The Pharmacy Guild, one of the country’s most influential industry groups, says the proposed reverse takeover of Sigma Healthcare by Chemist Warehouse poses “significant questions and risks” to patient care, community pharmacy ownership, and competition in the sector.

In its first intervention into the deal, the details of which are expected to be announced by Monday, the Guild said the tie-up could also jeopardise the future of a government program known as the community service obligation wholesaling, which makes it commercially viable for drug wholesalers to supply PBS medicines to 5800 chemists across the country.