Dominican Republic Lifts Price Controls on COVID-19 Prevention Products
The Dominican Republic has officially liberalized the pricing of products recommended for preventing COVID-19 infections, effective March 20, 2026. This decision, published in the Official State Gazette on March 12, 2026, repeals regulations that controlled public sales prices of masks and self-diagnosis tests since 2020.
End of Price Controls
Order SND/222/2026 marks the end of Order SND/354/2020, which had guaranteed public access to hygienic products during the health crisis. The Ministry of Health determined that maintaining price controls was no longer necessary given the stabilization of the epidemiological situation.
Products Affected
The price liberalization applies to the following products:
- Disposable surgical masks
- Hygienic masks
- Self-diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests
- Healthy skin antiseptics and gels
- Hydroalcoholic solutions of a cosmetic nature
Legal Framework
The regulatory basis for this change is found in article 94.3 of the consolidated text of the Law of Guarantees and Rational Use of Medicines and Health Products. An amendment to this article allowed the State to intervene in pricing during the pandemic, a measure the Ministry of Health now deems unnecessary.
Justification and Process
The Ministry of Health justified the rule based on the principles of necessity, effectiveness, and proportionality as outlined in Law 39/2015. With the health crisis declared over, maintaining price intervention was considered illogical and imposed unnecessary administrative burdens. The Ministry consulted affected sectors, autonomous communities, and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, as well as the Permanent Pharmacy Commission of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System, during the rule-making process.
Constitutional Basis
The order was issued under article 149.1.16 of the Spanish Constitution, which grants the State exclusive jurisdiction over pharmaceutical product legislation.
This liberalization represents the closure of one of the last exceptional regulatory chapters stemming from the 2020 emergency.
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