過去３回、全て４社落札　独法発注の医薬品入札―当初から受注分配か・公取委

　独立行政法人「地域医療機能推進機構」が発注した医療用医薬品の入札をめぐる談合疑惑で、過去３回の同内容の入札全てで医薬品卸大手４社のみが参加し、いずれも落札していたことが２８日、同機構への取材で分かった。対象医薬品はグループ分けされており、公正取引委員会は利益を分け合えるよう、当初から受注調整を繰り返していた疑いもあるとみて調べている。
　同機構によると、問題となったのは運営する全国５７カ所の病院で使う２年分の医療用医薬品の入札で、機構が発足した２０１４年以降、２年ごとに３回実施。約８０００品目の医薬品は製薬会社などに応じて１４０～１５０のグループに分けられ、それぞれ最も安い価格で入札した業者が落札する仕組みだった。
　入札に参加したのは、３回ともメディセオ、アルフレッサ、スズケン、東邦薬品の大手４社のみで、いずれも何らかのグループを落札していた。１回の契約金額は１社当たり１５０億～２００億円程度で、総額７００億～８００億円だった。（2019/11/28-05:29）

All three tenders held by a Japanese government-linked body for ethical drugs were won by any of four major domestic pharmaceutical wholesalers suspected of bid-rigging, it was learned Thursday.
   The four--Mediceo Corp., Alfresa Corp., Suzuken Co. and Toho Pharmaceutical Co.--were the only participants in each of the tenders by the Japan Community Health Care Organization (JCHO), according to sources in the institution.
   The Fair Trade Commission is investigating the case, suspecting that the four companies have been continuing the malpractice since the JCHO was established, in an attempt to share profits.
   Since its launch in 2014, the government-backed body has conducted three rounds of tenders, with each of them covering two years' supplies of 8,000 drugs for use at 57 hospitals it operates in the country. The drugs were divided into 140-150 groups in each tender. The four companies each won contracts for one or more groups, according to the sources.
   In each of the three rounds of tenders, each firm received contracts worth 15 billion to 20 billion yen, with the combined value of the deals won by the four companies coming to 70 billion to 80 billion yen, the sources said.