You have probably already noticed near you that more and more pharmacies have closed their doors in recent years: in ten years, there have been 400 fewer. On the other hand, drugstores continue to multiply. How are pharmacists reinventing themselves to ensure their survival?
Every year, around fifty pharmacies disappear in Belgium. In question? The growing appearance of parapharmacies, a sort of health supermarket, with prices sometimes unbeatable.
“The appearance of certain drugstores or online sales sites has changed the situation a little in relation to part of what we deliver. But we are always here to scientifically and adequately advise each of our patients that we know“, testifies Olivier Parvais, pharmacist.
This situation, although uncomfortable, does not worry the sector. This is a regulated figure: the law provides for one pharmacy per municipality.
We are always there to scientifically and adequately advise each of our patients
“A new pharmacy cannot set up wherever it wants. The pharmacist who wants to take over a pharmacy must take over a pharmacy that already exists.“, explains Nicolas Echemement, secretary general of the Belgian Pharmaceutical Association. “On average, in Europe, there is one pharmacy for 4,000 inhabitants. In Belgium, there is still one pharmacy per 2,500 inhabitants. And we would like to distribute pharmacies optimally across the territory.“.
The challenge is therefore to build customer loyalty. Although pharmacies are disappearing little by little, Belgians still remain attached to them.
“Advice, kindness, skills and then they are loyal to the position“, confides a customer. “We are well received and it’s not far from my house“, adds another.
pharmacy parapharmacy
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