Cofares, chaired by edward shepherdcontinues to lead the pharmaceutical distribution industry in Spain, as can be seen from its figures for 2022, which showed an increase of 7%-8%, and a turnover of around 4,000 million euros, a new historical high.
Thus, the group’s market share rises to 30%. The increase in turnover is noteworthy, as Cofares invoiced around 3.6 billion euros in 2021 and the share was slightly higher than 29%.
The group, born in 1944, is based in the Madrid town of Alcobendas, and owns its capital 100% in the hands of pharmaceutical partners, shielded by statute. Likewise, it integrates brands such as Farmavenix or Profarco, which groups together all Cofares warehouses.
It is followed at a distance by the Andalusian Bidafarma, led by Antonio Mingorance, based in Granada, which has a 21.74% market share. The firm was founded in 2016, has 100% pharmaceutical capital without statutory shielding and is the result of the merger of 12 cooperatives.
Bidafarma invoiced nearly 2,600 million euros, compared to the 2,536 million euros achieved in 2020. The company has not yet made the deposit of accounts in the corresponding commercial register for 2021, but communicates these figures from its website.
For its part, Hefame, Enrique Ayuso, group based in Murcia, is the third company by market share, of 11.05% in 2021. In the same financial year, the firm invoiced 1,455 million euros in turnover, compared to 1,411 million euros in 2020.
In fourth place, Alliance Healthcare, group belonging to the Americans AmerisourceBergen, reaches a share of 10.37%. The company is based in Zaragoza and presented revenues in 2021 of 1,275 million euros, compared to 1,201 in 2020.
These four companies represent more than 70% of the total market. The turnover of all, together, exceeds 12,000 million euros in 2021 for a total of more than 22,000 pharmacies; as can be seen from the information made public by the distributors themselves and by the Mercantile Registry.
This week the sector meets in full, 30,000 expected professionals, at the INFARMA salon at Fira de Barcelona, and experts consider that distribution is already back to normal after the years of the pandemic; and with a relevant expectation of growth.
This sector, without a doubt, is strategic for Spanish society and this is recognized from Brussels, where the European Parliament has stated in its report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs that the pharmaceutical distributors constitute “vital services for the population”. The Spanish pharmaceutical model is considered one of the best in the world. Among the most efficient and with a strong social commitment.