Asda says the "anti-competitive" retail price maintenance regulations governing dispensing chemists will not stop its programme of pharmacy expansion. The chain announced this week that it has bought 48 in-store Moss NHS pharmacies. The deal, worth £100m over the next two years, covers the acquisition of NHS contracts as well as supplies from Moss parent company Unichem to Asda's entire pharmacy chain. Contracts will be transferred to Asda from Alliance UniChem by April 2001. All 463 Moss employees at the concessions will become Asda "colleagues" and 100 extra pharmacists will be recruited to extend opening hours said Asda. Asda already owns instore pharmacies at 28 of its 240 stores. It said it wants to profit from Wal-Mart's experience as a leading US drug store operator. A spokesman added Asda "had seen signs "that the UK government was to abandon price fixing on over the counter medicines. Health and beauty director Penny Coates said: "Our goal is simple ­ a dispensing chemist in every one of our stores to serve the shopping community." {{NEWS }}

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