Certain pharmaceuticals from Schering-Plough, Novartis, AstraZeneca and others have seen price reductions from 12% to 40% over the past few days. Journalist Daryelin Torres reported for El Caribe that popular anti-allergy medicines such as Clarityn, analgesics like Cataflan, and erectile dysfunction medicines like Viagra have all dropped in price. So have certain cancer drugs, medicines for skin infections and drugs to fight high cholesterol. According to Tony Rodriguez, the head of the National Pharmacy Owners? Association, told Torres that the downward move began about a month and a half ago, but the wholesalers that import the medicines do not have an effective method of translating these price adjustments to the consumer due to the fluctuating exchange rate. A representative of AstraZeneca told the reporter that over the past two years the cost of most medicines has gone up 200% and 300% due to the devaluation of the Dominican peso. Recently, however, they have seen prices fall by 30%. For examples of the new prices, the reporter referred to Clarityn, which previously sold for RD$95 and is now tagged at RD$67, and Viagra, which used to go for RD$420 and now costs RD$334.