Pharmacists Association warn that rural drugstores could disappear

The Moldovan Association of Pharmacists is warning that drugstores in rural areas could disappear because of an ordinance of the Ministry of Health. The Association's president Veaceslav Stratu told Info-Prim Neo that the Ministry issued an ordinance that transfers all the drugstores belonging to family doctor centers and that have branches in rural areas under the administration of “Sanfarm-Prim”. This is despite the fact that 60% of the company's assets are debts, Stratu said. He added that in 2011 Sanfarm-Prim reported losses of almost 1 million lei and a considerable drop in sales, by 8.1 million lei. Under the ordinance, district councils lease locations for a term of minimum 10 years. According to the Ministry, the measure aims to strengthen pharmaceutical assistance in rural areas.