Concentration of entrepreneurs on the pharmaceutical market: selected issues
Aim:The article has been selected due to the need to determine the legal basis for the consolidation of entrepreneurs on the pharmaceutical market and to identify the difference from the common pattern established by the regulations set forth in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act dated 16 February 2007. The selection of an enactment (the Competition and Consumer Protection Act or the Pharmaceutical Law Act) as the appropriate basis for ruling shapes the legal status of an entrepreneur on the pharmaceutical market, in particular with respect to selecting specific remedies. Design / Research methods:The text of enactments was analyzed using mainly the linguistic method. The aim of the analyzed regulations and the system of values protected by law were also investigated. Conclusions / findings:The regulations concerning anti-competition consolidation on the pharmaceutical market set forth in the Pharmaceutical Law Acta are lex specialis with respect to solutions adopted in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act (this applies only to issuing a permit for running a retail pharmacy and a limited service pharmacy). These regulations are related with respect to content but, simultaneously, they differ with respect to the adopted consolidation criteria (qualitative criterion: the Competition and Consumer Protection Act, and quantitative criterion: the Pharmaceutical Law Act). The regulations set forth in the Competition and Consumer Protection Act apply also to consolidation on the pharmaceutical market since the obligation to report a consolidation intent is not specific to the industry in which the consolidation takes place. It means that President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is competent to study the consolidation status and issue decisions related to consolidation on the pharmaceutical market, and entrepreneurs can appeal from the President’s decisions to the Regional Court in Warsaw. Originality / value of the article:The approach presented is not present in the current literature which is the main value of the article. The subject matter of the article can be interesting for entrepreneurs present on the pharmaceutical market and law practitioners.