Over 300 pharmacies fail to meet regulations in Bulgaria

2010-07-28

Over 300 pharmacies around the country will close in Bulgaria if the current law set out in Ordinance 28 of the Health Ministry is not changed, according to the Association of Pharmacy Owners (APO). The Ordinance stipulates that a pharmacy should have natural lighting and introduces a requirement that only staff with pharmaceutical qualifications are allowed to work at a pharmacy.
The APO opposes the above regulations and claims that pharmacies located in malls, hypermarkets, airports, subways and hospitals will have to close because they do not meet the natural light requirement. Furthermore, as a result of the requirement to employ professional pharmacists, 4,000 people currently employed at pharmacies could be dismissed, although some large pharmacies, which sell cosmetics could hire people who are not trained in pharmaceuticals to deal with customers who do not need medical advice.
The transition period of 2 years after the introduction of Ordinance 28 comes to an end on 23 December 2010.