GIRP and Alliance Boots announce settlement agreement and withdrawal of claims

30 September 2009

GIRP and Alliance Boots are pleased to announce that they have settled their disputes and withdrawn all judicial claims against each other.

The agreement with Alliance Boots follows detailed discussions and is the result of GIRP having taken into account the governance concerns and other issues raised by Alliance Boots in 2007, and follows the decision by GIRP to overhaul its constitution, representative bodies and procedures to make GIRP less susceptible to the influence of special interest groups and more representative of the overall interests of its membership. GIRP also recognises Direct to Pharmacy logistics services arrangements provided by full line wholesalers. Specific contracts, signed by a particular member, as such, are not proper matters for action or opinion by GIRP.

As a result, GIRP recognises and reaffirms its role as a trade association to represent the full line pharmaceutical wholesaling industry on matters affecting the industry as a whole and its intention to refrain from involving itself in issues which are solely a matter of competitive activity or strategic issues between its members.

In relation to the position of GIRP on DTP, both parties regret that the matter has become contentious. 

ENDS

Editor's Notes:

Alliance Boots is a leading international pharmacy-led health and beauty group offering a wide range of products and services to our customers working in close partnership with manufacturers and pharmacists. Our two core business activities are pharmacy-led health and beauty retailing and pharmaceutical wholesaling. Alliance Boots is privately-owned and employs over 115,000* people. Its wholesale and distribution network serves over 140,000* pharmacies, doctors, health centres and hospitals from over 370* pharmaceutical wholesale distribution centres in 16* countries. We operate more than 3,200* health and beauty retail stores in nine* countries, of which just under 3,000* have a pharmacy.

 * Figures stated are as at 31 March 2009, are approximate and include associates and joint ventures.

For further information, please contact:

Yves Romestan / Zoe Farthing, Alliance Boots Tel: +44 (0) 1932 871569

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