Pharmaceutical distribution cooperatives: a Social Economy achievement

Cooperatives play an essential role in the correct distribution of medicines in Spain. The fundamental principal of the pharmaceutical cooperatives, based on solidarity, is inherently in line with the objective of equal access to medicines.

In Spain, cooperatives control around 70% of the pharmaceutical market, guaranteeing accessibility to medicines even in the least populated areas, as they are not governed by financial profit, but rather by giving service to all their members.

The pharmaceutical distribution cooperatives have an essential purpose: to alleviate the lack of access to essential goods and services such as medicines, as other entities might not find working in these areas to be profitable.

A democratic distribution

One of the greatest milestones of pharmaceutical distribution in Spain is the capillarity and cover of the entire territory. The cooperative nature in itself, with many independent pharmaceutical members, promotes an extensive distribution network that reaches the most far-flung corners of the territory.

Cooperatives are not solely driven by the profitability of each distribution route, but rather by their members’ service requirements, who in turn, take care of a local population. For this reason, even the pharmacies in small villages or in areas that are difficult to reach receive their medicines in a regular, efficient way.

In addition to this, they contribute to the stability and continuity of the medicine supply, even in complicated or crisis situations. Their infrastructure and experience guarantee that the supply chain remains operational, benefiting all the pharmacies, regardless of their location.

Local and global empowerment

The Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (Cepes in its Spanish initials) indicates the significant weight of the social economy on the entire health chain of value around the world. The health sector has over 33,000 social economy companies on the planet as a whole, essentially cooperatives, located all over the world and present in 76 countries.
Healthcare cooperatives are committed to the social conception of healthcare. They are characterised by not making commercial profit their raison d’être and by putting patients at the centre of all their actions.

That is to say, way beyond maximising the financial profit, their aim is to offer the best services and have a positive impact on society. For all these reasons, cooperatives are essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly, Goal 3.