Bargain pharmacies undercutting market, says Pharmacy Guild

Local pharmacies remain under pressure with the proliferation of bargain chain stores throughout the country, undercutting the market by not charging the $5 co-payment prescription fee. The Pharmacy Guild is once again calling for the fee to be scrapped, saying small local businesses can't afford to cover the cost themselves, and are losing out to big corporates like Chemist Warehouse and Bargain Chemist. Taranaki is the latest region to feel the pinch with two such stores opening soon. The Guild's chief executive Andrew Gaudin told Emma Hatton the playing field needed to be levelled - and fast.