Drugstores in Romania will be set up and operated as commercial companies starting 2011, with a pharmacist as sole associate or part of associations of pharmacists who own at least 51 percent of shares, according to the new law on the organization and functioning of drugstores.

Health Minister Cseke Attila said this is the only way to put drugstores back into the hands of pharmacists, a move which, he added, will get pharmacists to be more focused on providing top-quality services in their drugstores.

Under the new law, drugstores will no longer be set up in shopping centers, railway stations and airports, starting 2011. Furthermore, drugstores will be obliged to accept expired drugs from patients in order to destroy them under the law, said Cseke, adding the new law shall not affect the functioning of existing drugstores.  Community drugstore in urban areas will be located based on the number of inhabitants and at a distance of at least 500 meters from another community drugstore.

Mediafax