Publication: Rekabet hukuku bakımından ilaç sektöründeki dağıtım sözleşmelerine yönelik sınırlamalar
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Master's thesis
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Unpublished
Abstract
Ülkemizde ilacın üretimi, pazarlanması, satışı ve dağıtımı regülasyonlara tabii olarak gerçekleşir. Dağıtım, üretimi takip eden süreçte ürünlerin ihtiyaç sahiplerine ulaşmasını sağlayan bir ticari faaliyettir. Türkiye'de ilaçlar bizzat ilaç üreticileri tarafından değil, bağımsız dağıtıcılar olan ecza depoları tarafından aralarındaki dağıtım sözleşmeleri uyarınca serbest eczanelere veya ihale kanalıyla kamu/özel sağlık kuruluşlarına dağıtılır. Bu iki kanal bakımından yapılan sözleşmelerin tarafları, konusu ve sonuçları birbirine benzese de söz konusu sözleşmelerin hukuki nitelikleri birbirinden farklıdır. Dağıtım anlaşmaları bir ürün pazarının sağlayıcı konumundaki ilaç firmaları ile dağıtım kademesinde faaliyet gösteren ecza depoları arasında alım-satım veya yeniden satıma ilişkin hükümler içermesi nedeniyle rekabet hukuku bakımından "dikey anlaşma" olarak nitelendirilirler. Bu yönüyle, dağıtım anlaşmalarına RKHK md. 4'teki sınırlamalar uygulanır. Öte yandan, bu anlaşmalar yarattıkları faydalar nedeniyle bireysel muafiyet ve özellikle grup muafiyeti düzenlemeleri bakımından da incelenir. Biz bu çalışmamızda, birinci bölümde, ilaç firmaları ile ecza depoları arasında serbest eczanelere ilaç teminini konu alan dağıtım sözleşmelerini inceledik. Bu sözleşmenin özelliklerini dikkate alarak hukuki niteliğine ilişkin değerlendirmelerimize yer verdik. Ayrıca, Rekabet Kurulu kararlarında sıkça rastlandığından ihale kanalındaki sözleşmeleri de kıyasen inceledik. İkinci bölümde ise ilaç sektöründeki dağıtım sözleşmelerine yönelik rekabet hukukundan ileri gelen sınırlamalar üzerinde durduk ve bu sözleşmeleri muafiyet rejimi bakımından kurul kararları ışığında ele aldık.
In Türkiye, the production, marketing, sale and distribution of medicines are subject to regulations. Distribution is a commercial activity that ensures the delivery of products to end-users following the manufacturing process. The pharmaceuticals are distributed by independent distributors known as pharmaceutical warehouses to pharmacies or through tenders to public/private healthcare institutions based on distribution agreements. Although the parties to the contract, its subject and the results of the commercial activity are similar between these two channels, the legal qualities of the contracts are different from each other. Distribution agreements are considered "vertical agreements" in terms of competition law because they contain provisions regarding purchase-sale or resale between pharmaceutical companies that are providers of a product market and pharmaceutical warehouses operating at the distribution level. Consequently, distribution agreements are subject to restrictions outlined in Article 4 of the Competition Law. However, these agreements are also examined for individual exemption and especially group exemption regulations based on the benefits they bring. In this study, we examined the distribution agreements between pharmaceutical companies and pharmaceutical warehouses regarding the supply of drugs to independent pharmacies in the first section. We included our evaluations regarding the legal nature of this contract, taking into account its characteristics. Additionally, we comparatively analyzed contracts in the tender channel, commonly encountered in decisions of the Competition Board. In the second section, we focused on the restrictions arising from competition law limitations on distribution agreements and analyzed these contracts in the light of exemption regulations based on decisions of the Competition Board.
In Türkiye, the production, marketing, sale and distribution of medicines are subject to regulations. Distribution is a commercial activity that ensures the delivery of products to end-users following the manufacturing process. The pharmaceuticals are distributed by independent distributors known as pharmaceutical warehouses to pharmacies or through tenders to public/private healthcare institutions based on distribution agreements. Although the parties to the contract, its subject and the results of the commercial activity are similar between these two channels, the legal qualities of the contracts are different from each other. Distribution agreements are considered "vertical agreements" in terms of competition law because they contain provisions regarding purchase-sale or resale between pharmaceutical companies that are providers of a product market and pharmaceutical warehouses operating at the distribution level. Consequently, distribution agreements are subject to restrictions outlined in Article 4 of the Competition Law. However, these agreements are also examined for individual exemption and especially group exemption regulations based on the benefits they bring. In this study, we examined the distribution agreements between pharmaceutical companies and pharmaceutical warehouses regarding the supply of drugs to independent pharmacies in the first section. We included our evaluations regarding the legal nature of this contract, taking into account its characteristics. Additionally, we comparatively analyzed contracts in the tender channel, commonly encountered in decisions of the Competition Board. In the second section, we focused on the restrictions arising from competition law limitations on distribution agreements and analyzed these contracts in the light of exemption regulations based on decisions of the Competition Board.