German Watchdog Allows Phoenix & Noventi To Launch Digital Health Platform

Germany’s Bundeskartellamt has cleared under merger control the planned launch of a joint venture by the Phoenix Group subsidiary ADG Apotheken-Dienstleistungsgesellschaft mbH, Mannheim, and the pharmacy services provider Noventi Health SE, Munich.

The joint venture is intended to operate an extensive digital platform for health services and products, which, apart from the purchase and reservation of prescription-only and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals from a pharmacy, is also to enable other functions in the medium term such as e.g. online video consultations with a doctor.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt said, “The introduction of the electronic prescription next year will significantly boost innovation in the sale of pharmaceuticals. Different players are currently developing digital offers in this area. In this sensitive market phase we want to make sure that markets remain open and unilateral developments do not occur early on. In particular, it is important for us that the brick-and-mortar pharmacies can be simultaneously connected to several platforms and switch between different offers. Lastly, they should have the possibility to operate their own joint platforms.”

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