The National Community Pharmacists Association is warning officials about the impact it says vertical integration is having on the healthcare space. The organization shared comments with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, which issued draft guidelines on vertical mergers in the healthcare industry earlier this year.
In his comments, NCPA CEO Doug Hoey called the rise of vertical integration in health care “an oligopoly of integrated healthcare companies controlling nearly all aspects of the healthcare and pharmacy supply chain." Hoey also said, "These vertical mergers have allowed a handful of massive companies to exercise enormous power over patients and the marketplace. In many cases, we believe they are creating for themselves unfair advantages that are driving up patient costs and killing local businesses."
Print Page
Email to a Friend