Private drug store owners force Farmacol to take policy U-turn

The owner of the largest national network of pharmacies, Katowice-based Far macol has abandoned its plans to expand its network after Silesian pharmaci sts threatened to terminate agreements with the firm. Pharmacists disapprov ed of the fact that the Farmacol's subsidiary, Polish Pharmacy Group (PGA), was preparing to open more pharmacies in the proximity of already existing private ones. Farmacol's owner Andrzej Olszewski assures that chemists have not cancelled their orders and the wholesaler's turnover has not been affec ted. The pressure was so great that Farmacol decided to sell its pharmacies that were fitted out and ready to be opened. "The decision concerns the ent ire country and we are not going to open new pharmacies. The existing ones will probably be sold to foreign investors," said Olszewski. (Puls Biznesu, p. 7) A.Z.