We are opening a pharmacy. How to open a pharmacy: step-by-step instructions for a beginner in the pharmaceutical business

Let's look at the main points of starting a pharmacy business. We will try to answer frequently asked questions.

All pharmacy organizations can be divided into two types according to the nature of their activities and the type of services provided:

these are pharmacies that manufacture medications according to a doctor’s prescription (manufacturing);
pharmacies that only sell finished medications.

Pharmacies are divided according to the types of drugs authorized for sale, and licenses for the type of activity: pharmacies, pharmacy points, pharmacy kiosks and pharmacy stores. This division is provided for by the list of services in the regulatory requirements for each of them.

It should be noted here that a pharmacy and a pharmacy or kiosk are slightly different things. In order to open a pharmacy kiosk or pharmacy, you do not need to open a pharmacy first.

At its core, a pharmacy is the same pharmacy, the only difference is that a pharmacy is supposed to have two material rooms, and a pharmacy has one.

With the kiosk everything is much worse. It cannot sell prescription drugs, which make up the bulk of the pharmacy's revenue. This is bad.

The most profitable of the entire pharmacy structure are pharmacy points, where all the necessary medications are available. In this case, the buyer does not need to look for other pharmacies. He will come to you and buy everything you need in one place.

If you successfully choose the location where the pharmacy will be opened, it will pay for itself in literally six months. Since its area is smaller, which accordingly affects the rent.

And the pharmacy, in turn, pays for itself much longer, since more requirements are placed on it, and their list is much longer. In the best case, if the location is convenient, the pharmacy pays for itself in two years (this is the standard, but in a shopping center it will be faster).

If you decide to open a pharmacy and don’t know where to start, I’ll tell you everything in order: first you need a firm decision, then the required amount and perseverance in achieving the goal.

And, of course, you need to start by finding a place. This is probably the most crucial stage in this matter.

For example, some entrepreneurs began to open obviously unprofitable pharmacies somewhere in the outback, simply in order to create a network.

Then the above-mentioned pharmacy, which is located on the outskirts, closed for an indefinite period (for example, for renovations), and later, another store appeared there, or a discount pharmacy (usually from a different chain).

Here is the answer to the question “how to open a pharmacy in rural areas?” – it’s much easier there, because you can rent a room cheaper. But the market segment and the purchasing power of rural residents differ from the solvency of urban residents for the worse.

The Russian market is not yet oversaturated with pharmacies and pharmacy points. But if you ask the question: “can an individual entrepreneur open a pharmacy,” the answer is ambiguous. This is possible only if the individual entrepreneur has the appropriate pharmaceutical education.

The logic here is unclear, since an individual entrepreneur can have many different types of business and it is impossible to graduate from 20 universities. Why does a pharmacy opened on an individual entrepreneur need appropriate education if the entrepreneur himself will not work there? Question.

But, nevertheless, pharmacies are more often registered as LLCs. And that's right.

Previously, liability for debts did not extend to the founder. This was a big plus. Now, but new legislation is spreading. Here the mood was a little dampened.

And still LLC is better. Firstly, according to the law, an individual entrepreneur can open only one pharmacy for himself. Yes, in fact, networks are also being opened (the non-binding nature of our laws compensates for their strictness), but it is better to work in the legal field.

Then it’s easier to sell the business. In the case of an LLC, simply change the founders, all licenses remain valid.

Therefore, if you are determined to open up, you should think about everything carefully and thoroughly, study all the pros and cons, and make a final decision about whether it is beneficial for you.

In 2003, a law was passed regarding pharmacies, which created additional difficulties for those wishing to open a pharmacy. According to this law, the requirements for the minimum area of pharmacies have increased. However, later these restrictions were canceled and only the requirements for the mandatory set of premises remained.

By cost

Even with such secrecy, seeming unprofitability, and with all the difficulties in obtaining a license, the pharmacy business is not the most difficult business sector. Creating a small pharmacy will cost you from 40 to 50 thousand dollars, and it will pay off in the first 2 to 3 years.

Now we will move on to the main part, where we will more carefully study the issue regarding the pharmacy business, and find out in practice how profitable it is, and how best to do it.

In recent years, the purchasing power of the population has increased and that is why the pharmacy business has become especially profitable. Not because people began to get sick more often or care more about the health of the body. Today, the average family can afford to buy pharmaceutical products.

Visitors to a pharmacy leave about the same amount as in grocery stores. But the products in the pharmacy are much smaller than the products in stores.

Therefore, to sell for the same amount, pharmacies need to spend much less retail space and spend less on transportation and other expenses. It turns out that a pharmacy is more profitable than a grocery store.

At the present stage of economic development in Russia, the demand for the pharmacy business exceeds supply. Therefore, the pharmacy business can be considered profitable. But, provided the pharmacy is located in a good place.

Buyers are very picky about the location of the pharmacy. Factors such as the proximity of a metro station, large residential complexes, and shopping centers play a decisive role.

The average cost of a ready-made business is about 150 thousand US dollars.

At the same time, the cheapest operating, established pharmacy can be purchased for around 20 thousand dollars, and the most expensive network of pharmacies is about one million dollars.

Often, when a buyer is going to buy an existing pharmacy, the seller inflates the price. Therefore, it is better to know in advance how much it costs, and first answer this question for yourself. The inflated price for a ready-made business can be justified by the fact that a lot of money was invested when opening it. In addition, there may be some amount of unsold goods remaining there.

As I already said, the first thing to do in the opening procedure is to find a suitable premises. There may be several criteria: it is a convenient location for you, it also matters who the owner of the building is, if the area is rented, the lease must be long-term. Issues such as repairs in the pharmacy and establishing contacts with suppliers are also important.

Remember - when purchasing a ready-made business, you always acquire it along with the reputation of this business, along with debt obligations.

This aspect of the issue is very difficult for a non-specialist to assess, so the help of a consultant in purchasing an already operating pharmacy is simply necessary. But, on the other hand, you already know the enterprise’s turnover, costs and can make accurate profit forecasts.

If the pharmacy is weak but profitable, then that’s good. This means that by properly organizing all the operational activities of the purchased pharmacy, you will be able to increase sales volumes and profits.

It is very difficult to find a ready-made pharmacy that is suitable for you, or for this business to satisfy all your needs.

Therefore, if you have the required amount of money, it is better to organize this business yourself.

Medicines are always in demand, and people will buy them at any time, therefore, a pharmacy can pay for itself quite quickly and begin to make a profit.

First you need to decide which pharmacy model you should choose.

There are many options for different pharmacies: this is a pharmacy, or a classic pharmacy, a pharmacy kiosk or a pharmacy mini-market, and all this can grow to the level of a pharmacy chain.

The entire assortment of the pharmacy is divided into medicines and parapharmaceutical products, which include health products and cosmetics.

There are pharmacies with closed and open displays. Here, each type has its pros and cons. But usually in residential areas closed displays are used, while in shopping centers open displays are used.

Some immediately decide that they will focus on selling medicines, while others prefer a wider range of healthy food products, medicinal cosmetics, hygiene products, products for children and diagnostic tools.

Here again, location plays a role. In shopping centers, the share of sales of parapharmaceuticals is usually higher than in sleeping bags.

There are also some nuances, for example: only pharmacies and pharmacy points can sell prescription drugs.

Prescription drugs should not be available at pharmacy kiosks and pharmacy minimarkets. This is where the ineffectiveness of pharmacy kiosks lies.

Consumers have a rather conservative view of a pharmacy. For the Russian buyer, a pharmacy is a place where you can ask “what do you have for a headache?”, and the pharmacist lists everything he can offer.

Therefore, new models of modern pharmacies are not always perceived adequately by the buyer. It is better not to experiment with the introduction of fundamental innovations at the initial stage, when there is no established sales network yet.

There have been cases when existing pharmacies found themselves on the verge of bankruptcy due to the introduction of an American type of pharmacy, selling mainly vitamins and dietary supplements.

It is better, first of all, to stick to traditional patterns of interaction with customers.

When choosing a model, first of all, you have to focus on the availability of funds. Based on our capabilities, we are already determining whether you might be more satisfied with an economical option or a premium pharmacy. This makes a significant difference in investment.

Next, you will have to choose a form of trading: closed or open. It will be cheaper to do closed trade; this will make it possible to reduce costs to $300 per square meter. But the average check with this form of trading will be lower.

When organizing an open display, more money will be required for pharmacy equipment.

With an open form of selling goods, the sales area is increased, while a closed form requires a smaller sales area.

It is better to purchase equipment using available funds, and leasing can be arranged for electronic accounting systems. Because accounting systems are the most important element of trading.

This will make it possible to additionally control operational indicators, for example, employee engagement, length of working hours, as well as track turnover, and monitor what is bought better.

In general, the presence and absence of some necessary drugs greatly affects the attendance of the pharmacy; if the buyer does not find the necessary drug once, he is unlikely to look for it there later.

With a properly configured pharmacy program, you will clearly monitor all the key indicators of the pharmacy - inventory turnover, defects, total and percentage realized margins, warehouse balances and other parameters.

If everything works correctly for you, the physical cabinets in your pharmacy should be empty, since all the goods will be on the sales floor. Even with a monthly turnover of more than five million rubles.

Many people ask: “how long does it take to open a pharmacy?”

Collecting the necessary documents will take about two months, if you do everything purposefully and do not put things off for a long time.

You need to get permission from the SES and firefighters. Then take the entire package of documents to the licensing authority.

Your tasks: select certified personnel, find a suitable premises and make repairs to the premises, supply commercial equipment and, in principle, the pharmacy is ready to start selling the goods. All that's left is to get a license. In total, if you do it within four months, you’re doing great!

A close-knit team is half the success. There is a shortage of specialists in this industry in the market today. Pharmacy staff must be prepared in advance. In addition, employees must undergo a medical examination in advance and obtain health records in accordance with the requirements of the SES.

It will take longer to obtain a license for the relevant type of activity. Here, each region already has its own deadlines. Here it is important to correctly divide tasks by priority, draw up a calendar plan and strictly adhere to it.

The trick here is that some processes can be done in parallel and the speed of opening a pharmacy increases, which saves a lot of money.

Where is the best place to open a pharmacy?

The convenient location of the pharmacy plays a major role in its return on investment. Therefore, you need to carefully choose a location for a future pharmacy. Basically, people only go to pharmacies that are located along the way, or they will go to the nearest pharmacy if necessary.

Therefore, traffic is the most important parameter of trade in a pharmacy. Depending on the traffic, the main set of drugs that are more liquid is determined.

For example, a pharmacy located in a shopping center and a pharmacy located in an airport will experience different traffic. People will buy completely different products.

The model of the pharmacy itself is often highly dependent on traffic. In a prestigious area of the business center, of course, you can set up a pharmacy kiosk, but it is more acceptable to open a large pharmacy in such a place, with a good selection, high prices, coupled with good consultants and quality service.

And in residential areas it is best to open economy class pharmacies. All basic pharmaceutical products should be presented there. But in such areas, people tend to move to competitors’ squares if they appear nearby, so there must be a “zest” of its own. For example, a cumulative discount program.

Today, according to many experts, it is better to open a pharmacy in a large shopping center. The benefits here are obvious: firstly, there is a good flow of potential buyers, and secondly, there are no competitors here, and the place is more secure.

People came with money, ready to make impulse purchases. Therefore, a lot of parapharmaceuticals are sold where the markup is higher and the average bill is correspondingly high.

Choosing a room

To create a pharmacy, it is better if the premises are rented, because the complete acquisition of the premises is impractical. And it is advisable to conclude a lease agreement for the longest possible period, with a fixed monthly or quarterly payment.

It is necessary to strive for such a lease agreement that there is a fixed payment, because this can provide economic benefits if prices in general rise.

You will also need to know the procedure for converting residential premises to non-residential premises. Only the premises located on the first two floors can be converted into non-residential premises. There must be a separate entrance from the street.

Houses that are subject to demolition, or in which major repairs are planned, you will not be allowed to transfer non-residential premises.

You will not be able to obtain the desired documents if someone is registered in the apartment, or if there is no direct entrance from the street.

The whole procedure takes place in three stages:

the issue is resolved by the interdepartmental commission on the use of housing stock;
the cost of converting residential premises to non-residential premises is decided by the recycling commission and housing management;
registration with the registration chamber of the right to non-residential premises is carried out.

What time of year is best to open?

When starting out in the pharmacy business, keep in mind that sales are subject to seasonal fluctuations.

In the summer, sales of medicines and related products drop by 20–25%. But from the end of September to the beginning of May there is a consistently high pace of sales.

So, in order to open a pharmacy, it is best to start collecting documents in the summer. With the expectation that work will begin at the end of August.

If your pharmacy is a single one, then it is best to think through the entire advertising campaign at once. In the media, outdoor advertising inside the pharmacy.

For a better start, you can hang a banner on the street, or put up a promotional stand.

When opening a single pharmacy, you must also take into account the fact that it is unlikely that manufacturers will work directly with you. Distributors also offer discounts mainly to pharmacy chains. Discount amounts are tied to purchase volumes. So you have to take into account the fact that incoming prices are higher than those of chain pharmacies.

You will have to build normal business relationships with dozens of distributors, because the buyer needs a wide and varied assortment, since you will not be able to find everything in one place. All this is directly related to the fact that initially you will open one pharmacy.

It is difficult to beat pharmacy chains on price because distributors give them big discounts. You will have to win with the help of the diversity of the presented assortment. So that the buyer does not go for cheapness, but for the opportunity to buy everything in one place. There are also various features, so it’s not all bad.

Mandatory requirements for a pharmacy premises

A certain set of premises is needed: a sales area, an unpacking room, a material room, a manager’s office, a staff rest room, a wardrobe, a bathroom with a lock (a dry toilet will not work).

Pharmacies must have centralized heating, water supply, exhaust ventilation and sewerage. In addition, 24-hour centralized monitoring of fire and security alarms must be equipped.

Instruments for recording air parameters must be installed in each room where medications are stored. All premises of one pharmacy must be centralized, i.e. isolated from other organizations into a single block.

There are also specific requirements for the decoration of a pharmacy premises. The wall decoration should allow for daily wet cleaning using disinfectants. In addition, the walls must have a high reflective coefficient.

When deciding to open a business, a pharmacy must meet many parameters, for example, if the floor is covered with linoleum, then the seams must be sealed. Linoleum can be replaced with unglazed ceramic tiles.

But if we return to the question of the cost of opening this business, then it will take several thousand dollars just to renovate the premises. You can save on designer decoration, because it is of no use in a pharmacy.

What should be in a business plan

This document must detail three main points: the general part, the main part, and the financial part. To find out what is needed to open a pharmacy, we will now look in detail at each of the three parts of the business plan.

1. General information about the object.

In this section, you need to provide basic information about the facility itself and the goals of opening a pharmacy, what will be sold there, and what services the pharmacy will provide. In the same part, a small description of future clients is given, and the relevance of this particular pharmacy for them. You also need to indicate the technical parameters of the premises and the location of the building.

2. Production or main part.

This part of the pharmacy business plan should contain

information about available permits and deadlines for obtaining those that have not yet been issued.
information about renting or purchasing premises, choosing the location of the pharmacy, traffic, and characteristics of the main buyers in terms of their solvency.
selection of necessary equipment for opening a pharmacy: retail shelves, cash registers, computers, display cases for storing medicines and other furniture.
selection of personnel who will be a manager, cashier, accountant, cleaner. Indicate pharmacists (without people with special education it will not be possible to open a pharmacy). First of all, the success of the entire pharmacy depends on the work of pharmacists.
selection of an assortment of medicines, parapharmaceuticals, household medical devices, hygiene products, baby food and preparations from cosmetic companies.
Here we should also provide for the possibility of providing some buyers with additional privileges or other advertising issues.
a list of additional services for clients - the opportunity to get advice or measure blood pressure.

3. financial part.

In this part, it is necessary to describe all the necessary costs and the receipt of expected revenue. Calculations are different in each case; they must be made based on accurate data.

Your calculations outlined in the business plan will look something like this:

Carrying out repair work on the premises $0 – 20,000
Purchase of commercial equipment $6,000 – 12,000
Purchase of refrigeration equipment $700 – 20,000
Purchase of cash register equipment $2,000 – 2,500
Purchase of display cases and shelving $3,000 – 4,000
Registration of licenses for the type of activity and other types of licensing for the sale of medicines $1,500
Advertising and outdoor signage $1500 – 3000

Total - mandatory expenses from 28 to 64 thousand.

There may be additional costs, such as consultant fees.

There was a time when pharmacies in Russia were exclusively family businesses. But now, for a number of reasons, it is difficult for one ordinary family to run a pharmacy. Competition in this area is too high, and administrative barriers are difficult to overcome. But for those who have sufficient initial capital, business skills, experience and perseverance, the answer to the question “How to open a pharmacy?” it won't be too difficult. The procedure for opening a pharmacy implies the following approximate plan of your actions.

Have you decided to open a pharmacy? Where to start?

First of all, let’s decide who needs to be registered as if a pharmacy is being opened from scratch. If you have a diploma as a pharmacist or pharmacist, then you can register as an individual entrepreneur. If it is not there, then you need to register a Limited Liability Company, CJSC or OJSC.

Here is a list of some regulations and laws that regulate this type of activity:

N 61-FZ “On the circulation of medicines”;
Regulations on licensing of pharmacological activities;
Order N 553 “On approval of types of pharmacy organizations.”

According to the last of the listed documents, you can open one of the following types of pharmacy:

production;
production, with the right to manufacture aseptic products;
pharmacy of prepared drugs;
pharmacy kiosk or store;
pharmacy.

The first two types of enterprises must be registered under a code from the “Manufacture of Medicines” group. For the rest, group 52 (52.3, 52.31 – 33) is suitable.

If you are not going to open the production of pharmaceuticals, choose the type of business organization from the last three. Of these, the pharmacy of finished medicines has the widest range of functions that a kiosk and a store do not have. For example, only there you can sell prescription drugs.

Opening a pharmacy is also correct from the point of view of further business expansion: it will also be the central office, on the basis of which you can subsequently open pharmacy points.

Documents required to open a pharmacy

The number of documents that you will need to submit to various authorities to open a pharmacy is amazing. The list of these documents can be found in the “Regulations on licensing of pharmacological activities” dated December 22, 2011. In brief:

you need to coordinate the opening of the enterprise with the SES and obtain permission to use a specific premises and a sanitary passport for the new pharmacy;
you must obtain permission from the fire department;
obtain a license for the retail sale of medications.

To collect this list of documents in order to open a pharmacy, according to the most conservative estimates, and with all the effort and resources, it will take one and a half months.

Form of trade organization

At the planning stage, you need to decide on the form of organization of your pharmacy. Namely, whether the display of goods will be closed (when all the goods are behind the counter) or open (when the goods are available, as in a supermarket).

Open display requires well-organized control, but also increases sales by 20 - 30%. But this only happens if the area where the pharmacy is located is highly trafficked. If traffic is less than 10,000 people per day, then an open display will not lead to a significant increase in sales.

Recruitment

The manager must be a certified pharmacist with at least three years of experience. This specialist is the key figure in your business. He will carry out procurement, which means success depends on the effectiveness of his actions. The selection of a pharmacy manager must be approached with extreme care.

All other employees of your enterprise, with the exception of cleaners (who are registered as nurses), must have a pharmaceutical education. Every five years, all employees must undergo recertification.

Selecting a room

Let's talk about opening an ordinary pharmacy in a residential area of the city, a so-called discounter. So, where and what do you need to open a pharmacy? For such a business you need to rent an area of at least 80 sq. m., which will be distributed approximately as follows:

sales area – 2/3 of the premises;
administrative premises – approx. 15 sq. m;
utility rooms (for receiving, storing, unpacking medications);
utility block – 2 sq. m.

The premises are subject to strict requirements for opening a pharmacy. Naturally, they must be connected to electricity and water supply, supply and exhaust ventilation, etc. All rooms must form an isolated block. In addition, where pharmaceutical drugs are stored, sensors must be installed to monitor air parameters. And all premises, without exception, must be equipped with an alarm system: both fire and security, and light and sound.

When making repairs, remember that it should involve wet cleaning of the room and the use of disinfection. The floor in the pharmacy should be tiled or covered with linoleum with welded seams.

This is only part of the requirements that are necessary to open a pharmacy. As you can see, just bringing the rented premises into proper shape will require tens of thousands of dollars in investment.

Equipment: what is needed to open a pharmacy?

Equipment also requires shelving, locked cabinets, refrigerators, safes for storing narcotic drugs, not to mention a counter and cash registers. Equipment for a small pharmacy can cost from 5 to 8 thousand dollars.

Product and markups on it

The state regulates the pricing policy of pharmacies, setting fixed trade markups for medications. The markup for different items ranges from 20 to 40%. But this does not apply to related, hygiene and other similar products. Therefore, if you have already decided what you need to open a pharmacy, but the size of the sales area allows it, you should definitely allocate space for shelves with such goods. They can significantly increase the profitability of the entire enterprise.

Place: where and how to open your own pharmacy?

A feature of the pharmacy business in general is that the demand for medicines does not decrease significantly, even when prices increase. But this only works if the pharmacy is located in the right place.

Studies show that people usually buy medicines on the way home, and certainly within walking distance from home. This means: the buyer will not look for a new pharmacy for the opportunity to save a few rubles.

In practice, this means only one thing: a lively, walk-through place is the key to the success of a pharmacy business.

Pharmacy business profitability

Is it profitable to open a pharmacy? This question worries all entrepreneurs who decide to start a pharmacy business.

The profitability of pharmacies in Russia is about 10%. It's not much. But for ambitious entrepreneurs this business is still traditionally attractive. What's the secret? It is simple: truly high profitability and high incomes are shown by developed pharmacy chains. The more stores, pharmacies and kiosks a network unites, the higher the profitability of the enterprise. Creating such a structure is a worthwhile goal for an experienced businessman.

How much does it cost to open a pharmacy?

The approximate amount of investment for opening one pharmacy or pharmacy store will be from 1.7 to 2 million rubles. It is difficult to predict the payback time of a pharmacy enterprise without specific data. But the pharmacy business, even if it slowly pays for itself, is still worth the effort spent on it. After all, a constantly high and stable demand for medicines is the main component of your successful business.

Today, the pharmacy business is very popular and owes this to its profitability. Therefore, many citizens today want to open a pharmacy as an individual entrepreneur or LLC, because profits from the sale of medicines can be placed alongside revenue from the sale of alcohol or tobacco products. The main factor in the development and high material benefits of the pharmacy business is, oddly enough, the simply colossal number of diseases of people who cannot do without any medications. The constant increase in the cost of drugs and their promotion only helps pharmacy businessmen increase their profits.

Let's consider how best to open a pharmacy - as an individual entrepreneur or LLC and what this procedure requires.

Which form of pharmacy business management is best to choose?

There are several forms of running a pharmacy business. You can choose the option of individual entrepreneurship or open a Limited Liability Company or Open Joint Stock Company. Of course, the form of business management affects many aspects of it. Take, for example, the fact that if you decide to implement your project by registering yourself as a private entrepreneur, the registration authorities will require additional documents about your education, that is, you will need a diploma of a pharmacist or pharmacist. Therefore, the answer to the question whether an individual entrepreneur can open a pharmacy will be positive, but only if there is the appropriate qualification, as stated by N 61-FZ of Russia “On the Circulation of Medicines”.

When registering an Open Joint Stock Company, a Closed Joint Stock Company or a Limited Liability Company, the main difference from an individual entrepreneur is that it is possible to start a pharmacy business without specialized education.

Due to such rather global discrepancies, already at the first stage of differences between forms of government, the question arises as to whether you have the time and funds to obtain a pharmaceutical education, or is it easier to choose registration in another aspect?

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Pharmacy business classification

When considering opening a pharmacy, you should pay attention to their type in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia “On approval of types of pharmacy organizations,” namely the following aspects:

production pharmacy (not only the availability of medicines for sale, but also the production of medicines);
industrial pharmacy as an enterprise that produces aseptic medicinal products, for which permission must be obtained;
a pharmacy store, which can be in the form of a pharmaceutical market or a store with an open display of goods;
pharmacy;
pharmacy of finished dosage forms.

Each pharmacy must go through the registration process with the tax office, where it will receive a separate OKVED code, which is part of the “Manufacture of Medicines” group. There is legally a separate specialized standard by which a pharmacy can be defined as a general pharmacy, either as a point of sale or as a kiosk, in accordance with the functions of each type defined in the above-mentioned standard. It is considered correct to first open a pharmacy, and then kiosks or points, because such “facilities” as drug retail outlets do not make any sense if you want to expand your business in the future.

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What is required to open a pharmacy?

Let's start with the main thing - the room. The relevant law of the Russian Federation states that the area of a pharmacy must be at least 60 square meters. m. This area includes production premises (sales floor and warehouse) and utility rooms (accounting office, director’s office, wardrobe, toilet, etc.), premises in which all medicinal products will be stored, and they must be equipped with the necessary facilities to create a special climate, as well as a fire alarm and security system. The best place to open a pharmacy will be a room where there is a constant large crowd of people: a transport stop, a market and other public centers.

Let's move on to the staff. A mandatory and unconditional point is the presence of a pharmaceutical education. The person to be selected as a pharmacist (manager) of a pharmacy must have specialized certification, as well as at least 3 years of experience in the relevant field. The pharmacist is the most important member of your staff team, as he will be the one who will manage the pharmacy and set prices for medications. Your task is also to ensure that the team has a favorable working environment, which a system of incentive bonuses can create.

A pharmacy must have at least 2,500 items, which will cost a pretty penny if you open a business from scratch. The assortment should expand on an ongoing basis; it may also include additional items: baby food, personal care products, cosmetics, herbal teas, etc.

The lion's share of the invested capital will go to ensuring a good assortment and purchasing stock items. Registration and search for decent personnel will require considerable expenditure of the nervous system.

A pharmacy business, like any other business that starts from scratch, requires a lot of strength and patience. Knowledge of the registration procedure and the list of required documentation is of considerable importance.

That is, opening a pharmacy as an individual entrepreneur or LLC requires considerable financial and time costs.

Once upon a time, the pharmacy business was a family business, passed down from generation to generation, and becoming a participant in the pharmacy market was quite problematic. Today, this type of income remains one of the most profitable after the sale of alcohol and tobacco products, and starting your own business in the field of selling medicines has become much easier. Having enough funds to start and skills in organizing work processes, you can begin to collect information about what is needed to open a pharmacy from scratch. Like any other type of business, pharmacy requires the development of a certain algorithm of actions, following which will allow rational organization of business processes.

Features of the pharmacy business

From the point of view of versatility and the ability to expand the business in the future, you should open a pharmacy of ready-made medicines. This way you can sell prescription medications, and in the future make the pharmacy the main office of a network of pharmacy points and kiosks. To carry out such activities during registration, you must select OKVED code 52 (52.3, 52.31–33).

Step-by-step instructions on how to open a pharmacy necessarily contain a list of permits, the collection of which may take 1–1.5 months. What documents are needed to open a pharmacy:

License for retail trade of medical products;
Permission from the sanitary and epidemiological service to use the selected premises;
Pharmacy sanitary passport;
Fire department permit.

Many entrepreneurs are interested in the question: “Is it possible to open a pharmacy without pharmaceutical education?” Answer: “You can,” but in this case it is necessary to create a legal entity. But businessmen who have a license to carry out medical or veterinary practice can conduct business by registering an individual entrepreneurship.

Another feature of the pharmacy business is that prices for goods are regulated by the state, and not by consumer demand, and the trade margin is no more than 30%. In this regard, entering the market as a single player is very difficult; due to high competition, it is necessary to initially target a network business.

Some seasonality of the pharmacy business should also be taken into account. During the warm season, drug sales usually decrease by 20–25%, and from October to April, the demand for medications increases. In this regard, it is better to prepare in the summer and start in September-October.

Experienced pharmacists advise, before opening a pharmacy, to carefully select a product range that should contain parapharmaceutical products along with medications. The latter brings more income, and its markups are not regulated by the state. In addition to medicines and medical devices (thermometers, heating pads and tonometers), customers should be offered natural cosmetics, hygiene products, nutritional supplements, baby and diet food.

The sale of low-quality and expired products in the pharmacy business is strictly prohibited. Therefore, a novice entrepreneur who is considering how to open a pharmacy from scratch must take a responsible approach to building contractual relationships with suppliers. At the initial stage, you can team up with nearby pharmacies to collectively order goods from reliable wholesalers with the possibility of getting good discounts.

Advantages and disadvantages of a business selling medicines

The disadvantages of starting your own business selling medicines include a large number of complex organizational issues. In addition to the bureaucratic obstacles in obtaining permits, difficulties also include choosing a suitable isolated or free-standing premises and bringing it into compliance with the requirements. The area of the premises must be at least 80 sq. m., 2/3 of which will be occupied by the sales area, 12-15 sq. m. – office, the remaining area is divided into a utility room and a utility block (at least 2 sq. m.). The room must be connected to water supply, flow-exhaust ventilation, equipped with security and fire alarms, and the warehouse for medical supplies must have sensors to monitor air parameters. To meet all the requirements for the premises, you will need to invest a considerable amount of money, and this does not take into account the cost of equipment for the pharmacy. Another disadvantage of the pharmacy business is the rather low profitability rate. However, this disadvantage is leveled out if the network is opened.

The next disadvantage of opening a pharmacy business is the inability to independently set prices for goods, because they are subject to regulation by the state.

Despite such an extensive list of difficulties in organizing a business, it has a significant advantage - stable demand for medical goods and, accordingly, a stable, although not very high, income.

It will not be possible to open a pharmacy as a franchise without investment. To purchase a franchise you need at least 1,200,000 rubles. The advantage of opening a franchise business is that the risks in this case are reduced significantly. The royalty amount varies depending on the prospects of the region and ranges from 3–6%. The payback period for a pharmacy opened under a franchise is 6 months.

Taking into account the fact that online shopping has become an integral part of the life of a modern person, it is worth thinking about how to open an online pharmacy from scratch. An online store can be part of your pharmacy business. If you sell medicines only on the Internet, you will still have to rent a specially equipped warehouse to obtain a license, hire transport to deliver orders, and develop a website convenient for customers. The disadvantage of opening an online pharmacy is that people do not have a very high level of trust in the quality of the medicines sold in this way. In order for the sale of medicines online to be successful, you should offer round-the-clock delivery of goods and affordable, but not low, prices.

Business plan

Having decided to start a pharmacy business, you should first of all start developing a business plan for opening a pharmacy. Items that must be present in it:

Analysis of the target audience and competitors;
Institution format;
Location;
Selection and arrangement of premises;
Obtaining permits;
Selection, motivation, retraining of personnel;
Advertising campaign;
Financial investments;
Risk analysis and projected profit.

A thorough study of the needs and purchasing power of potential customers will allow you to choose the right establishment format and assortment. An analysis of the activities of your closest competitors will tell you which approaches to doing business are successful.

In order to open a pharmacy, you must begin collecting documents long before the expected start date, since the implementation of this activity requires compliance with a number of requirements and standards.

List of documents for obtaining a license:

Application for opening a pharmacy;
Certificate of registration of activity;
A copy of the document confirming the entry of registration of a legal entity into the Unified State Register;
Original or notarized copy of the document confirming registration with the tax service;
Confirmation of payment of the license fee;
Original or notarized copy of the manager's specialist certificate;
Lease agreement or confirmation of ownership of the premises;
Originals or notarized copies of educational documents of all pharmacy employees;
Originals or notarized copies of personnel work records;
Originals or notarized copies of the conclusions of the State Potrebnadzor and the fire service;
Layout and characteristics of the licensed object.

Requirements for pharmacy employees: a pharmacist must have at least 3 years of work experience, a pharmacist must have at least 5 years of experience. Each employee is required to have a health certificate. Personnel must be fully aware of and strictly comply with the requirements when working with medicinal products. Every 5 years, employees undergo mandatory retraining. Employees should be motivated in a timely manner to maintain a high level of sales. The clause on retraining and incentives for personnel must be included in the pharmacy business plan in a sample with calculations. Recently, pharmacies where you can get a short consultation and measure your blood pressure are in demand. This “enticement maneuver” should be used to attract customers. High-quality service and competent advice will significantly increase the chances of turning a casual visitor into a regular customer. Another important question: is it possible to open a pharmacy without a medical education? – It is possible, but the head of the pharmacy must be a pharmacist with at least 5 years of experience.

A rather costly item in the example of a pharmacy business plan with calculations for 2019 will be advertising. A well-thought-out name, a prominent sign, banners, leaflets, promotions - this is not a complete list of what needs to be used at the stage of opening a pharmacy. It would be a good idea to launch a cumulative discount system for regular customers. In general, advertising costs will be about 100,000 rubles, which should be indicated in the example of a pharmacy business plan with calculations.

Financial investments will greatly depend on the region in which the project is planned to be launched, since the cost of renting premises can vary greatly. How much does it cost to open a pharmacy in Moscow? - no less than 2,000,000 rubles, and in a small town some distance from the capital you can spend 1,400,000 rubles.

To predict risks, you should analyze how open the niche is and whether the new pharmacy will be able to gain a foothold in it. The estimated profit according to ready-made examples of pharmacy business plans is 100,000-150,000 rubles.

Institution format

Deciding on the format of the establishment is what you need to open a pharmacy. Today, there are two main models in the pharmacy business: discounter and premium pharmacy. The first option is designed for the average buyer in a residential area, the second one sells expensive medications and is located in the city center.

There are also several forms of trade: closed and open. You can combine these forms. For example, place medicines behind the counter, and medical products in the sales area. Experts say that the pharmacy supermarket format increases sales by 20–25%, however, in this case, more funds will need to be allocated to ensure safety.

Pharmacies are of the following types:

Manufacturing (manufacture of prescription drugs);
Finished dosage forms (sale of drugs by prescription is permitted);
Pharmacy kiosk;
Pharmacy point.

The last two types of pharmacies have a limited set of functions. They should be opened as structural divisions of a pharmacy of finished dosage forms.

Selecting a location

If you want to open a pharmacy and are wondering what is needed for this, it is to have a good location. When searching for a suitable premises, you should pay attention to such an indicator as traffic - the number of people passing near the entrance to the pharmacy per unit of time. The more traffic, the better the location. Optimal traffic - 200-300 people per hour is observed in shopping centers, near intersections, and metro stations.

Is it possible to open a pharmacy in a residential area? For such a location, other methods are used to calculate the feasibility of locating an establishment. The number of people living within a radius of 500 meters is taken into account. The optimal figure is 2000 people.

Today in large cities of Russia, and especially in the capital, competition in the pharmacy market is very tough, so when deciding where to open a pharmacy, you should think about starting a business in remote regions of the country.

Interior

A certain combination of light, color and sound impressions that surround a person and set him in a certain mood is called an interior. This is an important point that you should pay attention to at the stage of repair and arrangement of the premises. Despite the fact that, as a rule, people enter a pharmacy out of necessity to buy medications to eliminate health problems, customers should still feel comfortable. This can make the customer make more purchases. This behavior is facilitated by soft light, pleasant color of walls and furniture, and comfortable room temperature.

In order to use the retail space as efficiently as possible and attract customers with an interesting interior and pleasant atmosphere, you should entrust the interior design to professionals, and make the furniture to order.

Blue and white – coolness and cleanliness;
Yellow and bluish-green - coolness and peace;
Green and white – coolness, restraint, purity.

Pharmacy equipment

Purchasing the necessary set of equipment that is needed to open a pharmacy will cost an entrepreneur approximately 300,000 rubles. List of required items:

Cash register;
Showcases;
Counters;
Shelving;
Closed cabinets;
Safes for storing narcotic drugs;
Refrigerators;
Computer and office equipment;
Furniture for the hall and office.

Financial investments

Already at the stage of drawing up a business plan, you can preliminarily say how much money it costs to open a pharmacy from scratch. The amount of financial investment depends on the region where the business will be opened and on the format of the pharmacy. The amount required to start a business is RUB 1,400,000–2,000,000. includes costs for:

Rent (from RUB 300,000);
Equipment (RUB 300,000);
Purchase of products (RUB 600,000);
Repair of the premises, installation of security and fire alarms (RUB 120,000);
Advertising (RUB 80,000-100,000).

Profit

A small pharmacy can generate a profit of 120,000–150,000 rubles. per month, in the autumn-winter period. In summer the figure decreases by 20%. Business payback period is 1–2 years. The stability of income from the sale of medicines makes the pharmacy business quite attractive.

Profitability

Due to a number of features, the pharmacy business has a very low profitability rate compared to other types of activities - only 10%. But experienced entrepreneurs answer the question in the affirmative: “Is it profitable to open a pharmacy?” Implementing advice from those who have been involved in the pharmacy business for a long time in your own business will allow you not only to successfully develop your business, but also to make it a network one.

The idea of opening a pharmacy in itself is not new, because the demand for medicine remains stable from year to year. It would seem that this is a gold mine: you just need to sell goods that almost no one can do without. But will they buy from you? Is this a profitable business? Should you be wary of networkers? Read about this and what you need to open a pharmacy from scratch in our article.

Opening a pharmacy from scratch: where to start

First you need to answer the question: do you have a pharmaceutical education? It is the answer to this that is the beginning, or rather has a direct bearing on the registration form. If the answer is positive, you can open an individual entrepreneur. As you know, this is the simplest form - this is important if you do not yet have experience in running a business.

If there is no corresponding formation, then you will have to open an LLC or another type of legal entity. This option requires larger financial investments than organizing an individual entrepreneur. This is regulated by the regulatory act “On approval of types of pharmacy organizations.”

Only a person with a pharmacist education and at least three years of experience in this field has the right to sell medicines.

Depending on what drugs are sold, they are distinguished:

pharmacy of prepared drugs;
pharmacy;
pharmacy kiosk/shop.

How are they different from each other? Each subsequent type has less powers than the previous one.

Functions common to all types:

sale of medicines without a prescription;
sale in original packaging: medicinal plants, related products and personal hygiene products;
providing first aid help.

The first two types can also sell drugs on prescription. At the same time, psychotropic substances cannot be sold at a pharmacy.

photo from the site azbukapochek.ru

There are also industrial pharmacies, that is, not only selling, but also manufacturing pharmaceutical products. But it is hardly worthwhile for a novice entrepreneur (especially if there is no appropriate education) to open such a company.

This niche is occupied by large companies that have more human and financial resources. Therefore, it is better to choose the first option: if you decide to expand, the pharmacy will become the main office with a number of controlled branches.

How to open a pharmacy from scratch: paperwork

What documents are needed to open a pharmacy? The list is quite long. You can familiarize yourself with it in the “Regulations on licensing of pharmacological activities”. However, it is necessary to talk about the main papers that need to be completed.

You will need to get:

San. passport and permission to operate the premises as a pharmacy.
License for retail trade in medicines.
Fire department permit.

The registration will take at least two months.

What you need to open a pharmacy: choosing a location and premises

The main task of a pharmacy as a business is to make a profit. To do this, it is necessary that the correct place of trade is chosen, and that the premises meet all the requirements.

Place

At first glance, the location in a shopping center or city center seems ideal. After all, a huge number of people pass there every day. However, this is not true. How many people purposefully go to buy medicines in shopping centers? At best, they run for aspirin.

And there are already many pharmacies in the city center. And, often, well-known brands. To attract buyers, they can afford to lower prices. And a name that is well-known willy-nilly inspires trust and comes to mind.

For a novice entrepreneur, the best choice is a residential area. The fewer drug sales points in the area, the more people will come to you. Another bonus of this location is the ability to set prices that are not inflated, but acceptable to you. After all, you don’t have to chase competitors - they simply don’t exist.

photo from the site stihi.ru

Room

There are a number of requirements that must be met. This will allow you to quickly and easily obtain permits.

List of requirements:

area – minimum 80 m²;
trading floor – ⅔ of the premises;
utility room;
place for employees.

A utility room is necessary for receiving, unpacking and storing goods. In addition to the standard requirements for almost any room (availability of ventilation, bathroom, power supply), there are also additional ones.

The pharmacy must have:

Air control sensors - in the place where drugs are stored.
Fire protection system.
Security and sound alarm systems.

It is better for a beginning businessman not to buy, but to rent premises. To do this, you need to conclude a contract for a year - with a fixed monthly rent.

Equipment

Regardless of whether you decide to buy or rent a room, it will still need to be properly equipped. This includes repairs and the purchase of equipment.

The room needs to be equipped with:

Furniture: closed cabinets, racks, counters, etc.
Refrigerators and safes for storing a certain group of drugs.
Cash registers, computers.

The total cost of equipment and furniture will be 300-470 thousand rubles.

You should pay attention to the choice of materials for repairs. The pharmacy is regularly cleaned with disinfectants. Therefore, it is better to choose high-quality paint for the walls, and tiles for the floor.

The purchase of materials and the repair itself should also be included in the business plan for opening a pharmacy: this will require at least another 200 thousand rubles.

What you need to know to open a pharmacy

To give a complete answer to the question “how much money do you need to open a pharmacy?”, you need to select a form of trade organization and familiarize yourself with the personnel requirements.

photo from the website www.3sc.kz

Form of organization

Today there are two forms: closed and open. In the first case, the drugs are located behind glass display cases and only pharmacists have access to them. In the second, the goods are arranged according to the principle of a supermarket: everyone comes up and independently takes the necessary thing. Which form is better?

Open, according to research, increases sales by 20-30%. But this only works in those parts of the city where at least 10 thousand people pass daily.

Closed– the most reliable and safe. This is the one you should choose if you decide to open a pharmacy in a residential area. In this case, there will be no risk of drugs being stolen from the seller under his nose.

Requirements for pharmacists

The main ones are the presence of pharmaceutical education and work experience of at least three years. As mentioned above, these requirements apply to a businessman. If these conditions are met, you can manage the pharmacy yourself.

Otherwise, you need to hire a pharmacist with at least five years of experience for the position of manager. It will also be necessary to hire at least one pharmacist (others may be needed in the future), as well as a visiting cleaner.

A pharmacist's education is required for all employees working with the storage, reception, sale and destruction of medicines.

It is advisable that your pharmacists are not only educated, but also friendly. After all, half of the people come to the pharmacy not knowing exactly what they need.

To do this you need the skill:

Competently answer questions like “I need, well, this... do you have it?”
Give advice while maintaining the calm of a Buddhist monk.
Smile wider than agents of network cosmetic companies.

People will come to such a seller more often, which means you can earn more.

The idea of opening a pharmacy as a franchise: pros and cons

A franchise is a collaboration between a well-known company (in this case, a large pharmacy chain) and a start-up entrepreneur. The network provides the right to use its brand and business model, and the businessman pays money for it. Such cooperation has its pros and cons.

Advantages:

Minimum advertising costs - after all, the brand is already known.
Help from “big brother” in promotion.
Favorable prices – both for the seller and for the buyers.
Reliable suppliers.
Assistance in obtaining a license.

photo from the site calculator-ipoteki.ru

Flaws:

High franchise cost. A well-known brand is never cheap, and cooperation with a little-known one is not worth the cost.

Premises, equipment and personnel must be selected independently, but in accordance with the contract.

Payback is achieved in about a year (as when opening a pharmacy without franchising).

Whether to enter into a franchise agreement is up to you to decide. To answer this question unambiguously, soberly assess your knowledge, experience and financial capabilities.

How to open an online pharmacy from scratch

With the development of online commerce, more and more companies from different business segments are “moving” (partially or completely) into the virtual space. The pharmaceutical business is no exception.

A number of requirements are common to both a regular pharmacy and its online form. They relate to the education of a businessman and employees, registration of a company, and equipping storage facilities for drugs.

How to open an online pharmacy - step-by-step instructions:

Registering a business and obtaining documentation.
Renting and equipping warehouses for medicines.
Website creation.
Search for suppliers.
Formation of assortment.
Organization of delivery and consultation by phone.

Unlike a regular medicine store, the sales floor of an online pharmacy is a website. You can create it yourself (if you have the knowledge and skills) or order it.

A pharmacist is needed to advise customers: he will answer questions and give advice. You will hardly have enough time to do this on your own. Therefore, it is better to hire a professional.

photo from ruffnews.ru

When creating a website, it is better to focus on a specific locality or several districts of the city. This will make it easier for you to promote your site, and subsequently create an assortment: in the Northern region there is a great demand for enemas and aspirin, in the Southern region there is a great demand for thermometers and analgin.

To deliver goods to customers, you will need your own car. It must be specially equipped for transporting and storing medicines.

Is it profitable to open a pharmacy?

This is the main question that aspiring business women ask. The profitability of this type of activity in our country is relatively low - 10%. But if you are persistent and active, you can make a profit from this activity.

It is impossible to say exactly how beneficial this will be in each specific case. After all, a number of factors need to be taken into account.

These include:

location of the outlet;
size of the locality/region;
presence/absence of competitors in the area;
rent amount;
selection of suppliers, and hence purchasing prices.

It is important to know that only pharmacy chains provide huge profits. If you are willing to work hard to expand your business online, your income will increase significantly. Otherwise, the pharmacy will be a source of, albeit not large, but constant income for you.

photo from the site www.trud.ru

You can add one more question to the question of benefits - how much does it cost to open a pharmacy from scratch? The approximate cost is about 2 million rubles. To answer more accurately, you need to take into account many factors mentioned above.

Opening a pharmacy from scratch: pitfalls

The list of medications and related products produced by pharmaceutical companies is quite large. How to choose from all this variety of products and suppliers? And what pitfalls may appear during the procurement process?

It is quite difficult for a pharmacy that is not part of a chain to count on competitive prices from suppliers. To get a good discount, you can unite in a purchasing cooperative with the same “singles”.

You need to be careful with the assortment. Don’t repeat the mistakes of unfortunate businessmen who bought expensive products that there was no one to buy. If the pharmacy is located in a residential area (ordinary, not elite), there is hardly any need to purchase liters of exclusive mineral water and anti-aging creams for 1000 rubles per gram.

photo from the site zdorovoelico.com

The main products of the pharmacy are medicines. There should also be related products. Depending on the specific type, the markup on them can be up to 40 percent. Post them in the most visible place so that their implementation will increase your profit level.

Conclusion

Weigh the pros and cons before starting your own business in this area. A pharmacy business plan with calculations will give an accurate answer to the question about the cost of opening it. If you have the appropriate education and a desire to have a stable income, then you can certainly open your own pharmacy.