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A Blow to Free Competition in the Chilean Pharmaceutical Industry
From Universia Knowledge@ Wharton
The pharmaceutical sector in Chile has played a major role in a questionable chapter of the country’s history ever since March, when the Court of Free Competition (TDLC) accused the Ahumada, Cruz Verde and Salcobrand pharmacy chains – which together have 92% share of the market – of colluding to raise the prices of 222 critical medications between December 2007 and April 2009.
Beyond the impact on the companies involved, there is another issue: Chilean consumers are now wondering why the principle of free competition has failed in a market that was supposedly regulated.... >>>>Go to Full Story >>>
Chile's Antibiotics Use on Salmon Farms Dwarfs That of a Top Rival's
By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO | The New York Times
Chile used almost 350 times more antibiotics in its farmed salmon in 2008 than Norway, its chief competitor and the largest salmon producer in the world, according to official data from both countries.
Chile's Economy Ministry revealed this month that Chile used almost 718,000 pounds of antibiotics in 2008 and more than 850,000 pounds in 2007. Based on information published by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, that was about 346 times the amount of antibiotics Norway used in 2008 (2,075 pounds), and almost 600 times the amount Norway used in 2007.
Chile's economy minister, Hugo Lavados, detailed Chile’s use of antibiotics in salmon production in response to a request for information by the environmental group Oceana under the country's new information access law. It was the first time the government had released such figures publicly, environmental groups said. "The ministry's numbers confirm that the Chilean salmon industry has abused the use of antibiotics," said Alex Munoz, Oceana's vice president for South America. "They also show that the Chilean government has placed a higher priority on ensuring the profitability of a business sector than protecting consumers and the nation's ecosystems."
Chile, the world's second biggest salmon exporter, has been struggling since 2007 to contain the spread of a virus that is killing millions of its fish. The industry has said it needs the antibiotics to combat other fish-borne illnesses like rickettsia, parasitic bacteria carried by sea lice, which causes infection-prone lesions. Environmentalists have blamed unsanitary conditions, including cramped pens, for giving rise to the illnesses. >>> Go to Full Story >>>
