FTC hands out mixed ruling to Benco, Patterson, Schein

October 16, 2019 — Henry Schein was cleared of conspiracy charges in an October 16 ruling by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). However, fellow defendants Patterson Companies and Benco were found to have conspired to refuse to offer discounted prices or otherwise compete for the business of buying groups of independent dentists.

The ruling by D. Michael Chappell, the FTC’s chief administrative law judge, comes after the FTC alleged that Henry Schein, Patterson, and Benco Dental violated U.S. antitrust laws by conspiring to refuse to provide discounts to, or otherwise serve, buying groups representing dental practitioners.

“Complaint Counsel [the FTC] has met its burden of proving that Benco and Patterson conspired to refuse to discount to or otherwise compete for the business of buying groups,” Chappell wrote in his decision. “Complaint Counsel has failed to meet its burden of proving a conspiracy involving Schein.”

Source: FTC hands out mixed ruling to Benco, Patterson, Schein / Dr. Bicuspid.com

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