FECC focuses on pharmaceutical sector

Shortly after its establishment in 2013, the Federal Economic Competition Commission (FECC) drafted its strategic plan for 2014 to 2017. The plan established the criteria for determining where the FECC should focus its attention in regards to enhancing competition.(1) The FECC also issued a public consultation document(2) seeking feedback regarding which sectors should be prioritised based on the previously defined criteria. The results of this public consultation indicated that the pharmaceutical sector should be a priority for the FECC, particularly regarding the sale of medicines to public health institutions and these institutions’ IP rights. As such, the strategic plan acknowledged that there is a lack of competition in the pharmaceutical sector, which has led to a 33% to 46% reduction in households that can afford to buy pharmaceutical products