Court of Appeal quashes challenge to Woolworths pharmacy contracts

Countdown pharmacy and supermarket (now Woolworths) in Wainuiomata. (Image: BusinessDesk)

Wed, 03 Sep 2025

Local health authorities in Lower Hutt and Gisborne correctly followed the law when awarding contracts to Woolworths pharmacies, the Court of Appeal has ruled.The court has struck down an appeal by a group of independent pharmacies that challenged the decisions made by the former Hutt Valley and Hauora Tairāwhiti district health boards (DHBs), now part of Health New Zealand (HNZ).The two-day appeal was heard before Justices Jillian Mallon, Rebecca Ellis and Francis Cooke in September 2024.'Effective control'In 2023, the Independent Comm...

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