THE Pharmacy Guild of Australia is continuing to highlight its concerns about the proposed merger of Sigma and Chemist Warehouse to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) by responding to its Statement of Issues (PD 14 Jun).
The Guild expressed concerns that the reverse takeover of Sigma by Chemist Warehouse could lead to higher prices, reduced service quality, and a decline in the world-class healthcare provided by Australia's community pharmacies.
Additionally, the Guild highlighted potential issues such as discriminatory or self-preferencing conduct by Chemist Warehouse, the risk of pharmacies currently supplied by Sigma being foreclosed, and the use of the wholesaler's data assets to undermine the competitive position of other pharmacies.
Speaking to Pharmacy Daily, the ACCC confirmed that the proposed merger is undergoing an informal merger review.
This process aims to provide timely decisions on merger proposals, although the duration depends on the quality of information from the merger parties, the complexity of the acquisition, and the necessity of market inquiries, it stated.
The ACCC also informed that the review's findings, originally set for release on 05 Sep, have been postponed pending further information from Sigma and Chemist Warehouse.
"We are still waiting for more information from key parties Sigma and Chemist Warehouse, and a new date will eventually be provided," said an ACCC spokesperson. JG
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