After filing an official letter in court two weeks ago, in which it complained that an application to open a pharmacy in Republic Street had been unjustly rejected more than 17 years after the application had been formally submitted, Chemimart Ltd initiated official legal action in court yesterday.

Reginald Fava, in his personal capacity and on behalf of Chemimart Ltd, filed an application before the First Hall of the Civil Court against the Medicines Authority, the Principal Government Doctor, the Health Minister and the Attorney General.

As he did in the official letter, Mr Fava explained that he had filed an application to open a pharmacy in Republic Street, Valletta on 25 April 1990 and this application was, according to him, unjustly turned down on 11 December 2006 and again in March 2007.

He explained that the application had been rejected because of the quota considerations of the Dispensary Licensing Regulations, which in 2003 were replaced by the Pharmacy Licence Regulations.

During this time, he said, six pharmacies in Valletta had closed down their businesses and the Medicines Authority had therefore acted illegally when it rejected his application for a licence to open a pharmacy.

Mr Fava called on the authorities to issue the licence in question and insisted that he had the right to obtain this licence to open a pharmacy and exercise his profession as a pharmacist. He said he was being discriminated against and added that the refusal was in breach of the European Social Charter.

The people against whom the application was filed now have 20 days within which to file an official reply in court.

Dr Edward DeBono signed the writ.