How to open a pharmacy from scratch: step by step instructions

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Once the pharmacy business was a family business and was inherited. It was almost impossible to squeeze in as a new participant in this market niche. But now times are different, and everyone can open their own business in any industry. As for the sale of medicines, this business has always been, is and will be one of the most profitable along with the sale of tobacco products and alcohol. Why is this happening? It's simple: people continue to get sick throughout their lives, and therefore they need medicines.

Pharmacy in any case will generate income, because this area is free from the influence of the economic situation of the country, politics and other factors. It would seem that there are a lot of such establishments, it is quite difficult to withstand the competition. Indeed, the modern market is represented by a large number of points selling medicines. But if you competently approach the creation of your own business, you can become part of the pharmaceutical business in a short time. So how do you open a pharmacy? We'll figure it out.

Classification

To begin with, it is worth deciding on the type of institution that sells pharmaceutical products. This depends on the steps thatneeds to be done in the future. Pharmacy classification is as follows:

1. Internet pharmacy. Needless to say, the Global Network has firmly entered our lives. People now order everything on the Internet: from clothes to food. Recently, some sites have added the ability to buy medicines online. Large pharmacies that have carved out a niche in the market offer consumers to purchase goods via the Internet, and this is a very profitable offer for both parties.
2. 24 hours. This type of pharmacy is not always profitable, a lot depends on the location of the institution. How to open a 24/7 pharmacy? The algorithm is the same, but staff costs, security services, etc. will be added.
3. Children's. Intentionally restricting one's activities has both advantages and disadvantages. Of course, you can attract a large number of customers if you open a pharmacy near a kindergarten or clinic. On the other hand, the list of consumers is limited. You can start with a children's pharmacy and gradually develop in this area.

Franchise

Before starting a business, a novice entrepreneur needs to decide how he will work: independently or through a franchise. Each of the methods has its pros and cons. People who do not understand anything about pharmaceuticals are advised to open a pharmacy franchise.

A businessman is given the opportunity to use technology, knowledge, and brand popularity for a fee. You need to enter the amountat a time, and then send a certain percentage of the profits monthly to the parent company. All the nuances are discussed, it is better to study them carefully before agreeing to the offer.

The most valued thing in franchising is the fact that the firm provides a ready-made business model. This means that there is a selected assortment, delivery of products at special prices from trusted suppliers is organized. It can take years to develop your own model, so this advantage is the most important.

Now in detail about how to open a pharmacy from scratch on your own.

Where to start?

After you have chosen the type of institution and the way of doing business, it's time to take action. First you need to register as an entrepreneur. There is one very important point here. Many are interested: is it possible and how to open a pharmacy from scratch without a pharmaceutical education? Everything is very simple, you need to create a JSC (joint stock company) or CJSC (closed joint stock company). In other cases, you can register as an individual entrepreneur.

Then you should choose the type of establishment: it can be a production pharmacy, a ready-made medicines point, a kiosk or a store. If you are going to manufacture medicines, the first option is suitable, for the sale of drugs - all the rest. If we talk about profitability, the most profitable is a regular pharmacy. It is possible to sell prescription drugs here, and it is a good platform for business expansion in the future. Now you know whatit is possible to open a pharmacy from scratch without a pharmaceutical education, the main thing is the right approach.

Package of documents

It is believed that starting a business in this area is very difficult. We are talking not only about the high level of competition, the difficulty of entering, etc. To open a pharmacy (without education or with it - it doesn’t matter), you need to collect a huge amount of documents. But if you are a pharmacist or pharmacist, red tape with official papers also takes place. The "Regulations on Licensing Pharmacological Activities" dated December 22, 2011 contains a list of required documents.

There are a lot of them, so we will consider this issue briefly. What does it take to open a pharmacy? Firstly, coordination with the sanitary and epidemiological service, where you should also obtain permission to use a certain room, after which you will be issued a sanitary passport. Secondly, the fire department must give a positive answer. Thirdly, obtaining a license for the retail trade in medicines. This is not the whole list, but without these permits, you can forget about doing business in this area. According to the most conservative estimates, the entrepreneur will need at least two months to collect all the official papers.

Pharmacy format

It would seem that you have already chosen the type of institution, what else do you need? The pharmacy format is a prerequisite for starting a business. Today, there are two models: a discounter and a premium institution. The first option is an average institution opened in a residential area. The second is an expensive pharmacy,located in the city center, selling rare products.

There are two forms of trade: closed and open. Many pharmacies are now combining these options, putting medicines on the counter, and near-medical drugs on the trading floor. According to experts, the pharmacy supermarket format is very popular and brings much more profit. But you need to take into account the fact that the costs of this institution will be impressive. The emphasis should be on installing an alarm and hiring a security guard. This option is especially relevant for a supermarket that sells medicines. Our article is written in the form of step-by-step instructions on how to open a pharmacy. This will greatly help the aspiring entrepreneur in creating a business plan. So let's go point by point.

Search for premises

We will consider opening a discounter, an ordinary pharmacy in a residential area of the city. For these purposes, you will need a room with a size of at least 80 square meters. The area should be zoned in a certain way for convenience. Most of the premises should be occupied by a trading floor. People like to walk around, take a closer look, so you need to give freedom to buyers. Approximately 15-20 square meters should be allocated for administrative rooms. A utility room, which is a mini-warehouse, is a must.

The requirements for a pharmacy are very strict. Firstly, there must be a connection to electricity and water supply, ventilation and all other systems. Secondly, each room and room must representisolated block. Thirdly, the place of storage of drugs must be equipped with air control sensors. In addition, fire, light, sound and security alarms must be installed in all rooms and rooms.

When carrying out repairs, remember to regularly wet cleaning and disinfection. After carrying out simple calculations, we can conclude that it will take a lot of money to open a pharmacy from scratch. How to find them? Currently, there are a large number of investors who are ready to invest in an idea, you just need to present it correctly.

Select location

It is worth noting that the good location of the institution determines good trading. The premises should be sought in those areas where there is a lot of traffic, that is, the number of people passing near a certain place per unit of time. It is easy to guess that the higher the flow, the more advantageous the location. A good indicator is the passage of 200-300 people per hour. Such traffic is found near shopping centers, metro stations. Actually it depends on the city. In small towns, it is recommended to open an institution at public transport stops or close to medical facilities.

Sleeping area is also considered a good location. Here you need to calculate the number of people living within a radius of half a kilometer, and then think about the feasibility of starting a business. In the capital and large cities, this area is highly developed, it will be difficult for a novice entrepreneur to fight the giants of the market. Therefore it is worththink about how to open a pharmacy in remote areas of the country.

Interior decoration of the premises

Many people do not attach importance to this point, and are mistaken. The combination of impressions - sound, light and color - that set a person on a certain wave, should not be underestimated when you think about how to open a pharmacy? In the step-by-step instructions for organizing a business, the interior occupies a special place. As a rule, people come to an institution of this type to purchase medicines to eliminate he alth problems. But this does not mean at all that the interior does not need to be paid attention.

The task of an entrepreneur is to create comfortable conditions for both staff and customers. A good atmosphere and helpful staff can push a person to make more purchases and make them return to the pharmacy later. Soft light, pleasant tone of the walls, availability of furniture for clients, comfortable temperature - all this has a certain effect on the visitor.

If you doubt your design skills, hire professionals who can handle this task once or twice. Custom-made furniture will give the room a special effect. Of course, here you also need to take into account the possibility in terms of finance. After all, hiring interior designers is not cheap.

How to open a pharmacy with minimal investment? All work must be done by yourself. In principle, you can create a favorable environment on your own, the main thing is to choose the right colors. For a pharmacy, an excellent option would bethe following color combinations: blue and white, green and white, yellow and blue-green. Don't forget tables and armchairs or chairs. The client may need to be seated, so having dedicated furniture is a huge plus.

Selection

The legislation regulates the issue of pharmacy personnel very strictly. There are a number of requirements for employees, so the entrepreneur needs to take this quite seriously. We have already talked about how to open a pharmacy with a pharmaceutical education. You just need to register as an individual entrepreneur - and go. At the stage of recruitment, you can not do without a person with such knowledge. Only a qualified pharmacist or pharmacist can recruit a close-knit team of professionals. If you do not have such an education, you need to hire another person who will be in charge of recruiting.

According to the law, pharmacy workers must have a specialist certificate. It also requires higher or secondary special education. The staff of the institution is formed due to the forecast of the volume of work:

• director and his deputy;
• recipient responsible for prescription-only drugs;
• manual who sells medicines without a prescription;
• defector whose responsibilities include tracking stocks of medicines, as well as controlling storage.

In small institutions, one person performs several functions at once. This is done to reduce staff. How to open a pharmacy without a pharmaceuticaleducation? At the recruitment stage, it is better to hire a person who is a professional in this field.

Equipment required

A pharmacy should have high-quality inventory. To equip the establishment in accordance with all the rules, you will need to purchase a cash register, shop windows, shelving, lockers, safes, refrigerators, furniture and computer equipment. The latter is extremely important, because with the help of software optimization, you can achieve success in the speed of customer service. In addition, computers will allow you to track deliveries, apply discount programs, etc.

As for the assortment, it needs to be constantly expanded. Let you have both foreign high-quality medicines and their domestic counterparts. Para-medical products also sell well, so you can introduce them as well. A person without a pharmaceutical education can be engaged in this business. How to open a pharmacy and attract customers? Let's talk about it now.

Advertising and promotion

There are two main types of advertising: paid and free. You must understand that it is simply necessary to invest in the promotion of the institution. The most effective way to attract customers is to create a website. On it, you can not only present information about the product, but also come up with interesting content.

It is necessary to attract, if possible, all communication channels, to cover the entire potential sales market. This is the only way you can draw attention to your brainchild. It is not enough to know how to open a pharmacyfrom scratch, you need to correctly present it to the people. To do this, use all the possibilities and create a really high-quality institution.

Financial component

So, we have come to the most important question: how much money should be invested? The pharmacy business is considered one of the most expensive, and this is understandable. Be prepared to invest a tidy sum, otherwise it makes no sense to open an institution. In general, it will be necessary to spend about 2-2.5 million rubles. Let's try to paint everything point by point:

• rent of premises will cost 300 thousand rubles;
• equipment will have to be purchased for 500 thousand rubles;
• products – 900 thousand rubles;
• repair of the premises, installation of the necessary alarm system and other small expenses will amount to 200 thousand rubles;
• advertising and promotion - 100 thousand rubles.

Based on this information, we can say that anyone can open a pharmacy. Without a pharmaceutical education, this is also possible, the main thing is the financial issue. We can't say enough about the profit. A small establishment generates an income of about 100 thousand rubles a month minus all costs. In the summer period, the profit will be about 80 thousand rubles. The business is fast-payback, in just one, maximum two years, you will return all investments and will work completely for income. Due to its stability, the pharmacy business looks especially attractive.

In fact, to establish such an institution is not quite easy, you need to rely on something in your work. It is recommended to draw up a clear detailed business plan andhim to navigate. Now you know how to open a pharmacy. In business, it is important to show character; a "spineless" entrepreneur is quickly losing ground. Regardless of the field of activity, create a quality product, in which case the return will be effective.