Georgian health minister highlights ‘unusual’ pharmacy clustering

Georgia’s Health Minister, Mikheil Sarjveladze, has drawn attention to what he described as an unusual concentration of competing pharmacies operating side by side, warning that the practice placed additional pressure on businesses and may ultimately affect consumer prices.

Speaking on the issue Thursday, Sarjveladze said that in Georgia it was common to see several different pharmacy chains opening outlets next to one another - a phenomenon he described as atypical when compared with European countries.

“There is no need for extensive statistics or analysis - we have all seen several different pharmacy brands operating side by side near our homes,” he said. “Frankly, it looks unusual. Personally, I have never seen multiple competing pharmaceutical chains opening pharmacies next to each other in European countries. Here, when one opens, several others follow immediately.”

The minister claimed the concentration created an additional operational burden for businesses, which, he said, was reflected in pricing.

Sarjveladze noted that any regulatory response should be implemented in a coordinated manner, taking into account the economic pressure placed on the sector.