Pharmacy business plan: how to open a profitable pharmacy in your city. How to open a pharmacy and draw up a detailed business plan: our tips Algorithm for drawing up an advertising plan for a pharmacy

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What needs to be included in the business plan of a pharmacy in the form of a store or kiosk with or without production rights? Before starting a project, it is important to understand what expenses are expected at the first stage, what authorities you will have to visit, where to start and what profit you can expect. The finished business plan and its example can be downloaded in the application.

Determining the type of legal entity

Before drawing up a business plan for a pharmacy, you need to decide on the type of legal entity. There are three possible forms for a pharmacy:

• individual entrepreneurship;
• limited liability company;
• public corporation.

Each type of legal entity has its own subtleties. In accordance with the Law “On the Circulation of Medicines”, only a pharmacist can become an individual entrepreneur in this area. In other cases, a pharmacist or pharmacist should be placed at the head of the enterprise. The types of taxation, OKVED codes and much more differ. The best option is to consult with an accountant who will work after the opening of the pharmacy before opening a pharmacy.

Which pharmacy organization should I open?

At the second stage of drawing up a pharmacy business plan, you need to choose what type of institution will open. Based on the type of activity, pharmacies can be divided into manufacturing and trading. Manufacturing dosage forms will require additional costs. It is more profitable to consider the project of a trading organization. Can sell medicines:

• pharmacy;
• Pharmacy;
• pharmacy kiosk.

The pharmacy is allowed to dispense prescription drugs and list A drugs. A pharmacy point and a pharmacy kiosk do not have the right to do this. But trade in prescription drugs involves a mountain of different reporting and other “delights” of state control.

In terms of payback period, the comparison is in favor of the pharmacy. The considered example assumes the average time in which a pharmacy reaches the point without loss is 2 years. The average payback time for an item is six months. But there is a slight difficulty. A pharmacy is an example of a structural unit, and to open it you need to either organize a pharmacy or find partners who will agree to open a pharmacy on behalf of their company.

Choosing a room

If you plan not to buy an existing business, but to open it from scratch, then the first and most expensive part is purchasing or renting premises. Here is a sample of requirements for a pharmacy premises:

• the pharmacy must occupy a total area of ​​at least 75 m²;
• production premises with a total area of ​​at least 60 m² include: a sales area, a place for receiving and unpacking goods, a storage department;
• administrative and utility premises with an area of ​​at least 13 m² - this is a separate place for the manager and accountant, a dressing room or closet, staff premises, an archive;
• sanitary premises of at least 2 m²: toilet, storage area for equipment.

All communications must be centralized. It is mandatory to equip not only a fire alarm, but also a light and sound alarm. The place where medicines are stored is equipped with devices that record air temperature and humidity. These are safety requirements, but there are conditions that must be met for the project to be successful.

It is better for the future pharmacy to be located in a walk-through area. After all, you plan to open a business whose goal is to make a profit. When choosing a location, you need to take into account not only the absence of competitors nearby and the presence of potential clients, but also who the buyers will be. Kiosks located in new areas of the city with economy-class housing and near luxury houses will have different purchasing power for customers. This must be taken into account when compiling the product range and creating markups.

Cost planning

After purchasing or renting a suitable premises, it must be renovated to meet SES standards and equipped with equipment. During the repair process, you can only use materials that can be easily treated with disinfection solutions in the future. Floor covering - tiles or linoleum. According to the most conservative estimates, renovation of the pharmacy will cost several hundred thousand rubles.

You also need to buy display cases, cabinets, a refrigerator for storing medicines, a safe for list “A” drugs and a separate safe for revenue. All equipment will cost an amount comparable to the cost of repairs. In the expenditure part of the pharmacy business plan, it is also necessary to take into account the production of outdoor advertising (signs, signs, plates, etc.), wages for employees for several months (preferably 4-5), payment for utilities, money for settlements with suppliers.

Before registering a legal entity and starting work, it is necessary to conduct marketing research: which distributors of medicines operate in the city, on what conditions they supply goods to new customers. Request price lists from them, compare prices and payment terms. It’s a good idea to find time and get to know the most loyal ones. It will take a long time to work with them.

When all expenses have been taken into account, the premises have been found, you can begin to register a legal entity and look for the head of the enterprise. To obtain a license for pharmacy activities, you need an order appointing a director and chief accountant of the organization. The license itself is paid. To receive it, a certain amount is deposited into the account of the Ministry of Health.

The most reasonable solution for obtaining permission from firefighters, sanitary and epidemiological stations, selecting OKVED codes, etc. - hire a person who understands this paper maze.

When the license is received, the opening of the pharmacy is considered completed and you can begin to work.

What income can you expect? At any retail outlet, profit is formed from the difference between the cost of purchasing goods and the selling price. In the pharmacy business you will have to face the fact that the size of the markup on medicines is regulated by law. The same goes for hygiene products. It is better to set the estimated profitability at 10% of turnover. In any case, if within six months of operation the pharmacy reaches a point without a loss and begins to make a profit, we can say that the business is successful.

What sanitary standards and rules does the pharmacy comply with, and what must be observed?
Is a license required to open a pharmacy?
How much money do you need to open a pharmacy, how much does it cost?

Organization:
Location, where to open a pharmacy - premises and its rent, how to choose premises?
Pharmacy equipment and equipment
Staff for pharmacy business

Marketing:
Sales of products
Advertising

Financial plan:
Investments (calculations for opening, equipment, personnel, purchase of goods, taxes)
Payback, is it profitable to open a pharmacy?

Option to open a pharmacy as a franchise, pros and cons, investment, payback

Prospects for the development of pharmacy business:
1) Opening your own laboratory for the production of tablets and medicines
2) opening a veterinary department in a pharmacy
3) opening a small pharmacy in rural areas

Opening a pharmacy business requires awareness of this area. Today there are many pharmacies, as well as grocery stores.
Therefore, in order to stand out somehow, you need to have good advertising. But, at the same time, this business will never lose its relevance. Because there is always a demand for medicines, as well as for food.

Who can open a pharmacy, what education is needed? Is it possible to open a pharmacy without pharmaceutical education?

According to state legislation, the owner of a pharmacy, as well as the staff, is required to have a pharmaceutical education. A diploma is confirmation of completion of higher or secondary specialized education. Additionally, the manager must have relevant continuous work experience as a pharmacist for at least 3 years. In the case of secondary specialized education, such experience must be at least 5 years. In addition, you must have a specialist certificate. These rules are provided for by licensing requirements for those who wish to start a pharmacy business.

But there is another option. You can open an enterprise for a third party to manage a pharmacy. For example, establish an LLC and hire a person with a pharmaceutical education to serve as director of the company.

Sanitary norms and rules for pharmacies.

In the process of carrying out pharmaceutical activities, all pharmacies and pharmacy points must be guided by the relevant sanitary standards and rules. Failure to comply with these requirements is punishable by law. Responsibility for compliance with the following standards rests directly with the head of the organization.

There are sanitary requirements for the design and placement of pharmacies, requirements for equipment and decoration of premises, requirements for the improvement of premises, as well as for cleaning and hygiene of the organization’s employees.

Sanitary requirements for the design and placement of pharmacies provide for the following points:

The pharmacy can be located either in a separate building or on the first floors of residential buildings;
- it is mandatory to have two entrances: separately for visitors and separately - a service entrance for unloading and loading operations;
- availability of a platform for vehicle access;
- the presence of several zones in the room: for customer service, staff workplaces, a room for storing and unpacking medical supplies, an area for storing medications that require special conditions, a restroom with a mandatory washbasin, a utility room where staff belongings can be stored or receptions can be carried out food.

Sanitary requirements for equipment and decoration of the premises:

The finishing of the floor covering should provide for the possibility of frequent wet cleaning using disinfectants;
- if the shop windows or windows of the room are located on the sunny side, then special protective devices (awnings or blinds) must be provided;
- vents or window openings that are necessary to ventilate the room must be equipped with special nets to prevent the entry of dust, dirt or insects;
- a prerequisite is the presence of special bactericidal lamps to carry out regular disinfection of the premises.

Requirements for the improvement of the premises include the following aspects:

Mandatory central heating;
- it is preferable to equip the room with special, smooth-walled radiators, which are the easiest to carry out the cleaning process;
- the possibility of ventilating premises in summer, winter and spring-autumn using vents or window openings;
- during the heating season, the air temperature should not be less than 18 °C;
- the presence of artificial lighting in the pharmacy is mandatory;
- when organizing lighting, preference is given to incandescent fluorescent lamps;
- it is necessary to have a water supply in the room with cold and hot water supply;
- the presence of sewers to remove water runoff, and garbage containers to remove solid waste;
- solid waste must be removed at least twice a day.

Sanitary requirements for cleaning and hygiene of employees include:

The premises must be wet cleaned daily using special disinfectants;
- once a month, wet cleaning of windows, vents and window openings should be carried out using soap or disinfectants;
- during the thaw period and during the warm period, wet cleaning of windows outside the premises is carried out;
- at least once a week, wet cleaning of cabinets and shelves where medications are stored is carried out;
- sinks and lavatories must be disinfected daily using separate cleaning equipment (special markings must be provided to distinguish them);
- premises workers must wash their hands before starting work, have special clothing (robe, cap, gloves if necessary and a protective gauze bandage on the face). It is prohibited to leave the pharmacy in overalls;
- there should be no foreign objects in the employee’s workplace, as well as in the pockets of work clothes;
- each employee of the organization must have a special book in which data on the results of a medical examination must be regularly entered. This document gives the right to work in an organization of a similar direction;
- workers who have diseases that do not allow them to work in the pharmacy sector should be sent for treatment. And only after confirmation of their recovery is permission to work resumed.

What documents are needed to open a pharmacy?

To open a pharmacy, you must contact the sanitary-epidemiological service and provide the following list of documents:
- document confirming identity and identification code;
- statement;
- original and photocopy of the “Certificate of Registration as a Legal Entity or Individual”;
- Extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate;
- a document that confirms the right to ownership of the premises that will be intended for the pharmacy;
- BTI plan;
- an agreement for disinfection, laundry and the possibility of destroying fluorescent lamps;
- a document confirming the possibility of conducting an inspection of workers;
- medical records of employees;
- production control plan;
- data with measurements of the room microclimate.

By submitting the above documents, you must receive in return a sanitary passport giving the opportunity to open a new pharmacy, as well as a special permit to locate a business facility.

The next step is to contact the fire department to obtain a special permit.

To do this, you must provide the following list of documents:

Documents that confirm the availability of funds for fire safety;
- certificate of state registration;
- fire safety declaration;
- a document with prescribed measurements of the insulation resistance of electrical wires;
- pharmaceutical license.

Is a license required to open a pharmacy?

To conduct pharmaceutical activities, it is mandatory to open a license. This procedure takes about a month on average. The following documents are required:

Certificate of registration of the enterprise;
- statement;
- extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate;
- a document confirming registration with the tax service;
- receipt of paid tax fee;
- certificate of specialist of the head of the organization;
- document confirming ownership;
- personnel work books;
- a document confirming the right to use the equipment;
- permits obtained from the SES and fire service;
- characteristics and plan diagram of the economic activity object.

How much money is needed to open a pharmacy?

The answer to this question depends on several aspects. First of all, the chosen type of pharmacy plays a role. There are several of these: a pharmacy, a store or kiosk, a manufacturing pharmacy, a pharmacy of prepared drugs. Additionally, it is worth assessing the size of the organization and its location.

The funds that will go into starting a business will be spent on the following: purchasing display cases, cabinets, shelving, medicines, safes, furniture, refrigeration equipment, computers, software, renting premises, processing all necessary documents and marketing activities.

For example, opening a pharmacy kiosk in a residential area of ​​the city can entail an amount of 10-12 thousand dollars. Opening the same pharmacy kiosk, only in the central part of the city, will cost about 17 thousand dollars. If we talk about a pharmacy store, then the amount will be much higher. For a residential area you will have to pay about 20-27 thousand dollars. A store in the center will cost from 30 thousand dollars and more, depending on the size of the premises.

Organization and arrangement of a pharmacy.

Location and premises.

After receiving all the necessary documents, you can begin choosing the location of the pharmacy. First of all, it is important to focus on its size, type and potential buyers. For example, if you want to open a small pharmacy with a standard range of products (essential medicines and the most popular drugs), then you should choose a residential area of ​​the city. It is better to choose a place close to a bus stop, grocery stores or in places where there are more crowds of people. If you have chosen elite and expensive products and are going to offer consumers exclusive and expensive drugs, then you need to choose the city center or its business district. When choosing any location for pharmaceutical activities, it is best to focus on places where a large number of people will pass daily: the market, metro, transport stops and other similar areas.

You can rent premises either in a separate building or on the first floors of residential premises. But for an elite pharmacy, it is still better to opt for a separate room in order to prepare a separate and comfortable entrance for visitors, as well as brand the room itself according to the style of the pharmacy.

When choosing the premises for a pharmacy, you must first focus on the square footage. For a medium-sized pharmacy there should be at least 80 sq. m. It is also necessary to focus on sanitary standards: the presence of heating, water supply, sewerage, electricity, air conditioning.

Repairs and equipment of the premises should be easy to clean regularly. Another positive point will be the presence of a fire and security system. At the same time, an important condition is that the pharmacy must be separate from the premises of any other organizations.

For normal operation of a pharmacy you will need a minimum amount of equipment. It includes:

Cash registers and special software;
- racks, display cases and counters for storing medical supplies;
- closed cabinets and refrigerators (for medicines that require special storage conditions);
- safes (if there is a need to store drugs with narcotic effects);
- computers, tables, chairs and other indoor furniture.

Only if you have all the above equipment you will receive a license to create a pharmacy business.

Staff.

After purchasing the necessary equipment, you can begin recruiting personnel. The requirements for pharmacy employees are quite high. All pharmacy employees, with the exception of cleaners or security guards, must have a higher pharmaceutical education. Some workers require a certain amount of work experience. For example, the head of an organization must work as a pharmacist for at least 3 years. This rule also applies to his deputy. Additionally, once every 5 years, a procedure for improving the qualifications of all personnel must be carried out. Because modern drugs are improving every year, and people often come to the pharmacy not only to buy medicines, but also for advice. Therefore, it is important to retrain pharmacy workers.

The number of staff directly depends on the size of the pharmacy itself. If we take into account a medium-sized pharmacy, then for the normal operation of the enterprise you will need:

Manager and acting manager;
- receptor-controller (responsible for receiving the goods);
- analytical chemist (responsible for product quality);
- defector (responsible for storing the goods);
- assistant (engaged in independent preparation of drugs);
- pharmacist or handler (sells medicines).

If the pharmacy is small, then the staff may be smaller or one person may perform two positions.

Marketing and sales of goods.

To determine the most necessary product items, you should monitor and become familiar with the drugs that are in greatest demand for a given period. Another profitable option for purchasing goods is direct cooperation with hospitals. In this case, you will provide the buyer with exactly the product that the doctor will prescribe for him. But such agreements require additional investments. To maximize profits, you can offer related products: cosmetics, baby food, accessories, orthopedic products and much more. At the same time, you can set absolutely any markup on such goods.

In order to somehow stand out, a small pharmacy needs to constantly pursue an active advertising policy. The main factors that attract buyers are advertising and flexible pricing policy. Of course, you can carry out active marketing activities and use all advertising tools: newspapers, magazines, the Internet, radio, television. But not always such activities can attract a lot of buyers and bring the desired profit. Today there are enough pharmacy points and people often do not have a question about where to find a pharmacy. Therefore, sometimes it is better to use simpler actions. They won't cost you as much.

For example, if you decide to locate a pharmacy in a residential area. Then it is best to orient people with signs, signs that will be visible and can guide consumers. You can also reach your audience by handing out leaflets or through mailboxes. You can also distribute discount cards and set a small discount percentage, create a website for ease of use with the ability to order or reserve goods. Additionally, you can offer customers high service and good advice. All of the above actions will subsequently prove to be more effective and less costly.

Financial plan.

There are major costs that opening a new pharmacy will entail. It is on their basis that it is necessary to calculate the financial plan.

For a medium-sized pharmacy, you may need the following expenses:

Rent of premises for 2 months - from 1.5 to 5.5 thousand dollars;
- carrying out repair work (if necessary) - up to 3 thousand dollars;
- purchase of commercial equipment - up to 7 thousand dollars;
- purchase of refrigeration equipment - $400-700;
- purchase of cash registers - $150-300;
- additional equipment if necessary - about 1.5 thousand dollars;
- documentation and taxes - $150-400;
- advertising and outdoor signs - about 2 thousand dollars;
- other expenses - $600;
- wages of employees - from 700 to 1.2 thousand dollars monthly;
- purchase of necessary goods - from 10 thousand dollars and above.

To open a medium-sized pharmacy business, you may need between $27,000 and $31,000. Having invested such a sum of money, it is important to understand the profitability and possible risks of the business.

Profit from a pharmacy will depend on many factors: the location where you decide to locate the pharmacy, the size of the area or population, competition, as well as rent and pricing policy. According to experts, opening a pharmacy or pharmacy is quite profitable, even under conditions of high competition. For example, the turnover of a small pharmacy will be approximately $30 thousand. Taking into account monthly expenses, we get a net monthly profit of 3-5 thousand dollars. In this case, you can recoup the initial investment in 1 year. A large pharmacy can generate profits of $150,000 or more. But her monthly expenses are much higher. Therefore, with proper and competent organization of work, you will recoup the investment in six months, maximum a year.

But even if the pharmacy’s payback is slower, opening a pharmacy still remains a profitable business, given the growing demand for various medicines from year to year and the active development of this industry. Most often in the Russian Federation, the profitability of pharmacies fluctuates around 10%. Of course, this is not an impressive amount. But, if the development of a pharmacy is in the hands of an experienced businessman, then you can get a much better result. For example, it is pharmacy chains that provide the highest profits. Since they have good advertising, are located in many areas of the city, have an attractive discount system, as well as a low pricing policy.

Opening a pharmacy as a franchise.

Large pharmacy chains often offer businessmen to start their pharmaceutical business in partnership with them. For this purpose, a franchise agreement is used. This method of cooperation remains one of the easiest ways to start your own business. The meaning of this agreement remains the following: the opportunity to use an already well-known brand to create your own pharmacy. This agreement obliges you to plan your business in accordance with established rules. This is a certain size of the room, type of service, work schedule, features of the organization, and more. Considering the points described above, we can highlight the positive and negative aspects of developing your own business under a franchise agreement.

Positives include the following:

Minimum expenses for marketing activities;
- reduced risks of unsuccessful business;
- assistance in promotion;
- low pricing policy and competitive prices for medicines;
- reliable and trusted suppliers;
- advertised and recognizable products;
- training in basic business standards, trainings;
- assistance in obtaining a license to open a new pharmacy.

It is worth highlighting the negative aspects of running this business. First of all, it is important to note the high price of purchasing a franchise of a well-known brand. It is also important to note the restrictions on conducting various activities, which excludes the possibility of independent development. Additionally, you must independently look for premises in accordance with the requirements of the contract, as well as hire a specified number of personnel and agreed upon equipment.

It is important to note that each specific network can dictate its own rules and offer unique terms of cooperation. For them, as for you, development and profit making are important. But it is still possible to allocate an average investment for organizing a pharmaceutical franchise business under the following conditions:

Lump sum payment - from 1.5 thousand dollars;
- royalties - from 2 dollars;
- the size of the investment, taking into account the opening of one pharmacy on an area of ​​more than 80 square meters. m - 20-30 thousand dollars.

At the same time, franchising can provide the following conditions: ensuring the supply of goods from leading distributors, training staff, organizing advertising activities for a new point, support at all stages of creation and development, as well as other points that may differ for each pharmacy chain.
According to experts, even taking into account the large initial investment, this business can pay for itself within a year. But this figure is influenced by many factors. Additionally, in the pharmacy franchise business, it is worth choosing the right staff. This is, first of all, not education and work experience, but the ability to find an approach to each buyer - communication data. Professionally organized customer consultation is the key to running a successful pharmaceutical business.

Prospects for the development of the pharmacy business.

The pharmaceutical industry, like any other, can be developed to increase the profit of the enterprise and, accordingly, increase the interest of potential clients. When opening a new pharmacy, you can think about developing the following areas:

Opening of our own laboratory for the production of medicines;
- additional opening of a veterinary department;
- opening an additional pharmacy store in a sparsely populated area.

Opening of our own laboratory for the production of tablets and medicines.

Opening your own laboratory for the production of medicines is quite a promising direction. Not every pharmacy can offer such a range of services, especially if we talk about a sparsely populated area. It often happens that a consumer who wants to buy drugs of this type suffers in search of a point where they are produced.

Therefore, by opening your own laboratory, you can safely count on an additional flow of clients, and, accordingly, greater profits. Additionally, it is important to note that such medicines can provide great competition to advertised foreign analogues. Therefore, it is important to conduct an advertising campaign so that the consumer knows about the new opportunities of your pharmacy. Additionally, it is worth contacting hospitals and medical centers to talk about the new strategy for your business. And also, if possible, talk to doctors so that they recommend your pharmacy to people in need of such medications.

The only point is that it is important to calculate the entire cost of the equipment, which is better: purchase it or rent it. It is also important to take into account additional expenses for renting a special room, working personnel, equipment for storing medicines, and necessary equipment. Most often, this industry entails large expenses, but, according to experts, this offer remains quite profitable and cost-effective. Full payback, in case of correct and competent development of the direction, can pay for itself in a six-month period.

But, before you make the final decision to open your own laboratory for the production of medicines, it is important to monitor the market in order to know exactly which specific medicines may be in great demand. On average, this direction can increase revenue up to 30%.

Opening of a veterinary department in a pharmacy.

The additional opening of a veterinary department can also lead to profit. According to the results of the survey, about 20% of residents of our state have pets, which are your target audience. This means that almost every fifth buyer has a pet and can buy the necessary medications for it. It is important to note that even during periods of crisis, people continue to take care of their pets. Therefore, the veterinary department can generate stable income over a long period of time, since any animal, just like a person, needs to be regularly maintained in health.

This department can be opened on the territory of the pharmacy. Since all the necessary equipment, as well as inventory for storing veterinary medicines, is already present, all that remains is to involve additional personnel in the work, as well as purchase additional racks and a display case. Accordingly, it will be necessary to purchase veterinary drugs. You can also contact your distributors for the supply of medicines for people on this issue. According to experts, all investments can be recouped in 1.5 years if the advertising campaign is properly organized.

Opening a small pharmacy in a rural area.

Opening a small pharmacy in a rural area can provide a stable income for quite a long period. First of all, it is worth highlighting the main positive and negative points. The advantage is that most often in rural areas there is no competition. Village residents have to go to the nearest regional center for medicine. If you open a pharmacy in a village, then all its residents, as well as, possibly, people living in neighboring villages will immediately contact you. Additionally, it can be noted that the pricing policy for medications will be dictated by your pharmacy, which allows you to set the maximum markup for the product. But it is worth noting a negative point - this is a narrow circle of potential buyers.

But the sale of essential medicines and the most popular drugs can bring significant profits. But this area can be developed a little by offering customers goods for children, cosmetics or household products. Investments in this business will not be as large as compared to opening a pharmacy in a big city. But the payback period may be at least a year, due to lower turnover.

Business results.

The pharmacy business, even taking into account the slow payback period, is worth the effort and money invested in it. Because constantly stable and high demand for medical drugs is the basis for running a successful pharmaceutical business!

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Anyone who has initial capital, time, and most importantly the desire to engage in this business can bring a pharmacy business plan to life. And there is almost no doubt that the pharmacy business is profitable. Medicines and related products are needed by people of different professions, age categories, and residents of cities and villages. That is why a pharmacy can be safely established in any area, near residential areas.

Do you need an example document for opening a pharmacy? It is on our website, where useful, specific projects related to different sectors of life are collected. Here you can study the thoughtful calculations for establishing a pharmacy and begin to put them into practice. The project immediately indicates what will be needed for the pharmacy, what investments will be required, what the payback will be and other data.

When purchasing a document to open a pharmacy, you must immediately clearly understand where your project will be carried out and who will work there. This can be either a small pharmacy kiosk or a full-fledged pharmacy, where in addition to medicines, cosmetics and products for children, young mothers, disabled people, pensioners and other categories of citizens will also be offered.

Interested in the finished document? Then study it on our website, and it will be a specific document, useful in its accuracy and reality. Will the project be profitable? This will largely depend on your desire, perseverance, how responsibly you approach the matter, how you work and what you offer to people.

Is it profitable to open a pharmacy? If you think about this question, statistics alone will not be enough. Figures indicate that the domestic drug market is increasing in volume by 20% annually. But this does not mean that if you decide to open a business - your own pharmacy, you will be among the successfully developing companies. It is incredibly difficult for newcomers to the pharmacy business to gain a foothold in this niche.

The problem is that large pharmacy chains have cornered most of the market. And for single players who decide to open their own pharmacy, organizing a small business poses a problem due to high competition. One of the necessary conditions for opening a pharmacy business is significant initial investment. In order to open your own pharmacy in Russia, you will need at least 50 thousand dollars at a time - this is a business with a fairly high entry threshold. When opening a pharmacy, the assortment must be constantly replenished, as a result of which the total amount of expenses during the first months can reach 300-500 thousand dollars.

At the same time, organizing a business activity to open a kiosk or a pharmacy store does not promise any excess profits. The turnover in one pharmacy outlet in a large city rarely exceeds 20 thousand dollars.

Recently, entrepreneurs planning to create a pharmacy business are increasingly thinking about how to become a partner in a pharmacy or pharmacy chain that already has its own name. For example, many pharmacy chains in Western Europe have been franchising for a long time. This experience is also being adopted in Russia. Opening a pharmacy alone is difficult, and numerous tips on business forums touch on the topic of franchising.

For a businessman planning to open a pharmacy from scratch and wondering where to start, it makes sense to pay attention to well-known pharmacy brands. Suppliers of large chains offer franchisees various terms of cooperation. The franchising departments of such pharmacies help partners with opening a pharmacy and developing their business on the terms of mutually beneficial cooperation. Problems such as preparing regulatory documentation for trade in a pharmacy outlet, including statutory documents, obtaining permits to open, after confirming that the pharmacy’s premises comply with licensing requirements, are much easier to solve if the business opens under the wing of a well-known pharmacy chain.

The industry affiliation of pharmacies dictates serious requirements for opening your own pharmacy, pharmacy kiosk or point. The list of documents that are required to start activities is very extensive. In this regard, many beginning businessmen have difficulty going to forums in search of answers, finding out whether it is possible to open a pharmacy without a license, how to open a pharmacy, what is needed for this, what documents are required and whether the requirements are high.

At the same time, the easiest way to find competent recommendations on all these issues is in a professional example of a business plan for opening a pharmacy with ready-made calculations. In it you will find all the necessary information that interests a novice businessman.

So, you have decided to open a pharmacy or pharmacy. Where to start, what is needed for this and most importantly - what is the difference between a pharmacy and a pharmacy or other format for selling medicines? The peculiarities of the pharmacy pharmaceutical business are such that an entrepreneur, first of all, should figure out what he wants to open: a classic pharmacy, a pharmacy, a kiosk or a store. This is very important, since the basic requirements for opening a pharmacy kiosk differ significantly from the requirements for premises for a classic pharmacy.

When planning to open his own business - a pharmacy business, an entrepreneur is guided in his choice by several indicators. For example, the organization of a pharmacy involves the sale of prescription drugs, but a kiosk or stall does not. When calculating whether it is profitable or not to open a pharmacy or stall, this factor should be taken into account. A significant reduction in assortment, as a rule, negatively affects the efficiency of trade. Licensing conditions for a pharmacy or pharmacy also differ. Even such a detail as the rationale for choosing a supplier in a pharmacy depends on which format you choose.

The pharmacy business today is a lot of subtleties and nuances that relate to the requirements for the premises, its location, regulatory documents on the assortment of a pharmacy kiosk or point. The pharmacy market provides a huge selection of business development options, but it is very important to make the right choice. You can open a pharmacy in a government office or in a shopping center - both options can be profitable.

The requirements for opening a pharmacy kiosk and a store are completely different, and on forums they often discuss which type of business is best suited for individual entrepreneurs. You need to proceed from your financial capabilities and your own preferences. Some people dream of creating their own pharmacy chain in the future, while for others the ultimate dream is a pharmacy in a village. It is certainly easier to collect documents for opening a pharmacy, since the requirements for opening such a retail outlet in Russia are not as high as in the case of creating a classic pharmacy. The costs in these two cases are also not comparable.

Favorable placement of a retail outlet is of great importance. As a rule, when deciding what type of house to set up a pharmacy in, a businessman also thinks about how to choose the most active location. Opening a pharmacy is a little easier - it can be placed in a shopping center, in the metro or in a medical facility. On the other hand, only in a classic pharmacy it is possible to implement an open display format, the relevance of which has recently become maximum.

To make such a difficult choice easier, use a competent sample pharmacy business plan - a kind of step-by-step instructions that explains in detail how to open a pharmacy business from scratch, where to start. What should be the algorithm of actions for opening a non-chain pharmacy, what does the area of ​​the pharmacy depend on - you will find the answers to all these questions in the business plan.

Pharmacies are almost always a profitable investment of money - this is, or almost so, the majority of entrepreneurs who decide to invest their capital in this business. But this opinion quickly changes once they are faced with the realities of this market. Pharmacy activity is associated with a huge number of difficulties, which not every businessman can overcome.

When opening a pharmacy business, you need to calculate all its pros and cons, the cost of opening and profitability, and only then make a decision. What is needed to open a pharmacy from scratch, what expenses will be required, where to start? First of all, to open a pharmacy in Russia, you need to collect a package of documents to obtain a license and all permits to conduct this activity.

The organization of commercial activities of a pharmacy, pharmacy business begins with the study of industry standards for opening and functioning of a pharmacy organization, a package of documents for opening a pharmacy. After getting acquainted with the pharmacy, the essence of sales accounting and other nuances of this business, the time comes to solve the main question: how to attract customers in a highly competitive environment? And in this situation, the decisive factor becomes service, as well as the provision of additional services to customers.

Opening your own pharmacy business or pharmacy branch will be profitable if you carefully consider your customer service system. According to statistics, one pharmacy per 4,000 people is enough to meet the needs of the population. Otherwise, the pharmacy’s profitability falls, despite the fact that the required range of goods is available at the pharmacy, and even sympathetic and friendly pharmacists are unable to save the situation.

Regardless of where you decide to open a pharmacy - in a residential area or in the city center, on what area - 70, 75 or 100 sq. m. meters, you will be guaranteed the attention of buyers if you are able to provide attractive conditions for them. For example, by creating a unified information and referral service when opening a pharmacy chain, you will help the client quickly find the necessary drug. If a certain medicine is not available in one branch, the buyer will be prompted with the address where it can be purchased. This is also beneficial from the point of view that the buyer will purposefully go to your pharmacy.

A service such as an individual order will help demonstrate attention to the client. When you first order goods to a new pharmacy, you may not cover all the needs of customers. If some medicine is not in your range, you need to write down the client’s coordinates, find the medicine he is interested in and place an order. Many buyers will certainly be pleased with the availability of such a service as home delivery. This is especially true during periods of mass infections.

What profit will the pharmacy business bring to entrepreneurs? It’s difficult to say, but one thing is certain: maximum income is guaranteed if the entrepreneur follows the advice given in a competent pharmacy business plan. It contains step-by-step instructions for opening a pharmacy and tells you how to make it beautiful and attractive to the buyer.

Enough materials have been published on how to draw up a business plan. And now, in order for us to finally understand this issue, I will show you an example of a pharmacy business plan. This is a real operating enterprise that I opened in one of the shopping centers. It turned out to be a pretty successful pharmacy.

Let's imagine the following situation. You have decided to open a pharmacy, there is an offer for premises in a shopping center, there is a potential investor. You have made preliminary assessments and calculations and see that the object, in general, meets your requirements. And your requirements are:

• reaching the break-even point in no more than 6 months
• payback period no more than 2 years
• net profit per month of at least 80 thousand rubles

Now you need to start writing a business plan.

I skip the design questions and go straight to the project summary

1. Project summary

The objectives of developing a business plan are the following:

1. Justification of the feasibility of opening this pharmacy point;
2. Assess the amount of investment required to open a pharmacy and the payback period for this outlet;

• Sales assortment structure: 6000
• Average number of customers: 400 people/day
  • Average check: 180 rub.
  • Average trade margin: 30%
  • Card denominations for discounts: 5%.
  • Investment budget: 1270 million rubles.
  • Staff: 5 people
  • Opening hours: daily, from 9:00 to 22:00
  • Start of activity: October 2011

The short-term goal of the project is to successfully solve all the problems of the investment stage of the project and open a pharmacy in October 2011.

The main medium-term goal of the project is to implement plans for the sale of products and services to achieve investment indicators no worse than those provided for in the main scenario:

Additional medium-term goals of the project are:

1. Increasing customer satisfaction with the range and quality of products sold.
2. Increasing the level of customer service, achieving and maintaining a high level of customer loyalty.
3. Increasing sales volume, including through offering new products and services, as well as expanding the customer base.
4. Improving financial performance indicators.

The priority tasks, the successful solution of which will contribute to the achievement of the intended goals, are:

• improvement and strict adherence to business processes;
• constant improvement of the quality of products and services and the level of customer loyalty;

The key to success is careful work with the assortment and competently selected and trained pharmacy staff.

2. Market analysis

Global market dynamics
(2010 and forecast 2011)

• 2010:

– Growth of the global pharmaceutical market: 4-5%

– Forecast of growth of the Russian pharmaceutical market: 6-8%

• 2011:

– the volume of the global pharmaceutical market will increase by 5–7% and amount to $890 billion.

17 emerging pharma markets: 15-17% growth (China, Brazil, Russia and smaller markets)

State

• Vital and Essential Drugs:

– Consequences of price regulation

• Law on the circulation of drugs:

– New packaging requirements

• Cancellation of state regulation of maximum premiums for “non-vital and essential drugs”
• New list of minimum assortment
• The abolition of pharmacy licensing is being discussed

Bill “on the fundamentals of protecting the health of citizens”

State: Vital and Essential Drugs

• Decrease in prices for vital and essential drugs in the 2nd quarter. 2010 compared to Q1

– Retail -2.7%

– Wholesale -5.4%

• January-September: reduction in prices for all drugs by an average of 1.5%.
• April-June: sales growth rates in the vital and essential drugs sector are 4 times lower than in the market as a whole
• The production of some inexpensive drugs becomes unprofitable (Binnopharm refused to produce some drugs after registering prices).
• For the first time in the last few years, the market showed growth in packages in the 1st half of the year
• A new list of vital and essential drugs for 2011 has been published:

– 37 drugs added, 16 drugs excluded (not produced, not registered)

The list will be updated annually.

State:
maximum premiums for “non-vital and essential drugs”

• 09/14/2010: a resolution was signed on cancellation state regulation of wholesale and retail prices for drugs not included in the vital and essential drugs list.
• Comments:

– Pharmexpert: if prices increase, it won’t be for long. The rise in price will be offset by demand and competition; there are no objective reasons for a global change in price tags.

– Research company Segedim: the risk of a strong rise in prices is minimal – over the past year, the price monitoring system of the Ministry of Health and Social Development has become operational. No one wants to “run into trouble” again.

– Ministry of Health and Social Development: If cases of a sharp increase in the cost of certain medicines are identified, this will become known and will certainly serve as a reason for a prosecutorial or antimonopoly investigation

– Ministry of Economic Development: This is the elimination of an archaic norm, which is quite meaningless from the point of view of its impact on prices, but at the same time harmful from the point of view of consumers.

• September: price increase for “non-vital and essential drugs” by 0.7% compared to August.

State: minimum range

October 2010: a new list of minimum pharmacy assortment was approved

– Reduced by almost 3 times (149 -> 60)

– Psychotropic and narcotic drugs, injection solutions are excluded

– Excluded are drugs whose registration has expired, which are not produced or supplied

– 50 drugs out of 60 are included in the Vital and Essential Drugs list

– If a citizen goes to a pharmacy for a drug from this list (with a prescription), but it is not available, then the drug must be in the pharmacy within 5 days

– Disadvantages of the list:

• There are outdated drugs
• There are rare dosage forms (activated carbon in capsules, 50 times more expensive than usual, produced by only 2 manufacturers)

There are very expensive drugs.

The company competes from four groups: classic pharmacies, local pharmacy chains, branches of federal pharmacy chains and Internet pharmacies.

Classic pharmacies.

Traditional pharmacies enjoy the trust of regular customers, but they lack modern medicines, are unable to motivate employees financially, and cannot cope with rising drug prices.

Local pharmacy chains.

« local network 1», « local network 2», « local network 3"and a number of other smaller networks. Stable connections with wholesale suppliers allow this company to maintain a relatively low price level, and the optimal placement of a network of branches throughout the city ensures a high level of sales. The company's shortcomings are typical for all local chains - low qualifications of personnel and focus on cheap substitutes for effective drugs.

Branches of federal pharmacy chains.

There are branches of several federal chains in X: pharmacies 36.6, Rigla, Stary Lekar. These companies have a high reputation and extensive connections with wholesale suppliers, which allows them to sell products at deep discounts. The disadvantage of nationwide chains is the unified assortment that does not take into account local specifics. The order is centralized, so there is a high shortage.

Internet pharmacies.

The development of this type of pharmacy in city X is a matter of the relatively distant future. The advantage of this type of drug trade is low transaction costs, but the disadvantage is low user confidence.

The main competitors of our company in the pharmaceutical market of the city of X are local pharmacy chains and branches of federal chains.

Local pharmacy chains focus on cheaper drugs. This factor can be used to win the competition by offering quality medicines at reasonable prices using volume discounts. Low service standards are also a weak point in this segment.

Branches of national pharmacy chains in the city of X do not take into account the specific morbidity of the local population in the area where the pharmacy is located; they have a standard assortment and high defects. Proper work with the assortment will create additional competitive advantages for our network.

Thus, despite the fact that in the city of X there is a fairly saturated pharmaceutical market, our company has great development opportunities if it can correctly use two important advantages: high standards of service, knowledge of the morbidity structure of the local population and serious work with the assortment.

Consumer segmentation.

Consumer segmentation criteria may be as follows:

By geographic location - people who can come to the pharmacy because they live, work nearby or often pass or drive by.

Based on demographic data (male to female ratio, age, social status, etc.)

Segmentation by type of consumer behavior:
1. People who prefer to always use the same product.
2. Experimenters. Try different products.
3. People whose consumer preferences may relate to certain types of medicines and medical products.

By user behavior - how often do people come to the pharmacy; they come rarely, but buy a lot, or they come often, but buy little by little, etc.

By level of monetary income. It is necessary to determine which price group of the product the pharmacy can target. Since it is unreasonable to count on the lowest price group, you must decide to focus on the middle or higher price group. Our network is aimed at the middle class.

Pharmacies are located on the central streets of the city and in shopping centers. The range of pharmacies is also aimed at this level of consumers.

The most promising segment for our pharmacies are women, both working and housewives, aged 30 to 45 years, mostly with children. They value their time, spend money wisely, love to please their loved ones, and are responsible for the health and well-being of their family and children.

This target audience makes up 30% of the total turnover, incl. 7% are those who visit network pharmacies at least once every 1.5 months. They want to see a wide range of beauty, health and child care products in the pharmacies where they shop.

3. Description of the enterprise and products

The company's field of activity is the sale of pharmaceutical and parapharmaceutical products.

Our company's products include medicines, personal hygiene and diagnostic products supplied by leading pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Based on marketing research, the main target audience of the pharmacy was identified. These are women aged 30 to 45 years. They want to see in the pharmacy not only medicines, but also beauty and health products, baby food. The main thing here is convenience of choice, speed of service, comfort, and friendly atmosphere.

The uniqueness of our offer is to make our product more attractive to our target consumer compared to competitors' products. Our pharmacy has an open form of trade (self-service), and there is a consultant working in the sales area, which gives us additional competitive advantages.

One of the ways to analyze goods and services is to present the product or service according to three-level scheme. In a three-level analysis of a product, one distinguishes: the essence of the product, the actual product and the added product.

Product essence

Any organization sells not just any set of products or services, but solutions to problems, satisfaction of needs and desires.
The pharmacy helps solve health problems and relieve pain. This means that the pharmacy offers its customers health as a product.

Actual item

The actual product is the form that our product or service takes. If we are trying to satisfy a consumer’s desire, then a product that will meet this desire must be characterized by: the quality of components, packaging design, personnel competence, brand name, information about the product, and the reputation of the manufacturer.
The work of a pharmacist and pharmacist is very complex and specific. This is due to the variety and characteristics of the product.
Therefore, any offer from a pharmacist to a visitor to our pharmacy will be based on knowledge of his needs.

Added product

The added product or service includes everything that we can still offer to our customers in addition to the main product. This may include consultations on the use of the drug, a telephone number for medical information or consultations.
Additional services in the pharmacy: blood pressure measurement; learning to use any device; cosmetics consultant in the sales area; work to order; notifying doctors about new products and discounts;

4. Promotion of goods to the market

The company plans to implement the following marketing strategies.

Offer

The company offers the population of X effective medicines at a reasonable price.

Competitive advantage

The competitive advantage of our company lies in knowledge of the local market, access to the wholesale drug market and high professionalism of the staff. Current trends in the pharmaceutical market - an aging population and increasing demand for effective but relatively expensive drugs - contribute to the company's success.

Marketing strategy

The marketing mix is ​​based on traditional methods of market promotion.

Pricing

• The company's pricing strategy is to optimize the price/quality ratio.
• The average cost of a purchase from a warehouse is 140 rubles.
• The average cost of a purchase at a pharmacy is 180 rubles.

Promotion strategy

The company's promotion strategy is aimed at expanding its customer base. The company plans to attract new customers to pharmacies, trying to fully satisfy their needs and disseminate information among their friends.

Media strategy

When choosing media, we will be guided by the fact that specific values ​​should be promoted. Outdoor advertising will account for approximately 40% of total costs. 40% of costs are spent on press and printing, for example, publications on current topics in the media.

This method of conveying information is used in conjunction with radio advertising by the press during large-scale seasonal promotions (consolidating the perception of a brand character, the beginning of the autumn-winter season, holiday promotions, as well as news stories).

Media channels

• TV
• radio
• points of sale
• Press
• Direct marketing
• Sales promotion
• Public relations
• Outdoor advertising
• Telephone reference and consultation service;

Promoting your products should always be aimed at achieving certain goals. Three groups of goals can be distinguished:

Strategic:

• increase in the number of buyers of pharmaceutical products;
• increasing the number of purchases made by each pharmacy visitor;
• increase in average bill

Specific:

• acceleration of sales of high-margin positions;
• regulation of the sale of seasonal goods;
• countering competitors;
• One-time:
• benefiting from annual events (Day of the Elderly, Children's Day, beginning of the school year, etc.);
• benefiting from the history of the enterprise’s development (opening a pharmacy, etc.).

Plan for promoting products to the target consumer segment:

• determining the promotion goal;
• determining the list or quantity of pharmaceutical products to be promoted;
• preparation of necessary information on pharmaceutical products;
• appropriate design of the retail space using merchandising principles;
• determining the desired level of promotion intensity;
• formulation of the conditions for consumer participation in the promotion program;
• determining the timing of promotional activities;
• choosing a method for disseminating information about the promotion program;
• development of a general budget for the promotion program;

Example of an action (main message):

The promotion will be called “Summer of Prizes”, under the motto “Take care of your heart.”

For a purchase at pharmacy “X” in the amount of 1000 rubles or more, the buyer will receive the right to participate in the drawing of OMRON tonometers and thermometers. Prizes will be provided by the official distributor of CS Medica.

When developing a product promotion program, we will plan the integrated use of several communication channels.

We use the following channels to reach the audience:

1. own advertising activity - in the form of outdoor advertising, advertising at the point of sale, distribution of leaflets by promoters, direct mailings, television spots.
2. advertising activity shifted to the shoulders of suppliers - here we are talking about a variety of promotions that we will carry out jointly with manufacturers.

We will evaluate the economic efficiency of the promotion by measuring its impact on changes in the following parameters, before and after the promotions:

• trade turnover
• average check
• number of packages sold (if the promotion was aimed at specific items)

5. Production

Shopping area

• The concept of the project provides for the organization of an open-type pharmacy with a sales area of ​​32 square meters. m.

Calendar plan

6. Enterprise structure. Control. Staff.

To organize overall coordinated work and develop the organization, you need to create a loyal team.

A loyal team is based on trust in employees, energy, initiative and responsibility of each of them. Focus on personal and professional growth. Sincerity and friendliness. Honesty and fairness in relationships.

• Careful selection of employees
• Maximum independence with strict control of key indicators
• Involving all categories of employees in all forms of company activity
• Well-thought-out employee reward system
• A working system of mentoring and personnel reserve
• Maximum openness in relationships, availability of management while maintaining reasonable sufficiency.
• Division of labor and responsibility between the administrative and managerial staff of the enterprise and pharmacy employees.

The structure of the pharmacy staff is as follows:

Motivation:

Material and non-material motivation is used.

Let's first consider material motivation.

To properly motivate staff, we need to understand what we want to get from them.

So, if the main task of the organization is to obtain net profit, then we want to get maximum turnover from the employee working at the first table, which means we can motivate him by a percentage of individual turnover.

But you can make the motivation even more interesting by motivating the pharmacist not by a percentage of turnover, but by a percentage of individual gross profit. In this case, the employee will be interested in selling high-margin positions, which will increase the profitability of the pharmacy, that is, it will increase the percentage markup for the pharmacy.

So motivation might look like this:

Salary = salary + bonus + 5% of individual gross profit.

But the pharmacy manager must be given leverage over the pharmacists subordinate to her. Let's introduce the manager's coefficient K. . Now the motivation looks like this:

Salary = salary + (bonus + 5% of individual gross profit) x Manager

The manager of a pharmacy can influence both the turnover through his subordinates and the costs of the pharmacy, so we motivate her to achieve a net profit delta. Net profit delta: the ratio of the profit of the month of this year to the same month of last year. Motivation might look like this:

Salary = salary + bonus + 2% of net profit delta.

Well, in order to improve the financial cycle, let’s introduce the inventory turnover ratio K rev. Now the motivation looks like this:

Salary = salary + (bonus + 2% of the net profit delta) x K review

Non-material motivation:

• Valuable gifts
• Pennants and certificates

Pharmacist/pharmacist to work at the first table:

• Experience working with customers at the first table for at least three years;
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical procedures.
• Communication skills, stress resistance.
• PC proficiency

Drugstore manager:

• Three years of experience as a pharmacy manager
• HR management experience
• Experience working with a pharmacy assortment of over 6,000 items
• Good computer skills

Recruitment has two goals: to staff the company with qualified personnel and to create an external personnel reserve.

Specialized sites are used for personnel selection: hh.ru, superjob.ru, rabota.ru, etc. Vacancies are published in printed publications dedicated to personnel selection. Personal connections are used. For example, when receiving the head of a pharmacy, she brings with her the best pharmacists.

Personnel training is structured as follows: adaptation is carried out for newly hired employees. A newly hired employee is assigned to a more experienced employee, that is, on-the-job training occurs. In the future, employees undergo training on active sales and conflicts. Pharmacy training is conducted at regular intervals. minimum with subsequent testing.

7. Risk assessment and insurance

During the implementation of the project, a number of problems may arise that need to be warned in advance or solved as they arise, here are the most common ones:

– unscrupulous attitude of staff to work, rudeness towards customers, can lead to a decrease in turnover

– theft, shortages, leads to a deterioration in the psychological climate in the team, increasing costs

Activity:

• training and education of personnel, proper induction of new employees, supervision of young specialists by more experienced ones;
• administrative measures in cases of dishonesty towards work, rudeness towards clients and each other;
• introduce a system of motivation based on personal sales volumes;

– the risk of conflict with suppliers, leading to the loss of a business partner

– the risk of supplying low-quality, counterfeit goods leads to the imposition of a fine and suspension of the license

Activity:

Control over inventory turnover in the pharmacy in order to reduce the inventory balance, which will lead to timely payments for goods;

Search for reliable suppliers, focus on several suppliers of similar goods, constant personal contact with senior managers of the supplier company;

Strengthening incoming control (checking quality, expiration dates, completeness);

– error in pricing – fine, license suspension

In our network, this problem has been solved by automating the M-pharmacy program, the program itself checks markups and blocks goods in case of critical deviations, plus control by pharmacy managers;

– price competition – decrease in turnover

Here you need to select the most profitable suppliers and purchase at lower prices, negotiate with suppliers about more profitable purchases, price discounts;

constant collection of information about competitors’ prices through a pharmacy certificate;

8. Financial forecast of future actions

– Here you need to insert the following data:

• balance sheet of your company
• profit and loss forecast
• cash flow statement
• calculations to achieve break-even point, payback, profit and profitability.

The period is at least a year (I do it for five years).

This data is made using special programs, or programmed in Excel. You insert the source data and get calculations.

9. Applications

The following can be attached to this business plan:

• copy of the floor with the location of the pharmacy and a list of all tenants
• draft lease agreement
• photographs of the shopping center and the proposed premises