Lloyds Pharmacy's parent company is facing a "detailed investigation" by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ahead of its anticipated acquisition of Sainsbury's pharmacy business. Celesio AG operates 1,542 pharmacies across the UK through subsidiary Lloyds Pharmacy Limited, while Sainsbury's owns 277 pharmacy stores. Related Article: Anticoagulant Inhixa recalled due to typo Although the price of prescription medicines is regulated, the watchdog has identified 78 areas where customers may be affected by a loss of competition. They include opening and waiting times, quality of advice, availability of medicines and additional services. The CMA has also indicated that it has been unable to reach a positive conclusion as to whether the merger would lessen competition in other additional local areas. The proposed deal will be referred for an in-depth investigation by an independent group of CMA panel members.