Pharmacies are establishments responsible for the sale of medicines in a regulated and controlled manner, while parapharmacies are businesses focused on health and well-being with free use products.
The health of many people depends on these street-level establishments that we come across on a daily basis, but in addition, the general population is increasingly seeking self-care and improving their quality of life through the use of hygiene, cosmetic and beauty that we can find in parapharmacies.
At first, the pharmacy and parapharmacy may seem to offer the same products, but this is not the case. The reality is that both businesses have different sales objectives and cover different needs, but they can be complementary to each other. An example of this is that every day more, we find a parapharmacy section in many pharmacies offering care and wellness products.
Despite the fact that we all often visit this type of establishment and that, initially, we know them quite well, the truth is that not everyone knows the differences between a pharmacy and a parapharmacy in detail, but today we are going to discover them .
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What is a pharmacy?
The pharmacy is a health establishment, with a great role in public health, where medicines and health-related products are dispensed . A few years ago, master formulas were also made, but today, this task is carried out from the pharmaceutical laboratories of the companies that offer the medicines.
In these places we find pharmacists who prepare, store and dispense medicines to citizens under the control of the Administration. In the same way, these professionals who work in pharmacies also have the purpose of informing and advising the population on the correct consumption of medicines, and they carry out a personalized follow-up of the patients who come to them.
One of the most notable characteristics of pharmacies is that a large number of the medicines they offer require a prescription to be dispensed and are subject to the indications of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products. In addition, it is also important to note that this type of product can only be offered in person.
What is a parapharmacy?
The parapharmacy is a commercial establishment where medicinal products (not medicines) focused on health and well-being are sold , such as intimate hygiene items, vitamin complexes, or cosmetics. The health products offered in parapharmacies never need to be prescribed by a doctor and are also not required to be sold by a professional pharmacist.
These establishments are free sale and lack legal restrictions for their constitution, but they do have controls over the products that are sold in them. All must be identified with the name and address of the responsible company, include a method of use and also the expiration date and batch. In other words, although we are not talking about a pharmacy as such, there is some control over its products and the professionals who serve them, since they must have at least pharmacy and parapharmacy technician training.
How is a pharmacy different from a parapharmacy?
As we have already seen in the previous definitions, the differences between a pharmacy and a parapharmacy are many and important, but in this article today we are going to show you some more in detail so that you never have doubts about the differences between the two again.
1. The type of product being offered
In the definitions of pharmacy and parapharmacy, one of the key points is the type of product offered by each of them. In pharmacies we can find medicines that have passed the approval by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products for all ages and different types of health problems.
In the case of parapharmacy, they are establishments where medicinal, wellness or hygiene products are offered, but we will never find medicines as such . These products are usually of natural origin or focused on alternative medicine. We can also find orthopedic, beauty and even food products.
2. Type of establishment
Although at first glance they seem to be the same, each one has a different target market and covers different needs. In the case of pharmacies, they are health establishments that fall within the Public Health network and are part of the health chain, being these the last step since they offer the necessary treatment to treat the disease or condition.
Parapharmacies, on the other hand, are businesses as such, that despite the fact that they sell controlled products, their operation is like that of any other business but focused on the health and well-being of people.
3. Prescription requirement
None of the products offered in the parapharmacy require a prescription , they are all free to use, but it is recommended that certain products of these establishments be supervised by a doctor, such as weight control items.
In pharmacies there are many drugs that do not require a prescription since they are used to relieve minor pain or reduce fever, but the vast majority need to be prescribed by a medical professional to administer it. We should never resort to self-medication of drugs that need a prescription, even though we have them at home.
4.Opening permits
If you want to open a pharmacy, one of the most important requirements is that the owner must have a graduate degree in pharmacy. In addition, certain requirements regarding the type of premises must also be met, receive approval from the Administration and comply with territorial regulations that vary depending on the place.
On the other hand, the procedures to open a parapharmacy are similar to those needed to open any other business, so there is no responsibility for the sale of products that pharmacy professionals do have.
5. Internet sales
By law, medicines, prescription or over-the-counter, can never be sold through online platforms . Yes, we can find advertising for them or information about their indications, but we can never buy a drug through an online store. Therefore, parapharmacy products can be offered in an online store and thus complement physical sales. It should be noted that pharmacies can also offer this service for parapharmacy products that are included in their catalogue.
6. Patient counseling and follow-up
In pharmacies, in addition to offering products, they also have the obligation to advise and monitor patients who come to the establishment, since many times, people go to pharmacies before they go to doctors. This gives them a very important role in public health, giving them responsibility for people’s health.
On the other hand, parapharmacies do not have this obligation, since they do not offer medical products, but they do usually have qualified personnel who advise on the use of the products offered in their establishment.
7. The color of the cross
I don’t know if you have ever noticed that the color of the luminous crosses that characterize this type of premises is different depending on whether it is a pharmacy or a parapharmacy. Surely you do know that the color of the cross that represents the pharmacy is green, but perhaps you did not know that the cross of the parapharmacies is dyed blue . It is a simple way for the population to distinguish one establishment from another when they walk down the street.
8. Workers
The workforce of a pharmacy and parapharmacy is also a key difference. To sell medicines in pharmacies, the presence of a pharmacist in the establishment is necessary, in addition to the pharmacy technicians. In addition, by law, all establishments must indicate the full name and license of the pharmacist in charge of the pharmacy to carry out its economic activity.
In parapharmacies we also find, very commonly, pharmacy and parapharmacy technicians who, thanks to their training, can advise us on the use of the products they offer, but they do not have any obligation as it happens with pharmacies.
9. Opening hours: guards
Parapharmacies, like businesses, are not required to comply with the requirement of night shifts or on holidays, since they do not offer essential products such as medicines.
On the other hand, pharmacies, due to the nature of the products they offer, are obliged to open their establishments for 24 hours regardless of whether the day is a holiday or not . We are not referring to the fact that all of them must always be open, but we do mean that there must be one open for each area established by the administration so that citizens can have their medicines at any time.
As we have already mentioned, parapharmacy products can be offered in pharmacies, but never the other way around, due to all the requirements that must be met from a health point of view. From now on, you will surely be able to differentiate a parapharmacy from a pharmacy much better by knowing these 9 differences.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.