Morocco's pharmacists warn of ‘profit-driven’ risks in ownership reform plan

A proposal to allow outside investors to own shares in Moroccan pharmacies is sparking growing debate within the sector, with many pharmacists warning it could undermine professional independence and public health standards.

The plan, put forward by the Moroccan Competition Council, would relax long-standing rules restricting pharmacy ownership to licensed pharmacists. The council argues that opening the sector to external capital could attract investment and support modernization.

However, pharmacy professionals say the reform risks transforming pharmacies into profit-driven businesses. “Pharmacies are not ordinary businesses,” said Mohamed Lahbabi, president of the Confederation of Moroccan Pharmacists’ Unions.

Lahbabi said the core concern is that allowing non-pharmacist investors would introduce “a purely financial logic in a field that must remain guided by public health imperatives.”

While pharmacists are not opposed to investment in principle, he said, they reject the involvement of non-professionals if it shifts priorities away from patient care.

Industry representatives warn that increased commercialization could place pressure on sales, potentially undermining the rational use of medicines. Pharmacists could face competing demands between meeting financial targets and fulfilling their professional duties, such as advising patients, ensuring safe dispensing, and monitoring drug interactions.

Critics of the proposal also fear that opening ownership could accelerate the decline of small independent pharmacies, allowing larger financial groups to dominate the market. This, they argue, could create unequal access, with investors favoring profitable urban areas over rural or underserved regions.

Lahbabi said such a shift could reduce pharmacists to employees operating under commercial constraints, limiting their ability to make independent, patient-centered decisions. He pointed to risks including sales targets, prioritization of high-margin products, and a loss of professional autonomy.

“This could lead to a loss of meaning in the profession and potentially harm the quality of patient care,” he said.

Supporters of the current model often cite countries such as France and Spain, where pharmacy ownership remains restricted to licensed pharmacists, as examples of systems that promote independence, equitable distribution, and high safety standards.

By contrast, in countries like the United Kingdom, where external investment is allowed, large pharmacy chains have expanded, and many independent pharmacies have closed, with pharmacists often working as employees under commercial pressure.

“The question of opening capital touches the very essence of pharmacy as a health profession,” Lahbabi said, adding that any reform must preserve pharmacists’ independence and ensure that patient welfare remains the top priority.