Why and how to join a pharmacy group?

How do you choose a pharmacy group?

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Although a pharmacist can work alone as an independent, it is often the case that they wish to join a pharmacy group, as this has many advantages, particularly in financial terms.

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However, there are so many organizations of this type, so how do you choose the one that best suits your pharmacy and will help it continue to thrive?

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What is a pharmacy group?

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Pharmacy groups are regional or national groups that bring together more or less independent pharmacists to enable them to work together and benefit from financial advantages, for example, when placing larger orders with wholesalers. This is a considerable advantage, as purchases of parapharmacy account for a very large proportion of a pharmacist's budget. Being part of a pharmacy group also offers the possibility of contacting other members in the event of a product being out of stock, so as to replenish supplies more quickly and at lower cost.

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Unlike other European countries, France does not allow franchising of pharmacies, so a groupement is seen more as an association of independent retailers than a collection of franchises. Nonetheless, it remains extremely interesting for independents, who benefit from the sound advice of their colleagues who face the same constraints and challenges as they do. For a pharmacy with declining sales, joining a group of this type can make it easier to turn things around in the long term.

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How do you choose the right group for efficient collaboration?

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As mentioned above, there are a great many pharmacy groups in France, and more and more retailers are choosing to join one of them for all the benefits it brings. However, it's hard to know what criteria to use when choosing between all the groups available in your département or region. The first piece of advice we can give you is to refer to the opinions of people you trust.

In fact, if you have a good relationship with a colleague in your town or department who is a member of a pharmacy group, he or she will undoubtedly be in the best position to give you his or her opinion on the group and the initiatives it has put in place.

To make the right choice, it's also essential to take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of your own pharmacy, keeping in mind the ultimate goal you want to achieve through a pharmacy grouping:

• Modernize your pharmacy by adding, for example, a teleconsultation booth or touch-screen terminals
• Increase your turnover by selling more parapharmacy products or widening your margins
• Improve your organization so that you have more free time without reducing your profits
• Collaborate with more reliable partners who offer products that attract more customers and, here too, increase the average basket.

Once you've defined your main objective, you can approach a number of pharmacy groups and talk to their members to see which one will be best able to help you achieve this objective as quickly as possible, while supporting you in the day-to-day running of your pharmacy.

How can I join or change a group?

Joining a pharmacists' group is easy: a basic Google search will give you access to a whole list of groups constantly seeking to recruit new members. The larger the group, the better its ability to negotiate attractive rates with suppliers and wholesalers, whether for parapharmaceuticals, display stands or high-tech equipment such as teleconsultation booths.

Good to know: while it's interesting to join this kind of group, there's absolutely nothing formal about the law, so you're perfectly free to leave a pharmacy group if you feel that it no longer meets your needs, or that the actions put in place are not in line with your way of working or running your pharmacy. However, since word of mouth travels fast, we advise you against changing pharmacy groups regularly, at the risk of no longer being accepted by the others.

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