Brno, March 10, 2026 — The Czech competition authority has approved the acquisition of a group of pharmacies by a major pharmacy chain, subject to a condition designed to preserve competition in one local market.
The Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) said in a first-instance decision that Česká lékárna holding (ČLH), part of the investment group Penta Investments, may acquire most of the pharmacies involved in the transaction but must refrain from taking over one outlet in the city of Přerov. The decision has already become final.
ČLH operates the Dr. Max pharmacy network in the Czech Republic and focuses on acquiring and managing pharmacies across the country. The wider Penta group operates across several sectors in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, including healthcare services, social care, pharmacy retail, pharmaceutical wholesale and other industries. In the Czech Republic, the group is also active in wholesale pharmaceutical distribution through ViaPharma.
The transaction involved 12 pharmacies previously owned by Pražská lékárnická, which belongs to the Česká lékárnická group. The outlets are located in several Czech towns and cities, including Prague, Přerov, Havířov, Jablonec nad Nisou, Loděnice, Řevnice, Sázava, Třinec and Vamberk.
During its review, the authority focused on the retail market for pharmaceutical products sold directly to consumers, particularly assessing local market conditions. Regulators examined the competitive situation within several-kilometre catchment areas around each pharmacy, analysing the market shares of Penta’s pharmacies and competing outlets as well as the expected changes after the acquisition.
In most locations, the authority concluded that the merger would not significantly reduce competition, mainly because several competing pharmacies operate within the same local areas.
However, the situation in Přerov raised concerns. According to the authority, acquiring both pharmacies in the city would significantly strengthen the market position of the Dr. Max chain, which was already strong there. Competition is also weaker in the area because rival pharmacy chains have limited presence and several pharmacies have recently closed.
To address these concerns, the acquiring company offered a commitment not to purchase one of the two pharmacies in Přerov from the seller.
“The proposed commitment is sufficient to maintain a competitive environment and ensure adequate choice for consumer-patients in the locality,” said Kamil Nejezchleb, vice-chairman of the competition authority. He added that Penta will also be prohibited from acquiring control of that pharmacy for at least 10 years.
The authority also concluded that the merger does not raise concerns about a substantial restriction of competition in the nationwide wholesale market for pharmaceutical products supplied to pharmacies.
