ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Oct. 28, 2021) – The National Community Pharmacists Association is joining with other Main Street business groups to launch the Main Street Competition Coalition today. The group represents business owners from across markets who have been harmed by unfair exercises of market power.
In their first act as a coalition, the members sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission urging action in response to rampant economic discrimination throughout the economy. The coalition specifically suggests updating and enforcing the Robinson-Patman Act against dominant firms’ anticompetitive tactics, including price discrimination, channel discrimination and unfair prioritization in shortage scenarios, with the aim of creating an even playing field for all businesses.
"In recent years — in pharmacy and across industries — vertical mergers between dominant companies have led to monopolistic practices that are stamping out competition and choking the life out of small businesses," said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist, MBA. "The Main Street Competition Coalition will keep the pressure on regulators and policymakers to step up antitrust enforcement efforts and end unfair market actions that hurt our organizations’ members and their patients or customers."
In addition to NCPA, members of the coalition include the National Grocers Association, American Beverage Licensees, National Association of Convenience Stores, Energy Marketers Association, Protect Our Restaurants, the Organic Farmers Association, and others. See the letter for the full list of members.
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Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing nearly 19,400 pharmacies that employ 215,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America's most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.
