A leadership that is still very strong, but it is good not to rest on our laurels: the competition from parapharmacies and large-scale distribution is becoming more and more aggressive and, in a market where the drug allows for increasingly tighter margins, rapid repositioning strategies are required for those who manage the pharmacy . This, in summary, is the picture that emerges from the research "Italians and the pharmacy" presented in recent days at Cosmofarma by Enrico Finzi, president of Astra Ricerche. The survey was carried out in February 2013 through a thousand interviews online to a representative sample of Italians aged between 18 and 74 years. In terms of image profile, the pharmacy beats everyone else for the wide range of medicines, the trust placed in the pharmacist and his ability to listen and advise. However, the advantage compared to parapharmacies and large-scale distribution becomes much thinner when it comes to the offer of diversified products, from those for babies and children, to dietary supplements and cosmetics: in this area, alternative channels have recovered ground and are now they play it almost evenly. The same pharmacies, however, are clearly beaten in terms of opening times, whose greater convenience in the large-scale distribution is now beyond question: 27% of more approval among the interviewees. The parapharmacy, then, is a winner for the qualified offer of homeopathic/natural products and innovative modernity. Finally, overall, parapharmacies and large-scale distribution are superior in terms of prices and frequency of discounts and promotions. «The pharmacy can still claim undisputed leadership in terms of image and credibility, but competitors are gaining ground» underlines Enrico Finzi. «An ever-increasing slice of the population frequents competing channels that are already carving out spaces of excellence, especially on the front of natural and organic products, supplements, homeopathy and products for pets. The pharmacist must be very careful because remaining firm in an increasingly harsh competitive environment runs the risk of quickly losing his leadership position on the market».
Nicola Miglino – 22 April 2013 – Pharmacist33
