The court had found the Countdown pharmacies were acting unlawfully and had invalid licences from the Ministry of Health, he said.
It had also directed the pharmacies’ licences be quashed, he added.
“The court has invited submissions from Countdown though, and deferred the quashing reliant on those submissions.”
Pharmacy ownership was a “complex thing”, Cannons said, but two things were required.
“Firstly, a licence from the Ministry of Health, where among other things, you have to demonstrate 51 per cent shareholding by a pharmacist, and that pharmacist - or group of pharmacists - has to have effective control of the pharmacy company.
“And the second thing that you require is a contract from your local Te Whatu Ora district, or what was your DHB.”
Cannons said the court had found that the pharmacists who are shareholders in Countdown [pharmacies] did not have effective control of the company, which made the licences illegal.
“I’m over the moon, it’s a David and Goliath win for us ... it’s wonderful.”
He told RNZ he was unsure what implications the ruling may have for Australian-owned discount pharmacy chains operating in New Zealand.
“We’re not sure ... that will come out when the Ministry of Health make their submissions to the court around the effective control ownership and ... the structure of the pharmacy companies.
However, he said: “The thing that I see is that we don’t want the health of New Zealanders in the hand of Australian corporates.”
