A pharmacy owner
In Quebec, unlike the rest of North America, you must be a pharmacist to own a pharmacy. This means that your pharmacist has to think like a pharmacist and a private business owner.
Like all entrepreneurs, owner-pharmacists have to manage their business and their bottom line. They invest time and money to offer quality care, services and products to the people in their community.
In addition to being an expert in medication, your pharmacist is also a business person.
A pharmacist, first and foremost
That said, your pharmacist is, first and foremost, a health professional: medications represent the bulk of pharmacy sales, at 74%, while other products make up only 26% of sales. Owner-pharmacists pride themselves on the fact that they take care of your health, all the while creating jobs and contributing to Quebec’s economy.
A shining example of an SME
Through the hard work of Quebec owner-pharmacists, pharmacies have become an SME business model cherished by Quebecers.
And rightly so! Pharmacies are important contributors to the economy: with an average of 24 employees each, Quebec pharmacies employ 44,000 people in total that’s more than Hydro-Québec!
Did you know?
Community pharmacies in Quebec represent:
- A significant employer providing 44,000 jobs
- A total payroll of 1.2 billion dollars