部長級幹部が受注調整か　薬価引き下げに危機感―医薬品談合・東京地検など

　独立行政法人「地域医療機能推進機構」（東京）が発注した医療用医薬品の入札をめぐる談合事件で、東京地検特捜部と公正取引委員会から捜索を受けた卸大手のメディセオ（東京都中央区）など４社の部長級幹部が入札前に集まり、受注を調整していた疑いがあることが１４日、関係者への取材で分かった。
　談合の動機として、薬の公定価格（薬価）引き下げで各社が収益確保に危機感を抱いた可能性があることも判明。特捜部は入札に関わった各社幹部からも事情聴取し、詳しい経緯などを調べる。
　４社はメディセオ、アルフレッサ（千代田区）、東邦薬品（世田谷区）、スズケン（名古屋市東区）。いずれも２０１６年と１８年、同機構が運営する全国５７カ所の病院用として発注した医療用医薬品の入札で、事前に調整し落札者を決めるなどした独禁法違反（不当な取引制限）の疑いが持たれている。（2020/10/14-05:16）

Division chief-level officials at four major Japanese drug wholesalers at the center of a suspected bid-rigging case may have played a major role in the irregularities, informed sources said Wednesday.
   The officials of Mediceo Corp., Alfresa Corp., Toho Pharmaceutical Co. and Suzuken Co. are suspected of holding meetings before the bidding to adjust their bids, according to the sources.
   The sources also said that concerns among the four companies about difficulties generating profits following cuts in government-set prices of ethical drugs may have been behind the suspected bid-rigging.
   The four firms were raided by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's special investigation squad and the Fair Trade Commission on Tuesday for allegedly preselecting winners for orders from the government-affiliated Japan Community Health Care Organization, or JCHO, in 2016 and 2018 to supply drugs for use at 57 JCHO-operated hospitals across Japan in violation of the antimonopoly law. The special squad is set to question the company officials.
   According to the sources, the companies may have attempted to secure profits by keeping the prices of drugs supplied to JCHO at high levels through bid-rigging as the business environment surrounding the firms was increasingly tough due to drug price cuts by the government.