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The largest Swiss pharmacy operator, Galenica, will also be involved in online drug sales in the future. But before the whole thing turns into a billion-dollar business, a few hurdles have to be overcome.
The pharmacy helps: for example with a headache. In Switzerland, you can get painkillers without a prescription or problem, mostly in the pharmacy next door. However, if you want to order the same product from an online pharmacy, you also need a prescription.
So far, the market for online pharmacies in Switzerland has been dominated by Migros. The retail giant recently bought the Swiss business from the Zur Rose Group. Now, with Galenica, a competitor is entering the market.
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Simply order the headache pill online: Migros is facing competition from the pharmaceutical logistics group Galenica in the online pharmacy business.
KEYSTONE / Gaetan Bally
The Competition Commission has approved the joint venture between Galenica and the Dutch shop pharmacy. “The market today is not very digitized,” says Marc Werner. The Managing Director of Galenica is convinced that the market offers great opportunities: “And only competition stimulates business.”
Pharmacy Association is deliberately relaxed
There are over 1800 pharmacies in Switzerland. “Of course, there is greater competition with online pharmacies,” says Martine Ruggli from the Swiss Pharmacists’ Association Pharmasuisse. But she is relaxed with regard to the classic pharmacies. “The pharmacies themselves will also be digitally active,” she says, emphasizing: “It is important that patient safety is guaranteed through the advice of a specialist.”
An additional provider on the online pharmacy market is certainly to be welcomed.
Medicines are often significantly more expensive in Switzerland than abroad. Consumer protection therefore hopes that consumers can also benefit from the intensifying competitive situation: “An additional provider on the online pharmacy market is certainly to be welcomed,” says Nadine Masshard. But first, the law on medicinal products needs to be adjusted, says the President of the Consumer Protection Foundation. Various adjustments are currently being discussed at the political level.
Galenica Managing Director Marc Werner is also hoping for adjustments to the law on medicinal products. Because only if the headache pill can also be bought online and maybe cheaper can the online pharmacy trade also become a billion dollar market in Switzerland.