What CERP Rhin Rhone Mediterranée does

CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée is a French pharmaceutical wholesaler-distributor (grossiste répartiteur) founded in 1921 and headquartered in Belfort, France. The company operates a B2B distribution network of 25 regional establishments serving approximately 4,000 independent community pharmacies (officines) across eastern France, delivering 240 million boxes of medicines and pharmaceutical products annually with 24-hour delivery turnaround. Its operations rely on cold chain management technology, a product traceability system that achieves fewer than 0.6 errors per 1,000 lines, and last-generation warehouse automation (notably at the Aix-en-Provence site). The cooperative ownership model in which pharmacist clients are shareholders and administrators creates aligned incentives and distinguishes CERP from publicly traded competitors.

The company's service portfolio extends beyond core logistics into pharmacy setup assistance, pharmacy management tooling, patient accompaniment services (including the Bilan Partagé de Médication), and animal health offerings, with supporting digital infrastructure comprising the Espace Clients online portal, an Espace Laboratoires partner interface, and an internal IT Factory unit. Revenue is generated through wholesale distribution margins on pharmaceutical products and commercial arrangements negotiated with laboratories on behalf of pharmacy clients. Customers are exclusively independent pharmacy owners, served through direct field sales representatives embedded in each regional establishment. CERP operates a wholly owned subsidiary called Pharmat and is pursuing a proposed merger with CERP Rouen (Astera) announced in 2024, which would consolidate its position in the French pharmaceutical distribution sector.

Name

CERP Rhin Rhone Mediterranée

Legal name

CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée

Website

https://cerp-rrm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée is a French pharmaceutical wholesaler-distributor operating 25 regional establishments that serve 4,000 independent community pharmacies across eastern France with daily delivery, cold chain logistics, and cooperative pharmacist-shareholder ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Distribution

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (424210)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Line Pharmaceutical Wholesalers (HLAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Prescription Pharmaceutical (Rx) Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAHAA)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical distribution
• Pharmacy wholesale
• Cold chain logistics
• Pharmaceutical supply chain
• Medicine distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfort

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Wholesale Distribution: CERP operates as a pharmaceutical wholesaler-distributor (grossiste répartiteur) serving independent pharmacies. The company generates revenue through the distribution of medicines and pharmaceutical products, passing agreements with laboratories to offer competitive commercial conditions to pharmacy clients. Revenue is derived from product margins and commercial arrangements with pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée is a pharmaceutical wholesaler-distributor (grossiste répartiteur) that delivers medicines and pharmaceutical products to independent community pharmacies across eastern France. Operating 25 regional establishments, the company delivers approximately 240 million boxes of medicines annually to 4,000 partner pharmacies, supported by cold chain logistics, product traceability, an online client portal, and ancillary business services for pharmacy management.

Product overview

CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée is a pharmaceutical wholesaler-distributor offering a unified platform of services to independent pharmacies in eastern France. The core offering centers on distribution logistics with 25 establishments and 4000 partner pharmacies. Supporting services include pharmacy setup assistance, pharmacy management tools, patient accompaniment services, animal health offerings, and digital solutions for officine management. The company operates the IT Factory service for internal technology development and maintains an online client portal (Espace Clients) and professional portal (Espace Laboratoires) for customer interactions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pharmat: A subsidiary entity operating under the CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée umbrella, mentioned in job postings and company communications.

Products and services

• Pharmaceutical Wholesale Distribution Core B2B distribution service delivering medicines and pharmaceutical products from laboratories to approximately 4,000 independent pharmacies across eastern France, with 25 regional establishments and within 24-hour delivery capability.
• Espace Clients (Online Client Portal) Authenticated online portal allowing pharmacy clients to place orders, manage accounts, and access professional services from CERP.
• Pharmacy Setup Services Comprehensive support program for pharmacists establishing new pharmacies, including financial assistance, project planning, team onboarding, and sales space optimization.
• Pharmacy Management Services Services to help pharmacists manage their officine and lead their teams, including purchasing management, sales space dynamization, team management, and digitalization of pharmacy operations.
• Patient Accompaniment Services Services supporting pharmacists in patient care, including home care development, patient counseling improvement, animal health offerings, and shared medication review (BPM).
• Santé Animale (Animal Health Offering) Comprehensive solution for developing animal health offerings in pharmacies, including purchasing support and team training for animal health counseling.
• Bilan Partagé de Médication (BPM) Shared medication review service enabling pharmacists to conduct efficient medication reviews with patients as part of their patient accompaniment mission.
• Formation et Ateliers (Training Workshops) Training workshops for pharmacy professionals covering topics such as promotional animation, new pharmacy missions, management, purchasing strategy, sales techniques, and teleconsultation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Less than 0.6 errors per 1000 lines in order preparation and delivery reliability

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CERP Rouen (Astera)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CERP Rhin Rhône Méditerranée announced a project to merge with CERP Rouen (Astera), representing a significant consolidation in the French pharmaceutical distribution sector. This rapprochement aims to strengthen capabilities and market presence across France.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alliance Healthcare France: Wholly owned subsidiary of Walgreens Boots Alliance and one of France's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers. Directly competes with CERP RRM in distribution to pharmacies, with broader national coverage and corporate ownership.
• OCP Répartition: French cooperative pharmaceutical wholesaler (part of the Astera group) serving independent pharmacies nationwide. Directly comparable business model and customer base to CERP RRM, making it one of the closest competitive analogues.
• CERP Rouen (Astera): French pharmaceutical cooperative wholesaler and announced merger partner of CERP RRM. Operates a comparable grossiste répartiteur model serving independent pharmacies in northern and western France under the same cooperative ownership paradigm.
• CERP Lorraine: Another CERP-network cooperative wholesaler operating in northeastern France. Uses the same confraternal pharmacist-shareholder model and full-line distribution offering as CERP RRM.
• CERP Paris: CERP-network cooperative wholesaler serving the greater Paris region. Shares the cooperative pharmacist-ownership model and full-line wholesale offering with CERP RRM, making it a directly comparable regional peer.
• CERP Bretagne: Sister CERP cooperative wholesaler covering western France. Operates an identical grossiste répartiteur model serving independent pharmacies, sharing the cooperative ownership structure with CERP RRM.

Broad incumbents

• Phoenix Group: European-headquartered pharmaceutical wholesaler with French operations (formerly Celesio). Operates a far broader European footprint than CERP RRM and competes in full-line pharma distribution across multiple countries.
• McKesson Corporation: Global pharmaceutical wholesaler with European and French presence. A broad incumbent whose size, manufacturer agreements, and integrated services position it as a strategic reference point for any French regional wholesaler.
• Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen): Global pharmaceutical distribution and services giant with European wholesale operations. A broad incumbent competitor whose scale and manufacturer relationships set the bar for distribution terms that CERP RRM must match.

Others

• Giphar: French pharmacy network and buying group serving independent pharmacies. Not a wholesaler itself, but an adjacent ecosystem participant whose members overlap with CERP RRM's 4,000 partner pharmacies and shape demand for distribution services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/cerp-rhin-rhone-mediterranee

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CERP Rhin Rhone Mediterranée