STAT+: Belgian antitrust regulator fines three companies $12.8 million over pharmacy displays

The Belgian antitrust regulator sanctioned some of the largest purveyors of over-the-counter medicines — Haleon, Kenvue, and Boehringer Ingelheim — the equivalent of $12.8 million for engaging in a long-running scheme that favored placement of their products in pharmacies.

Known as category management arrangements, this involves using one or more companies allegedly conspiring to ensure their products receive favorable placement in stores. This is generally accomplished by using a planogram, which is a diagram that shows how and where specific products should be placed on retail shelves or displays to entice customers.

These arrangements are not generally viewed as anti-competitive. But in this instance, the Belgian Competition Authority found the effort excluded competitive products in the planograms for over-the-counter medicines in pharmacies and that all three companies monitored the arrangements in pre-selected pharmacies.

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