Penalty unfair

As a recently retired pharmacist, with significant experience in the Canterbury and Nelson/Tasman regions, I would like to comment on your article (June 6) regarding the recent penalties imposed on Prices Pharmacy.

This pharmacy has an exemplary record of primary healthcare service to the residents of Nelson spanning over 50 years. This included a 365-day service programme providing for up to 12 hours per day emergency healthcare cover, rest home care and medicine deliveries.

Stuart Hebberd and, latterly, Jason Wright oversaw the development of a retail pharmacy and health care service that was exemplary in New Zealand. They both gave additional time and skill to represent the profession at a national level on the Pharmacy Guild, local DHBs and primary healthcare organisations.

They were not ringleaders in developing the 2016 agreement to impose additional fees to cover the shortfall of pharmacy funding from the Nelson/Marlborough DHB at that time. They were participants along with 12 other Nelson/ Tasman pharmacies who engaged to agree on an acceptable method of recouping the funding shortfall for medicines provided. These early meetings included legal advice but did not include setting the fee that each pharmacy should charge.

It is, therefore, a grave injustice that of 13 participating pharmacies only one was charged with anticompetitive behaviour by the Commerce Commission.

All 13 pharmacies were equally complicit in organising and undertaking this programme of charging and all 13 should, therefore, be held accountable for payment of the harsh fine imposed on Prices Pharmacy by the courts. Stuart Irvine Nelson, June 15