Pelion's activities

“Gaining a foothold in the British market is yet another stage of PGF’s development.The company is becoming mature enough to establish an international presence, and this is the first step in this direction,” says Jacek Szwajcowski, president of the company. “The success we had on the domestic market substantiates our belief that the pharmacies operating under the orange-coloured “APTEKI dbam o zdrowie” logo is a splendid idea. With the widest range of medicinal products available on the market and a modern interior design, many of the outlets meet the international standards even today. We want to increase their number. PGF offers drugs at attractive prices and supreme-quality customer service, which will also be provided to our compatriots living in the UK. Obviously, the Brits will also be granted opportunity to verify the high qualifications of Polish pharmacists.”

According to recent estimates, around 1.5m people left Poland within the last few years, 600 thousand of whom registered their presence in the UK. A survey performed by a research firm, Instytut ARC Rynek i Opinia, shows that 55% of the Poles who emigrated to the UK in search for work have no intention of returning to their native country within the coming years. Their monthly incomes range between PLN 5.5 thousand and over PLN 8 thousand.

In its report on prices and incomes, a Swiss bank UBS AG presented calculations indicating that the purchasing power of the average annual net income of an inhabitant of the Polish capital city corresponds to 84% of the purchasing power of income earned by a Londoner. As the 2006 Ernst & Young Item Club’s report suggests, interest rates in Britain would be 0.5% higher if the country had not opened its labour market to incomers from the new EU member states. The new-wave  immigrant workers (according to official data, 62% of whom are Polish) will contribute approximately GBP 300m in taxes to the British budget.

“The expansion into the British market is a fresh new experience for us. In the light of an analysis we performed, the market presents a sizeable potential. We intend to launch a few pharmaceutical outlets, although this has to be preceded by a great deal of hard work. DOZ UK LIMITED’s registration was just a beginning. At present, we are on the outlook for investment opportunities,” explains Aleksandra Szyndler, project manager. “The United Kingdom hosts one of the largest communities of Polish expatriates in Europe. PGF pharmacies will be located in those districts which house the largest groups of Poles. We want to offer them access to pharmaceutical care provided by Polish-speaking pharmacists, as a thorough understanding of a patient’s needs may a decisive factor determining the effectiveness and safety of the prescribed treatment.”

The “APTEKI dbam o zdrowie” pharmacies in the UKwill offer employment to Polish pharmacists capable of communicating in two languages. The recruitment process will take place in Poland. However, the local regulations require that only a pharmacist who has worked at a British pharmacy for at least three years may become the manager of a new pharmaceutical outlet. Accordingly, for the time being the recruitment for managerial positions will be organised among persons with a long-term experience of work at a British pharmacy, and we are not ruling out the possibility of hiring Brits. Ultimately, the managers of the “APTEKI dbam o zdrowie” pharmacies in Londonwill be Polish.

“Polska Grupa Farmaceutyczna is the largest employer of pharmacists in Poland. Both pharmaceutical care standards and work conditions at the “APTEKI dbam o zdrowie” pharmacies rank as the best on the market. We cooperate with the most talented pharmacists, who now will be granted a chance to gain experience abroad. Pharmacies located in the United Kingdomwill be a unique place to undertake apprenticeship and, ultimately, employment,” explains Jadwiga Hałaczkiewicz, Head of Human Resources at PGF.