure was announced last Wednesday, following allegations that the Colombian Federation of Optometrists (FEDOPTO) had launched a campaign with “skewed information” which spoke against the sale of mass-produced disposable contact lenses by quoting non-existent restrictions. Charges were filed agains FEDOPTO and 9 individuals: José Manuel Gómez, Sandra Garzón, Marco Aurelio Torres, Olga Garzón, Genny Castillo, Héctor Pérez, María del Pilar Serrato, Ricardo Arenas y Karen Khalife.

Victoria Virviescas, Chairwoman of Colombia’s consumer advocacy group CCCE, applauded the SIC’s decision, saying “there must be no barriers to selling products on the internet, which are now expanding into the traditional world.”

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