Germany | German Competition Authority Authorises Online Pharmacy and Healthcare Platform
- 21/12/2020
- Articles
The Bundeskartellamt, the German competition authority (BKA), authorised today under German merger control rules a proposed joint venture company (JV) to run a digital healthcare platform for the purchase and ordering of both prescription and over-the-counter medicines and other functions such as patient-physician videoconferences (see, attached press release). The JV is owned by ADG Apotheken-Dienstleistunggesellschaft mbH, a subsidiary of major medicine wholesaler Phoenix, and Noventi Health SE, a subsidiary of the pharmacists’ association FSA e.V., which offers services to pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.
According to the BKA, the digital healthcare platform epitomises the innovation in the sector. At the same time, it does not create restrictions of competition, given the emergence of competing digital ventures. Additionally, pharmacists running physical retail outlets will be able to work simultaneously with several platforms and switch between them. The BKA specifically pointed out that it had no qualms with pharmacies co-running the JV.
The BKA also noted that it is still too early to provide an overall assessment of pharmacy and healthcare platforms. It preferred to wait for new developments and other concrete examples of similar ventures.
