Summary
Running a pharmacy (officine) in France is reserved to pharmacists registered with the professional order. It may be run individually or through a company, in particular a société d'exercice libéral (SEL) of pharmacists, governed by Book III of Ordinance No. 2023-77 of 8 February 2023 and by Articles R. 5125-14 to R. 5125-24 of the French Public Health Code.
A SEL may not operate more than one pharmacy. More than half of the share capital and voting rights must be held by the pharmacists who actually run the pharmacy operated by the company. Governance details such as a partner's withdrawal, the transfer of shares, and exclusion follow specific rules that the bylaws must anticipate.
This article is currently published in French only. An English version will be added at a later stage. Whitefield advises pharmacists and healthcare professionals on these questions as part of its Healthcare Law practice.