Business & Money

Ica and Apoteket discuss in-store pharmacies

Published: 24 Aug 09 11:50 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/21648/20090824/

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Swedish state-owned pharmacy chain Apoteket has confirmed that it plans to cooperate with supermarket chain Ica over the in-store sale of non-prescription and prescription drugs.

"We see great possibilities with a future cooperation where we can also offer qualified advice within medications and health at more outlets with longer opening hours," Apoteket's CEO Stefan Carlsson said in a company press release on Monday.

"This will contribute to better service and increased access for customers which is the primary goal of the deregulation of the pharmacy sector," he said.

The firms hope that the first in-store Ica pharmacies will be opened during the first quarter of 2010.

For the partnership to get off the ground the approval of the Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket) is required.

Ica competitor Kooperativa Förbundet (KF) has previous announced a similar cooperation with the Finnish Oriola-KD group.

Sweden's state-run pharmacy monopoly ended on July 1st 2009, paving the way for new entrants into the market for prescription and non-prescription drug sales.

The second stage of the pharmacy monopoly deregulation, set to take effect on November 1st, will allow grocery stores and other retail outlets to sell certain non-prescription drugs to customers over the age of 18.

Peter Vinthagen Simpson (news@thelocal.se/+46 8 656 6518)

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15:37 August 24, 2009 by peropaco
This is good step. Hopefully Systembolaget will follow asap
13:19 August 25, 2009 by Lisaann
Great, but I think ICA monopolizes too much. Give other want-to.be entrepeneurs the opportunity to run independently.
14:15 August 25, 2009 by Marc the Texan
I'm not worried. think it will become a pretty competitive market. Everyone will benefit.
10:51 August 26, 2009 by rafafloripa
There's not such a thing as 'competitive market' in Sweden.
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