RIGA — Proposed amendments to Latvia’s Pharmaceutical Law that would annul the permits of current pharmacies and allow new competition in would cause 83.5 percent of them to go under, the country’s pharmacy association warns.
Just 844 licensed pharmacies exist in Latvia, but many of them would not be able to compete under the new laws, which would allow in new competition from outsiders. Under the proposed bill currently in Latvia’s parliament, anyone with a pharmacy degree would be able to open a medicine outlet.
Some 705 of the pharmacies in the country are only licensed until the end of this year suggesting to the Pharmacy Development Association that the law could be [private_supervisor]rushed in. They said in an open letter from the Chairman of the Board Inga Zemdega-Grāpe saying that under new regulations, their businesses would suffer.
The current law states that only pharmacists with the health minister’s permission or the permission of the local government or region could open an outlet.
The Saeima is due to read the bill this week, probably on Thursday.
Local newspaper Diena reported that if the law was changed, the districts of Cēsu, Krāslavas, Kuldīgā, Ludzas, Saulkrasti, Talsi, Viļānos, Valkā and Zilupē, would all be left completely without pharmacies.
Even business experts outside the industry believe that the law liberalizing the market would not lead to a more developed sector, but rather a monopoly situation.
Žaneta Jaunzeme-Grendem, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry board chairwoman said she believes that the law would not constitute a competitive environment, but is detrimental to it.
“If Latvia wants to compete in a global sense, it must plan on how development will take place, including the pharmaceutical industry. But in the case of Latvia we can not agree on the objectives and priority setting. Rather than the development of entrepreneurship, it would aid the creation of a monopoly situation, with the adoption of Pharmacy Law,” Jaunzeme-Grende said.
Others think that by liberalizing the sector, that service and quality of service would increase with the natural laws of the free market.
“The food is an example that shows that with the big players entering the market, prices fell by 5-10 percent, the turnover grew by more than 50 percent. This shows that the turnover increase is associated with successful business experience and specific market knowledge and other aspects,” Latvian Traders Association president Henriks Danusēvičs said. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]rushed in. They said in an open letter from the Chairman of the Board Inga Zemdega-Grāpe saying that under new regulations, their businesses would suffer.
The current law states that only pharmacists with the health minister’s permission or the permission of the local government or region could open an outlet.
The Saeima is due to read the bill this week, probably on Thursday.
Local newspaper Diena reported that if the law was changed, the districts of Cēsu, Krāslavas, Kuldīgā, Ludzas, Saulkrasti, Talsi, Viļānos, Valkā and Zilupē, would all be left completely without pharmacies.
Even business experts outside the industry believe that the law liberalizing the market would not lead to a more developed sector, but rather a monopoly situation.
Žaneta Jaunzeme-Grendem, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry board chairwoman said she believes that the law would not constitute a competitive environment, but is detrimental to it.
“If Latvia wants to compete in a global sense, it must plan on how development will take place, including the pharmaceutical industry. But in the case of Latvia we can not agree on the objectives and priority setting. Rather than the development of entrepreneurship, it would aid the creation of a monopoly situation, with the adoption of Pharmacy Law,” Jaunzeme-Grende said.
Others think that by liberalizing the sector, that service and quality of service would increase with the natural laws of the free market.
“The food is an example that shows that with the big players entering the market, prices fell by 5-10 percent, the turnover grew by more than 50 percent. This shows that the turnover increase is associated with successful business experience and specific market knowledge and other aspects,” Latvian Traders Association president Henriks Danusēvičs said. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]rushed in. They said in an open letter from the Chairman of the Board Inga Zemdega-Grāpe saying that under new regulations, their businesses would suffer.
The current law states that only pharmacists with the health minister’s permission or the permission of the local government or region could open an outlet.
The Saeima is due to read the bill this week, probably on Thursday.
Local newspaper Diena reported that if the law was changed, the districts of Cēsu, Krāslavas, Kuldīgā, Ludzas, Saulkrasti, Talsi, Viļānos, Valkā and Zilupē, would all be left completely without pharmacies.
Even business experts outside the industry believe that the law liberalizing the market would not lead to a more developed sector, but rather a monopoly situation.
Žaneta Jaunzeme-Grendem, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry board chairwoman said she believes that the law would not constitute a competitive environment, but is detrimental to it.
“If Latvia wants to compete in a global sense, it must plan on how development will take place, including the pharmaceutical industry. But in the case of Latvia we can not agree on the objectives and priority setting. Rather than the development of entrepreneurship, it would aid the creation of a monopoly situation, with the adoption of Pharmacy Law,” Jaunzeme-Grende said.
Others think that by liberalizing the sector, that service and quality of service would increase with the natural laws of the free market.
“The food is an example that shows that with the big players entering the market, prices fell by 5-10 percent, the turnover grew by more than 50 percent. This shows that the turnover increase is associated with successful business experience and specific market knowledge and other aspects,” Latvian Traders Association president Henriks Danusēvičs said. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]rushed in. They said in an open letter from the Chairman of the Board Inga Zemdega-Grāpe saying that under new regulations, their businesses would suffer.
The current law states that only pharmacists with the health minister’s permission or the permission of the local government or region could open an outlet.
The Saeima is due to read the bill this week, probably on Thursday.
Local newspaper Diena reported that if the law was changed, the districts of Cēsu, Krāslavas, Kuldīgā, Ludzas, Saulkrasti, Talsi, Viļānos, Valkā and Zilupē, would all be left completely without pharmacies.
Even business experts outside the industry believe that the law liberalizing the market would not lead to a more developed sector, but rather a monopoly situation.
Žaneta Jaunzeme-Grendem, Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry board chairwoman said she believes that the law would not constitute a competitive environment, but is detrimental to it.
“If Latvia wants to compete in a global sense, it must plan on how development will take place, including the pharmaceutical industry. But in the case of Latvia we can not agree on the objectives and priority setting. Rather than the development of entrepreneurship, it would aid the creation of a monopoly situation, with the adoption of Pharmacy Law,” Jaunzeme-Grende said.
Others think that by liberalizing the sector, that service and quality of service would increase with the natural laws of the free market.
“The food is an example that shows that with the big players entering the market, prices fell by 5-10 percent, the turnover grew by more than 50 percent. This shows that the turnover increase is associated with successful business experience and specific market knowledge and other aspects,” Latvian Traders Association president Henriks Danusēvičs said. [/private_subscription 1 year]
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