The Czech competition authority has granted approval for Česká lékárna holding, part of the Penta group, to acquire a number of pharmacies from Česká lékárnická, with the stipulation that it must not acquire a pharmacy located in Přerov.

Česká lékárna holding operates the Dr. Max pharmacy chain in the Czech Republic and is part of Penta Investments Group Limited, which is active in various sectors across Central and Eastern Europe, including healthcare services and pharmacy retail.

The transaction involves twelve pharmacies located in various cities, including Prague and Přerov. The authority assessed the impact of the merger on the retail pharmaceutical market, particularly focusing on local market shares and competition.

While the authority found no significant reduction in competition in most areas, it identified potential risks in Přerov, where acquiring two pharmacies could strengthen Dr. Max's market position significantly. To mitigate this, the company proposed not to acquire one of the pharmacies in Přerov, which the authority deemed sufficient to maintain competition in the area.

The authority also confirmed that the merger would not substantially disrupt competition in the national wholesale pharmaceutical market.