In August 2005, the Ottawa-based International Development Research Centre (IDRC) issued a call for proposals to study competition issues in the distribution sector in developing countries. The IDRC offered ten grants of up to CAD 50,000 each to support research efforts by competition authorities.
The Fair Trading Commission (FTC) in Jamaica submitted a proposal to study impediments to competition in the distribution of pharmaceuticals in Jamaica, specifically those prescription medications that are used in the treatment of the following five chronic ailments: arthritis, asthma, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol.