Forced sell of Pharmacy Direct

Coles was forced to sell Pharmacy Direct its cut-price pharmacy chain, which was bought for $48 million in 2006 with annual sales turnover of $35 million. RX Direct Pty Ltd, a company owned by the pharmacist members of the Terry White Chemists Advisory Board, had bought Pharmacy Direct from now.com.au Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Wesfarmers, which owns Coles. The business, changed hands for less than $15 million. Pharmacy Direct, a mostly online chemist that Coles bought two years ago, was not owned by a pharmacist, hence it breached the Pharmacy Act. National president of Pharmacy Guild of Australia Kos Sclavos has been opposing Coles's ownership since 2006 and had been fighting it in court until he won.