Pharmacy license prices down 60 percent in 2008

Gedeon Richter started selling pharmacies after expanding its network to 132 units in 2007, when it was top investor in the field.
HelpNet, one of the top chains on the market, announced it would temper expansion. Its new target is to reach 120 units by 2010, instead of the 200 pharmacies initially planned. The market leader, Sensiblu, sold several licenses - "less than ten" according to the CEO of Sensiblu's owner, A&D Pharma, Robert Popescu.
"I think expansion will be limited in 2009, or even stopped, while the license prices will keep declining next year," according to the General Manager of Centrofarm chain, Dorin Catana.
Some 6,000 pharmacies are operating in Romania, of which some 500 were founded in 2007. Some 1,500 units are part of pharmacy chains.