Build your CAPITAL

Conference participants discussed the current pharmaceutical market situation, analysed the market for pharmacy chains and presented projections for the future of the industry.

Denis Remenyako, General Director of Grand Capital Group, opened the conference by outlining the purpose of the event:

"In an ever-changing pharmacy world where big players are taking over smaller organisations, we want to enable independent pharmacies and regional chains to be on an equal footing with all market players. Our task is to support the independent retail business."

Sergey Shulyak, an expert on the pharmaceutical market and General Director of DSM Group, presented a policy brief at the conference:

"The pharmacy market in Q1 2018 grew by 4.4% year-on-year to RUB 311 billion". According to DSM Group forecasts, the increase in pharmaceutical market capacity is expected to be very modest, only 4.3%".

Not least of all, the market owes this outlook to various kinds of legislative initiatives. One of the initiatives discussed at the conference was the Ministry of Industry and Trade's controversial bill on the possibility of selling medicines in retail and the upcoming labelling of medicines. Market expert Nelly Ignatyeva, Executive Director of the Russian Association of Pharmacy Chains, spoke on the subject.

"The issue of selling medicines outside pharmacies has been open since 2008. In fact, legislating an initiative to sell medicines in supermarkets without a licence would have the opposite effect to that claimed by its drafters: it would make both more medicines more affordable and less accessible to the public. The prices of prescription medicines will inevitably rise, which are the most important ones for our population. In addition, it will lead to the destruction of the established sustainable retail pharmaceutical market, loss of jobs by pharmacy professionals, additional unavoidable costs, closure of pharmacy organisations.

A new product, the CAPITAL portal, was presented at the conferences, which aims to enable independent pharmacies and regional chains to receive a bonus on an equal footing with the large chains. It is a unique product of interaction between manufacturers and pharmacies, ensuring transparency and fairness in the distribution of the bonus. The project offers hope for independent retailers to grow their business and remain independent.

Today there are already 18,635 registered pharmacies on the portal and the number is increasing.

At the end of the conference, representatives of the pharmacy business in the Southern Federal District expressed interest in the project and in the dialogue with Grand Capital Group, and talked to representatives of the companies for further cooperation.

Feedback from pharmacy representatives:

Pharmacies in Budenovsk:
"The conference gives hope for the future. For me, it's not just an opportunity to earn margin and lower prices. This is an opportunity to make quality medicines accessible to the population. I am rooting for my profession to preserve it for the future. The professionalism of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians is on a par with that of doctors."

Pharmacies in Pyatigorsk:
"The pharmacy is 14 years old. I never realised that manufacturers were making offers for small pharmacies as well, that my format of pharmacy was of interest to manufacturers as well. There is a lot of confidence in the future."

Pharmacies in Anapa:
"You give independent pharmacies confidence in their abilities. Feeling that you are not alone. You are already part of the team. There is a motivation to develop".

Pharmacies in Krasnodar:
Constructive, professional communication, an opportunity to discuss pressing issues with business colleagues. An understanding of the principles of the project is reached. CAPITAL is the future.

See how it was:

23 May – Rostov-on-Don