Cardinal Health has been informed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the company may have to divest nuclear pharmacies in three cities.
The order follows from a proposed FTC settlement related to Cardinal Health's August 2009 acquisition of Biotech, according to a report by the Dow Jones Newswires.
The FTC asserted the acquisition stifled competition for radiopharmaceuticals in Las Vegas; Albuquerque, NM; and El Paso, TX, because Cardinal Health closed those nuclear pharmacies and moved them to the former Biotech locations, according to the report. FTC is asking Cardinal Health to reconstitute the three nuclear pharmacies and to sell each one to a buyer approved by the FTC.
The FTC will take comments on the order until August 22 before issuing a final ruling, according to the report.
