Apoteka Beograd, the city's state pharmacy institution, is shrinking and its 267 remaining employees are again facing delayed salaries while its future remains uncertain.
- Apoteka Beograd now operates 39 pharmacies, down from 123 at its peak.
- Staff are facing salary delays of three months, after 16 months of back pay was paid in September.
- The concession plan adopted by the City Assembly in December has stalled, with no action since.
- Pharmacists warn that losing state pharmacies would give private operators a monopoly and leave rural areas without service.
- Employees have requested meetings with city authorities repeatedly, but no official meeting has been held.
Apoteka Beograd, the Belgrade-based state pharmacy institution, now runs only 39 pharmacies, down from 123 at its peak, according to pharmacists who spoke on Radio Belgrade's morning programme "Jutro je" on RTS. The remaining 267 employees are again facing delayed salaries, this time by three months, and the institution's future status remains unclear while Serbia has no new government in place.
The pharmacists Una Perišić Radulović and Jelena Boro described what they see as the causes of the decline, the failed concession plan and why a core group of staff has stayed on.
Thirteen years of difficult trading conditions
Boro said the problems of pharmacy institutions in Serbia have lasted 13 to 14 years. In her view, the main cause is an only apparent equalisation of working conditions between the private and state sectors.
She said that only the state sector was bound by centralised public procurement, which in practice prevents it from operating on market terms. The private sector, she added, traded under free market conditions, while state pharmacies were run like public enterprises, although formally they are not, with a constant expectation that they make a profit.
Concession plan has stalled
A concession, in which a private partner would take over the operation of the pharmacies under a contract with the city, had earlier been presented as a final solution by the previous city authorities. Boro recalled that the Belgrade City Assembly adopted information on a concession at the end of December last year, but said nothing has been done since. For employees, she said, that chapter is now closed.
Why state pharmacies matter, according to the pharmacists
Perišić Radulović said Apoteka Beograd remains an essential part of primary health care and public health. She said pharmacists in public pharmacies worked as part of health teams together with doctors from community health centres.
She argued that the most accessible primary care is now provided by private pharmacies, where in her words there is no pharmacist on every shift and retrained technicians often serve customers. According to her, that is suitable for sales but not for patients seeking advice on serious matters.
Boro warned that the complete disappearance of state pharmacies would give private operators a monopoly. She said the party holding it could determine the availability of care and the prices of medicines, press the state over margins on prescription drugs and influence which medicines reach patients. She also noted that private chains do not open pharmacies in villages and sparsely populated areas because they are not financially viable.
Back pay and empty shelves
The pharmacists recalled talks with senior state officials at the end of July, after which 16 months of back pay were paid out from September 18. Boro said this resolved only part of the problem. According to her, the company has nothing to earn next month's wages from, as the pharmacies remain empty and have not received funds for operations.
She said a systemic solution was needed that would allow staff to earn their salaries under current conditions until more stable circumstances emerge. Perišić Radulović said the pharmacy premises still look empty to patients, but employees remain because they believe in preserving the institution.
Unions and contact with city authorities
Some unions, including one called Opstanak, have demanded the resignation of the institution's director. Boro said most employees were not informed of those demands and that a change of management while the accounts are blocked would bring no benefit.
She said the priority is communication with the city authorities. According to Boro, requests for a meeting have been sent to the City Assembly and the relevant city secretariat countless times, most recently on October 19, but no official meeting has been held. She said staff have no information on when Apoteka Beograd will be on the agenda at the republic or city level, and that the aim is to prevent further departures of personnel.
The 267 remaining employees intend to hold the team together during the transition period and wait for a decision on the institution's status. For more updates, see the latest news section.
Frequently asked questions
Why has Apoteka Beograd shrunk from 123 to 39 pharmacies?
According to pharmacists, the decline is caused by unequal trading conditions, since state pharmacies must follow centralised public procurement and are expected to make a profit, unlike private competitors.
What is the concession plan for Apoteka Beograd?
The concession plan would let a private partner run the pharmacies under a contract with the city. The Belgrade City Assembly adopted information on it in December last year, but nothing has been done since.
Are employees of Apoteka Beograd still being paid?
Salaries are delayed by three months. Sixteen months of back pay was paid out on September 18, but the company has no funds to pay next month's wages because the pharmacies have not received operating money.
Why do pharmacists say state pharmacies are important?
They argue state pharmacies are an essential part of primary health care, with pharmacists working in teams with community health centre doctors. They also serve villages and sparsely populated areas that private chains do not cover.
