In 2016 the Polish manufacturer of medicines, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements strengthened its leading position in the OTC segment. Aflofarm Pharmacy Poland develops its team, enters new product categories and expands its operations to foreign markets. With the dynamic development, the company wants to put more emphasis on social activities, especially those related to prophylaxis.
In 2016 the Polish manufacturer of medicines, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements strengthened its leading position in the OTC segment. Aflofarm Pharmacy Poland develops its team, enters new product categories and expands its operations to foreign markets. With the dynamic development, the company wants to put more emphasis on social activities, especially those related to prophylaxis. Aflofarm Pharmacy Poland has been a leader in over-the-counter (OTC) sales for more than a few years, with more than 7% market share and such brands as Desmoxan, Neosine, Pulneo and Opokan. This segment generates the largest portion of the company's revenue. For over 20 years Aflofarm has also been active in the market for prescription drugs. Interestingly, within a few years he built a very strong position in the cosmetic industry. According to IMS Health, the company currently ranks second in Poland in terms of sales of dermocosmetics in pharmacies. 2016 was certainly one of the most intense for Aflofarm. Only over the past 12 months has the company introduced nearly 130 products. Among the most important are the following drugs: Dafurag Max - the first drug in Europe with 100 mg furoidine and Inventum - one of the first in Poland drugs with sildenafil over the counter. A large number of new implementations have also emerged as part of the new Formotiva sports nutrition brand, distributed to fitness stores and fitness clubs. Last year was extremely hard for us. As we show statistics on average every three days we introduced a new product. This is a result that is even several times higher than we have achieved in previous years - says Jacek Furman, President of Aflofarm Poland. - The most important for us is the needs of patients - it is just listening to their voice and valuable suggestions of pharmacists are the main factors of our development. Importantly, the strength of our company is that our products - also nutritional supplements, dietary supplements and cosmetics - are produced in factories that meet the standards of pharmaceutical GMP, ie under the same environmental conditions as drugs. This pharmaceutical quality is the basis of our success, says Jacek Furman, President of Aflofarm Pharmaceuticals Poland. Polish medicines not only in Europe Although Aflofarm Pharmaceuticals Poland operates mainly on the Polish market, expansion on foreign markets is certainly becoming an increasingly important area of its activity. This is evidenced by the fact that over the past four years the value of the company's exports has increased by almost 300%. At present, Aflofarm products can be purchased in 27 countries, including Central Europe: Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, former Soviet Union countries such as Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan but also in Turkey, Great Britain, Vietnam Greece, the United States and the Middle East such as Iraq, UAE and Kuwait. Strength lies in the team The consequence of the dynamic development of the company is also the increase in employment. Over the past decade, the company has triple the number of employees and has developed new production lines in its factories in Ksawerów, Rzgów and Pabianice. At present, Aflofarma employs over 800 people, including sales representatives, medical representatives, pharmacy technicians, quality control staff, production and office workers. We are convinced that our strong position on the market is primarily a result of well-executed work at every level. In the pharmaceutical industry, a particular success depends on the entire team. It is through our employees that we have succeeded in creating a company that is able to successfully compete with global pharmaceutical companies, "adds Jacek Furman. A particularly important aspect of the company's business is the R & D area. Every year Aflofarm invests in research and development in the healthcare segment, and the number of people employed in this area is growing steadily. Currently the Development Division is a team of over sixty people - professionals in the fields of pharmacy, chemistry, biology, highly qualified and experienced. In this regard, the company also develops co-operation with external partners from around the world as part of the purchase and sale of licenses and joint research and development projects. The work is carried out on its own and in cooperation with scientific centers, among others. Universities and Medical Institutions. Social activities and goals for the future For many years, through the local "We love Pabianice" foundation, operating in the city and surrounding area, the company supports local medical institutions as well as cultural and sports activities. Aflofarm also works with academic institutions, supporting scientific community initiatives and helping financially talented students. In 2016 the value of funds allocated to charity activities amounted to over 1 000 000 PLN. At present, with dynamic development, Aflofarm wants to broaden its activities from local to nationwide and establish a foundation whose main goal will be the promotion of prophylactic health and education of Poles in the field of medicine and pharmacy. Apart from the main objective, the Foundation will also support research initiatives in the fields of medicine and pharmacy. In 2017, the company's goal is to further develop in key product categories and expand its presence in new foreign markets. The company also wants to pay special attention to the development of its primary category of products, including medicines, including prescription drugs.