صحافة بلادي صحيفة إلكترونية مغاربية متجددة على مدار الساعة تعنى بشؤون المغرب الجزائر ليبيا موريتانيا تونس
Rabat –A recent report by the Competition Council revealed that approximately 30 percent of pharmacies in Morocco, or about 4,000 pharmacies, face the risk of bankruptcy in light of economic pressures and the decline in the level of drug consumption, which on average does not exceed 640 dirhams annually per capita according to data for the year 2024.
The Council explained, in an opinion on the state of competition in the Kingdom’s pharmaceutical markets presented Tuesday in Rabat, that the drug marketing model in Morocco relies mainly on the commercial margin applied to the factory price without taking into account clear fees for other pharmaceutical services, such as health consultation or prevention activities, which affects the financial balance of many pharmacies.
The report indicated that the rate of drug consumption in Morocco remains low compared to a number of countries, as the average annual expenditure per capita is about 640 dirhams, compared to about 1,200 dirhams in Tunisia, 5,500 dirhams in France, 5,000 dirhams in Belgium, 8,000 dirhams in Germany, 4,200 dirhams in Portugal, and 6,000 dirhams in Italy, while in Egypt it reaches about 600 dirhams. Annually.
According to the data included in the report, the number of pharmacies in Morocco is 14,134, compared to 14,191 registered pharmacists, with a rate of approximately one pharmacist per pharmacy, which is equivalent to 38.4 pharmacies per 100,000 people.
The Competition Council noted that the regulatory model adopted in Morocco is based on the principle of exclusivity, as non-pharmacists are prohibited from owning or controlling pharmacies, and opening pharmacies is subject to prior administrative licensing by the labor or regional employee, while respecting a set of legal and regulatory conditions.
Among these conditions are respecting a legal distance of no less than 300 meters between one pharmacy and another, managing the pharmacy by a pharmacist owner and registered in the authority’s roster, in addition to adhering to guard schedules and specified working times.
The report concluded that despite the absence of accurate official data regarding the number of pharmacies that have closed their doors in recent years, professionals in the sector confirm that economic pressures and high management costs are pushing an increasing number of pharmacies into a difficult financial situation that may end in bankruptcy.
Source:“My press”
