The situation of Hungarian pharmacies: changes in 2024 and challenges in 2025

2024: Growth and new opportunities

The number of pharmacies increased in 2024 for the first time in a long time, mainly through the establishment of branch pharmacies, which represented progress especially in small settlements. Such developments benefit 40-50 thousand people, although the number of public pharmacies continues to decrease. The change is due to the amendment of the legislative environment, which aimed at providing medicines to smaller settlements.

The total net turnover of the sector increased to HUF 1,200 billion in 2024, which represents an increase of 7.8%. This is particularly noteworthy as the increase has exceeded the rate of inflation. At the same time, the decline in the margin of subsidized medicines continues to place a significant burden on the supply of medicines. According to HGYSZ data, the margin volume has increased by only 13% since 2012, which, in addition to increasing operating costs, poses a major challenge.

Effects of branch pharmacies and legislative changes

In addition to the expansion of branch pharmacies, the regulation on medical devices was also amended in 2024. This allows the price of products to deviate from the official price by up to 40%, although the limitations of pharmacy systems may hinder flexible pricing.