Research and analysis

Competition Act 1998 abuse of dominance: evaluation of OFT decision

An independently reviewed evaluation of the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) 2011 decision on Reckitt Benckiser’s abuse of dominance in the market.

Documents

Evaluation of OFT decision

Details

In 2011, the OFT found that Reckitt Benckiser had abused a dominant position in the market by withdrawing the supply of prescription packs of Gaviscon Original Liquid to pharmacists.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has evaluated the impact of this decision. This report, which has been subject to independent academic review, outlines the findings.

The report:

  • assesses the potential for generic competition in this market without the withdrawal
  • analyses the direct impact of the OFT’s decision
  • estimates the value of saving to the NHS that might have been realised without the withdrawal
Published 23 October 2015