How to open a pharmacy from scratch without pharmaceutical education

During periods of seasonal illnesses, it becomes especially noticeable how much money each family spends on medicines. It turns out that any businessman can start selling drugs. We offer to look at the nuances and details of how to open your own pharmacy from scratch and without difficulties, and how much it costs, we hope that the step-by-step instructions will be useful to you. The main thing is to remember that this path is not easy and investments can take much longer to return than we would like. Therefore, we recommend that you first study all the features of the process.

Pros and cons of business

For such an establishment to generate income and develop, a lot of effort has to be put into it. Activities are regulated by various regulations and are quite strictly controlled by the state. But you can register a pharmacy or chain even without having a suitable education.

When planning to start this business, it is better to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the event. Among the advantages we recommend noting:

• people constantly need medications;
• you can choose the form of organization - LLC, JSC or individual entrepreneur;
• it is possible to create an entire network with an individual design and format.

But don't forget about the disadvantages:

• a license for such activities is required;
• It is unacceptable to start working without a pharmaceutical education (we recommend taking into account the nuances);
• you will have to prepare a lot of permitting documents;
• in large cities there are tough competition conditions with existing companies and federal networks;
• It is impossible to inflate the cost of certain groups of drugs too much; this is controlled by the state.

Future plans

When opening a single pharmacy, you need to understand that, despite extreme efforts, this business will not provide a solid turnover and, accordingly, will not be able to interest suppliers. They give discounts and bonuses to networks: large orders mean favorable conditions.

“Today it is almost impossible for a single pharmacy to survive,” says Yaroslav Shulga. — There are examples of successful single pharmacies, but if we look at them under a microscope, what do we see? Often, by the will of fate or thanks to the foresight of the founder, an extremely favorable location is chosen for the pharmacy. Often the owner himself “manages” it, and does not disdain working at the first table and other functions. And if you own the premises, this means both savings on rent and insurance against the unpredictability of the landlord.

All this allows you to neutralize the disadvantages of a single pharmacy. And yet, the owner of a successful “single owner” will not be able to feel like a respectable businessman, but he is guaranteed to feel some injustice in competition with pharmacy chains. There are marketing contracts, individual terms of work with distributors, direct deliveries, and a lot of other attractive aspects that a single pharmacy will probably never see. Of course, there are associations of pharmacies that allow you not to lose your “solitude” and to experience the advantages of chains, but still opening a single pharmacy, especially in a rented premises, is a dubious pleasure.”

What qualities should a person entering the pharmaceutical business have?

“I would highlight vocation and sincere interest in pharmacy retail as the main success factor,” says Yaroslav Shulga. — The profitability of this business is extremely low; its profitability is not comparable with business projects that are much less complex in organization and less responsible to society. At the same time, the state regularly intervenes in pricing and assortment policy. That is why, if a person does not have a calling specifically for the pharmacy business, he should not engage in it. I have no doubt that a competent manager is capable of managing both an oil refinery and a federal pharmacy chain, but I have more than once observed how bright managers who came to the pharmaceutical business from other industries try to transfer their experience from the banking, restaurant, and hotel sectors to pharmacies and fail . Pharmacies need to be loved and understood.”

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What documents are required to quickly open a legal pharmacy?

First you will have to look for premises and workers, and only then get consent from government agencies.

To be able to open an establishment, you should prepare the following papers in advance:

• obtain a license that allows you to sell medicines;
• obtain permission from the Ministry of Emergency Situations or an analogue service;
• go to the SES or Rospotrebnadzor;
• you must go to your local Roszdravnadzor office, where they will issue the final permit.

Even if you hurry up and do everything in a short time, fulfill all the instructions quickly, the process can still drag on for months.

To obtain the consent of the final authority, you will have to bring with you a whole package of documents:

• Constituent copies certified by a notary for the creation of a legal entity or individual entrepreneur.;
• Proof of the presence of premises suitable in all respects, for which there are papers confirming that it is rented or is the property of the person registering it.
• Confirmation of pharmacologist education from the business owner or manager.
• Signed consents from Rospotrebnadzor, SES, Ministry of Emergency Situations.
• Plan of how the rooms are located with signatures, features of the entrance and placement of utilities.
• Listed equipment to be used.

Pharmacy Marketing and Sales

Marketing activities when opening a pharmacy must be divided into offline and online. With the first ones, everything is quite linear and simple. It is necessary to order a sign with the possibility of illumination at night and a pillar. Costs are about 50,000 rubles. Printing and distributing leaflets is also effective - they can be placed with the help of promoters under car windows, in elevators and on the handles of entrance doors in the entrances of nearby buildings. However, it is important to understand that in modern realities, the presence of a pharmacy in the network is also extremely important.

• Online store.

  We recommend ordering the development of an online store with the possibility of delivery to your address so that customers have the opportunity to buy medicines without leaving home. There is no point in immediately hiring your own couriers for these purposes - the initial volume of orders will be small. Therefore, to deliver online orders, you can use taxi services with the “Delivery” tariff, or enter into an agreement with courier aggregators. We talked in more detail about the drug delivery business in this material.

• Social network.

  In addition to launching an online store and placing aggregators on online platforms, it would not be superfluous to develop social networks. For example, you can maintain an Instagram account on topics of health and treatment that are interesting to users.

• Loyalty cards.

  In pharmacy retail, loyalty cards (discount cards) that are issued to regular customers have also proven themselves well - just remember the example of Rigla pharmacies with not the cheapest prices. Firstly, when filling out the questionnaire, the client will provide detailed information about himself, which can be used for advertising mailings (if he doesn’t mind), and secondly, he will return in the future, knowing that he is entitled to a discount on the product.

Since the introduction of permission for online trading of medicines in the spring of 2020, the demand for medicine delivery services has been growing every month, especially spurred by the spread of COVID-19 infection.

Therefore, you definitely shouldn’t lose sight of this additional sales channel. If, at the time of writing, the share of online drug purchases is about 6% of the total volume, then by the end of the year, according to pharmaceutical business experts, this segment will increase to 15% and will only develop further.

Form of trade organization

Before you start opening up, you need to solve many issues, one of which is how to organize everything.

There are two formats:

• Closed. More secure, the goods are behind glass, the buyer sees them, but cannot take them without asking. But the revenue is less.
• Open. This display increases profits by 30%, but becomes more dangerous for the entrepreneur - cases of theft will become more frequent. The client can look and touch everything that interests him.

It is worth noting that a good profit is obtained when opening a company in a place where more than 10-15 thousand people pass by per day. If there are fewer visitors, the benefit will decrease.

Purchase of furniture and equipment

Both the sales area and the back room of the pharmacy must be equipped with the following furniture.

• Prescription cabinets;
• Walls;
• Checkout counters;
• Demonstration showcases (both open and closed);
• Tables for customers;
• Banquettes;
• Cabinets;
• Shelving,
• Workplace for administrator and pharmacist;

The cost of furniture along with equipment will amount to approximately 500,000 rubles.

Which legal entity can open a pharmacy?

The company needs to be registered. You can choose: LLC, JSC or CJSC. If an individual entrepreneur plans to register a business in his own name, then he must have a pharmacist diploma.

Anyone who has hired a manager with a pharmacist diploma can open other types of establishments without a suitable education.

If you plan to open only one pharmacy premises, the level possessed by an individual entrepreneur will be sufficient. If a network is expected, then any form of society is better suited.

Requirements: what is needed to open a pharmacy from scratch in Russia

To successfully open and start trading, you must follow several rules and follow recommendations regarding the location of the future enterprise, its employees and equipment.

What should the room be like?

A person who has planned such a business is obliged to fulfill everything specified in the law. This must be a non-residential building measuring at least 29 square meters. A point in a clinic or hospital on the ground floors has such small volumes. It will not bring high profits, but there is always income.

If you plan to open in the business part of a large city, then the dimensions must be kept at the level of 43-75 m2. This indicator depends on the number of residents in the area. But it is worth remembering that regional authorities have the right to correct these data. Renting such space will not be cheap.

Usually people make such purchases close to home - in most pharmacies the prices and selection are similar, so it is important to look for a well-traveled place. If you rent a building in a remote cul-de-sac or industrial zone, the business will not pay off.

According to legal regulations, the following requirements must be met:

• at least two entrances regardless of size;
• a special ramp is required for parking for customers and for stopping freight transport;
• on the windows there are bars made of durable metal;
• normal conditions, optimal humidity and temperature;
• the presence of a heating and ventilation system;
• you cannot work without providing good fluorescent lighting;
• It is not allowed to install hollow drywall during repairs, otherwise rodents may grow inside;
• It is important to find a building where there will be several separate rooms - a sales floor, a warehouse, a place for processing, a shower room, a toilet, a department for an accountant or manager.

Separate compartments should be provided for unpacking, processing of prescription glassware, and quality control.

If you do not take this into account when searching for a suitable premises, the inspection authorities will notice this and you will have to go through all the procedures all over again.

What equipment will you need?

Another important question is what software to work on and what technical equipment should be used. There are quite serious sanitation requirements here.

Among the main ones:

• The paint of all surfaces must withstand regular wet cleaning.
• Where medicines are manufactured, carpets, flowers, curtains and any similar furnishings must be removed.
• The counter is made of materials that will protect against the transmission of diseases by airborne droplets.
• All available windows have a built-in mosquito net to protect against mosquitoes and other insects.
• All radiator heating sections are without roughness and are easy to clean.

The entrepreneur has the right to choose the design of various racks, shelves, boxes and tables to his taste. The only rule is the ability of the furniture to withstand frequent wet cleaning.

From technical devices:

• acquiring terminal;
• online cash register;
• accounting program for products.

What kind of staff can you hire?

This issue should be carefully considered, because no legal entity can work in such an area if there is no pharmacist.

In addition, if a person talks to a pharmacist once and does not receive quality advice, he will not come again.

An employee with pharmaceutical knowledge must have 3 years of experience in a relevant position or in the pharmacy business, a higher education in the Pharmacy profile and a certificate. People with an average profile are also allowed, but in this case the work experience increases to 5 years, and a certificate is required. Sellers can work as nursing staff or medical students.

Before hiring a new person, you should call his previous place and ask about the reasons for his dismissal. If he was removed from his position for theft, we do not recommend employing him.

Everyone working in this field is required to have a valid medical record with regular medical examinations.

Purchasing operations and availability of a wide range

You should think about what kind of goods you are going to trade even at the stage of registering a company, because this is indicated in OKVED codes.

Among the most popular drugs:

• painkillers;
• antipyretics;
• for colds - cough, runny nose and sore throat;
• sedatives;
• narrowly focused.

The classifier assumes separate categories for:

• pharmaceuticals;
• products from orthopedics and medicine;
• products from the field of cosmetics and perfumery;
• production of medicines.

At the time of purchase, you can transfer the management to an experienced pharmacist manager. If you open a franchise, a list of what you need for sale is usually supplied.

To make it easier to start a pharmacy business, before opening it near a hospital or clinic, you should ask about doctors’ prescriptions. If they tell you what medications they usually prescribe, you can purchase the products according to their recommendations.

Software

Software installation is an important aspect. Without it, it will be too difficult to control the operation of even a small point, the receipt and consumption of drugs, the amount of revenue and payments to suppliers. Come for a consultation at Cleverens.

Our specialists will help you select all the necessary software and equipment for optimal business development. With the help of properly configured programs, you can control balances and profits, monitor the correctness of the assortment matrix and the availability of in-demand products.

Staff

The profitability of an enterprise depends on its personnel. Employees must have the skills and relevant knowledge. A pharmacist must have a specialized secondary education; a worker without a higher specialized education is not a pharmacist. Regardless of their position, employees must be responsible in fulfilling their duties, showing communication skills and, if necessary, patience.

Even if the owner does not have a pharmaceutical education, the staff must have one. Cashiers should offer similar drugs if what the customer asks for is not in stock. Pharmacy employees work in gowns, caps, and, if necessary, with a protective gauze bandage on their face. You cannot leave the premises wearing protective clothing. Each pharmacy employee must have a medical record.

Opening costs

The amount varies greatly. It all depends on what format and area the establishment is planned to open. We provide approximate prices; they may differ in different cities:

It turns out that the initial investment remains at the level of 1 to 2 million rubles. The final indicators depend on the future volume of the premises, the purchase of furniture and software. If you agree on a franchise, the prices will be different. This is a way to get a ready-made working business in exchange for constant contributions. What exactly the conditions and costs will be depends on the franchisor.

Description of products and services

The pharmacy plans to sell high-quality medicines and herbs, dietary supplements, hygiene products, and medical devices. The average markup on pharmacy products will be 30%.

Our organization will provide the following services:

1. Sale of medicines;
2. Certificate of availability of medications, as well as methods of their use;
3. Dispensing medications on a preferential prescription basis to certain categories of patients at the expense of preventive institutions;
4. Accepting orders for the delivery of special medications.

Buyers will be served by highly qualified personnel, all sellers will necessarily have a pharmaceutical education.

Download a pharmacy business plan from our partners, with a quality guarantee.

Marketing plan

In our city there are many small pharmacies, kiosks and chain stores. That is, there is quite tough competition in the market. At the same time, it is worth highlighting two main competitors of our outlet. Let us characterize their strengths and weaknesses:

To promote the market and increase store traffic, the following activities are planned:

• Advertising in the media;
• Carrying out promotions, creating a flexible system of discounts;
• Creation of a website to provide customer feedback.

The main clients will be women aged 20 years and older, with average and lower average income.

The retail outlet will be located in a fairly accessible location, in close proximity to the bus stop. Average traffic is about 10 thousand people per day. It is expected that about 2% of them will visit our store. It turns out that the average attendance will be about 200 people per day.

Next, we will determine potential revenue. The average bill in pharmacies like ours is approximately 180 rubles. With an average attendance of 200 people, daily revenue will be 36,000 rubles. Monthly revenue will average 1,080,000 rubles.

In essence, these are the expected revenue indicators for a pharmacy when it reaches its planned sales level. These indicators will be achieved at the end of 2 quarters of work, when all promotional activities have been carried out, a qualified team has been selected and an established customer base has been formed.

In the first quarter of work, the average revenue per day will be about 14 thousand rubles, in the second - 28 thousand rubles per day. By the third quarter, the pharmacy will reach its planned revenue levels - 36 thousand rubles per day.

The planned annual revenue with such sales volumes will be 10,260,000 rubles.

Profitability

If the project is about 100 square meters in size, not in the busiest place and taking into account competition, the payback can last up to 2 years. Near the hospital, you can return your investment and start earning money faster. The initial investment will be at least 1,000,000 rubles.

This company can also independently set selling prices, but there are restrictions. It is not allowed to set a price higher than the maximum permissible by law for vital drugs. What prices are and for which products can be found on the website of the Ministry of Health.

In Russia, this figure is approximately 10%. This is not too much, but more than in some types of entrepreneurship.

Choosing premises for a pharmacy

The choice of premises for a pharmacy is extremely important, since the entire flow of customers as a whole will depend on its location.

• Choosing a location.

  It is important to take into account the target audience that you will receive by opening in a specific location - if the main emphasis will be on inexpensive medicines, it is better to look at real estate options in residential areas and new buildings. Well, if you plan to make money on expensive medicines costing from 500 rubles and consistently receive a high average bill, we recommend considering rental options in a shopping center or central areas of the city.

• Rent.

  If the premises are rented, try to stipulate in the contract a fixed cost of payment and conclude it for at least 1 year with an extension. In case of repairs, you can agree with the landlord on a possible reduction in the rental price to account for the work performed. The cost of cosmetic repairs will amount to approximately 200,000 rubles. The cost of renting premises for a pharmacy in a residential area of ​​a city with a population of over a million will average about 40,000 – 50,000 rubles.

• When to open.

  It is also important to consider seasonality when starting a pharmacy. In the summer, there is a significant decline in revenue - about 20-25 percent. During the period from September to May, demand is usually stable - although, of course, it can be influenced by other factors, for example, a possible increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, which experts predict for the fall of 2020.

Therefore, it is best to plan the search for premises and repairs at the end of the “dead season” - in the pharmacy business this is the second half of August.

The premises requirements are as follows:

• The flooring in a pharmacy should allow for regular wet cleaning using disinfectants - therefore, tiles or linoleum seem to be the best options;
• Window openings located on the “sunny” side should be protected from direct scorching rays with curtains or blinds;
• Mosquito nets must be provided on opening windows and vents to prevent insects from getting inside;
• Also, a pharmacy cannot do without special bactericidal lamps for disinfecting the premises;
• The room should be well heated. According to regulations, the minimum temperature in winter should not be lower than 18 degrees Celsius.

Effective pharmacy business: how and where to start an advertising campaign

If you plan to open only one establishment, then advertising may not yield any results. Even if you carry out massive marketing through all available channels - television, radio, posters, the effect may be minimal.

If the organization will operate in a quiet residential area, we recommend holding small events specifically for residents. Usually these are flyers in mailboxes, bright entrance design, attractive boards or promoters during the launch week of the project. Nearby signage will also increase profits.

Requirements for opening a pharmacy: step-by-step instructions

It is worth following a certain algorithm. If you follow the steps, it will not be difficult:

• a business plan is drawn up taking into account payback, start-up investments, profitability and other parameters;
• the type of form of pharmacy activity is determined in advance;
• a decision is made to open an LLC, individual entrepreneur or other type, indicating OKVED;
• a building is rented or purchased that meets all requests and wishes;
• personnel are hired, registration is carried out for all funds in which it is necessary to report for employees;
• obtain a license from Roszdravnadzor;
• obtain a permit to conduct activities from Rospotrebnadzor;
• conduct advertising and marketing campaigns;
• open up.

Equipment for pharmacies

At the stage of purchasing equipment, it is necessary to take into account many important nuances. First of all, equipment for pharmacies is divided into two main categories: display (display cases, cabinets for displaying and storing goods) and specialized (refrigerators, safes for special category drugs, cash register, laboratory equipment, etc.).

Also, the list of basic equipment directly depends on the type of pharmacy:

• A pharmacy kiosk
  is the simplest option with the smallest possible area. For this institution, the minimum area is 8 sq.m. The basic list of equipment for a pharmacy kiosk must certainly include: display cases, a cash register, shelves with closing doors, and a refrigerator.
• Pharmacy point
  - minimum area - 25 sq.m. in a medical institution and 40 sq.m. - for a residential building. If the premises are located in a residential building, then the pharmacy must have a separate entrance (not from the common entrance), an area for taking medications, and a fire alarm must be equipped. As for the equipment, it is necessary to purchase refrigerators for medicines, steel cabinets, display cases, a cash register area with a special counter, lockers for staff, a safe for prescription drugs with a combination or mechanical lock. The total cost of equipment in this situation will depend on the area of ​​the room.
• Prescription-production pharmacies
  - the largest amount of equipment is required for pharmacies in which medications will not only be sold, but also produced. First of all, the premises must have rooms for employees, a sterilization room, a washing room, and an aseptic unit. The basic set of equipment should include display cases, staff lockers, refrigerators, safes, cash registers, pharmaceutical tables, sterilization cabinets, filtration devices, dishes, and laboratory equipment. Of all pharmacies, compounding and manufacturing pharmacies require the most costs, however, if the business is run correctly, the costs will be fully recouped within 2-3 years.

If you are planning to open a pharmacy from scratch, it is best to start a pharmacy focused on selling medicines. This will be the optimal solution in terms of costs and projected profits.

Software

In order to clearly and with minimal time costs control the availability of goods, their shelf life, control of their receipt and write-off, sales, as well as for the convenience of drawing up reports, it is necessary to install specialized software. This will allow you to regulate all processes. Most often, the 1C program or its closest analogues are used for this, but other options are possible in this matter. To install the software, it is better to invite a specialist familiar with these programs.

Business Solutions

the shops

clothes, shoes, products, toys, cosmetics, appliances Read more

warehouses

material, in-production, sales and transport organizations Read more

marking

tobacco, shoes, consumer goods, medicines Read more

production

meat, procurement, machining, assembly and installation Read more

rfid

radio frequency identification of inventory items More details

egais

automation of accounting operations with alcoholic beverages Read more

Types of organizations

According to the law, several forms are provided:

• production – which has the right to produce any drugs or only aseptics;
• sale of finished dosage forms;
• Pharmacy;
• shop (kiosk).

For the first two types, you will have to additionally register your activity using the code “Production of Medicines”.

The rest differ in the number of functions and their content. A full-fledged pharmacy will have the maximum functionality, while a kiosk will have the least functionality.

Is it possible to buy a franchise?

Yes, this option is allowed. But all documents and permits will have to be collected in any case. Requirements for personnel, premises, and equipment will remain the same or become more stringent. Before starting cooperation with the franchisor, we recommend comparing and choosing the most profitable option. Among the well-known companies with which you can cooperate are Evalar, Rigla and A5.

Delivery and payment of medicines

As mentioned above, delivery must be made within 24 hours. This is the main advantage of online pharmacies over standard ones. But at the same time, you need to determine from what minimum order amount delivery is free. This bonus attracts potential clients.

Another important issue is payment. Customers should not experience inconvenience when placing an order, so you need to use all available methods of accepting funds from customers:

• cash upon delivery (to courier);
• payment using virtual money Webmoney;
• non-cash payment (credit card);
• payment to a bank account.

The founder should think about pricing. Naturally, the cost of medicines on the Internet should be lower than in regular pharmacies. But prices that are too low can make customers suspicious, just as prices that are too high. Marketers recommend organizing promotions and setting discounts to attract new customers.