What FederFARMA does

FederFARMA.CO S.p.A. is a privately-held Italian company headquartered in Carpiano (Milan) that operates as the central purchasing body (centrale d'acquisto) for Italy's network of pharmacist cooperatives and societies, including CEF, Unifarm, Farla, Farmacentro, and Federfarma Servizi. The company functions as the unified negotiation interlocutor between brand-name pharmaceutical manufacturers and Italy's independent pharmacy network, covering approximately 40% of the country's intermediate pharmaceutical distribution and serving over 12,000 affiliated independent pharmacies, with annual throughput of approximately 110 million product pieces. Share capital stands at €8.81 million and the company was founded in 1998.

The commercial portfolio centers on the PROFAR private label brand (350+ SKUs across OTC, food supplements, medical devices, diagnostics, personal care, and bamboo bandages) sold exclusively through member pharmacies, plus an exclusive concession for the Farmakopea OTC/SOP pharmaceutical line. The technology stack includes the SEC pharmaceutical care platform (enabling patient screening, electronic health records, and adherence monitoring with SMS reminders), a customizable member-pharmacy mobile App, the CartaPro loyalty program (over 1,000 pharmacies), the Edufarma distance-learning and ECM certification platform, Business Intelligence services, and HUB FARMA — all integrated with standard pharmacy management systems (gestionali) and, since April 2023, with RELEX Solutions space planning tools.

FederFARMA.CO generates revenue through multiple streams: transaction and negotiation fees on centralized purchasing of brand-name pharmaceuticals, private label product sales (PROFAR and Farmakopea), trade marketing services (Circuito Visibilità, category management, planogram optimization), recurring digital pharmaceutical care subscriptions (SEC, App), and professional training services (Edufarma). The first consolidated group balance sheet for 2025 reports €514 million in revenue, integrating VIPROF SRL (homeopathic and natural products, acquired 2022 and completed in 2025) and Farmakopea into the group.

Name

FederFARMA

Legal name

FederFARMA.CO S.p.A.

Website

https://federfarmaco.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FederFARMA.CO is an Italian central purchasing body owned by pharmacist cooperatives, serving 12,000+ independent pharmacies and covering 40% of Italy's intermediate drug distribution through private label products, digital pharmaceutical care platforms, and trade marketing services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Distribution Services

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Pharmacy Supply Chain & Secondary Distribution (Repackagers/Redistributors) (CRAOAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pharmacy Front-End & Sundries Distribution (Health & Wellness, Personal Care, Convenience) (CRAOAHAG)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical distribution services
• Central purchasing body
• Private label pharmacy products
• Pharmacy cooperative network
• Pharmaceutical care platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Carpiano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Centralized Purchasing & Negotiation Services: FederFARMA.CO acts as the unified purchasing body for its member cooperative and pharmacist society distribution companies, negotiating commercial agreements with brand-name pharmaceutical industry (Industria di Marca) on behalf of all members. Revenue is generated through efficiency gains, negotiated margins, and service fees from logistics, commercial and project activities.
2. Private Label (PROFAR): Development and sale of PROFAR branded products including OTC, SOP, food supplements, medical devices, self-diagnostic tests, and personal care. Products sold exclusively through affiliated pharmacies. Over 350 brand products and 300+ references. Revenue from product sales through distribution network.
3. Trade Marketing Services: In-store marketing services including Circuito Visibilità (annual visibility activities with Consumer Healthcare companies), category management support, planogram optimization using RELEX Solutions, and promotional campaigns. Revenue from negotiated commercial margins and service fees.
4. Pharmaceutical Care Digital Services: SEC platform services, app-based patient management, adherence monitoring, and screening programs provided to member pharmacies. Also includes loyalty program (CartaPro) management.
5. Professional Training (Edufarma): Educational and ECM training services for pharmacists including webinars, certification courses, and professional development programs. Includes partnerships with industry for sponsored training content.
6. Farmakopea OTC/SOP Line: Exclusive concession of OTC and SOP medicines under the Farmakopea brand, available only in pharmacies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

FederFARMA.CO acts as the centralized purchasing body (centrale d'acquisto) and single negotiation interlocutor for cooperative and pharmacist-owned distribution companies serving Italy's independent pharmacy channel. It develops and distributes the PROFAR private label brand (350+ SKUs across OTC, SOP, supplements, medical devices, self-diagnostics, and personal care) and the Farmakopea OTC/SOP line exclusively through affiliated pharmacies. It also provides digital pharmaceutical care tools (SEC platform, Federfarmaco App, CartaPRO loyalty), in-store trade marketing services, logistics support via HUB FARMA, and pharmacist training via Edufarma.

Product overview

FederFARMA.CO is a private company owned by pharmacist cooperatives and societies, serving as the largest network of independent pharmacies in Italy with 12,000 affiliated pharmacies covering 40% of intermediate drug distribution. The company operates as a central purchasing hub with logistics, commercial, and project development activities. Its product portfolio includes the PROFAR private label brand (300+ references), Farmakopea OTC/SOP line, and technology platforms SEC (pharmaceutical care) and the Federfarmaco App (patient engagement). Additional services include Business Intelligence, HUB FARMA, Edufarma, In-Store Marketing, and the CartaPRO loyalty program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PROFAR: Private label brand of FederFARMA.CO for pharmacy chains, featuring over 350 products including supplements, OTC medicines, and health products.
• Farmakopea
• SEC
• HUB FARMA
• Edufarma
• Business Intelligence
• CartaPro
• Avanterra

Products and services

• PROFAR Private Label Brand FederFARMA.CO's private label brand offering over 350 product references across OTC, SOP, food supplements, medical devices, self-diagnostic tests, dermocosmetics, intimate care, baby care and personal care; sold exclusively through affiliated member pharmacies across Italy, serving over 9,000 pharmacies by end of 2023 and achieving double-digit growth in 2022 and 2023.
• Farmakopea OTC and SOP Line Wholly-owned line of OTC (over-the-counter) and SOP (without prescription) medicines under exclusive concession to FederFARMA.CO, available only in Italian pharmacies and included in the first consolidated Group balance sheet (2025).
• SEC Pharmaceutical Care Platform Digital pharmaceutical care platform enabling pharmacists to create mini electronic health records, conduct patient screening via validated questionnaires and diagnostic exams, manage therapeutic plans, run follow-up monitoring, and send SMS medication adherence and prescription renewal reminders; integrates with pharmacy management systems (gestionali) and diagnostic instruments.
• Federfarmaco App (App 2.0) Customizable mobile application for virtual pharmacy chains offering patient socio-demographic profiling, spending habit tracking, one-to-one pharmacist-patient engagement, targeted and cluster-based promotions, upsell/cross-sell tools, appointment booking and consultations, medication adherence tracking, prescription reservations, clinical exam repository and allergy/intolerance alerts linked to pharmacy management software; co-developed with Farmacentro for the MiaFarmacia network.
• CartaPRO Loyalty Program Loyalty card managed by FederFARMA.CO for member pharmacies, with a prize catalog distributed to over 1,000 Italian pharmacies and managed in partnership with Promotica; renewed annually.
• Business Intelligence Analytics Service Analytics and data intelligence services provided to member pharmacy networks to support decision-making, category management and operational efficiency.
• HUB FARMA Service Platform Centralized service platform providing logistics, commercial and project management support to the cooperative distribution system and its affiliated pharmacies.
• Edufarma Training Platform Distance learning and professional training platform for pharmacists delivering ECM (Continuing Medical Education) courses, webinars and certification programs; includes sponsored training content from industry partners such as Menarini.
• In-Store Trade Marketing Services Trade marketing services for affiliated pharmacies including the annual Circuito Visibilità visibility campaigns with consumer healthcare companies, category management support and planogram optimization using RELEX Solutions, implemented in collaboration with Athena Retail.
• Centralized Purchasing and Negotiation Services Core centrale d'acquisto service through which FederFARMA.CO acts as the unique single interlocutor negotiating commercial agreements with brand-name pharmaceutical manufacturers on behalf of member cooperative and pharmacist society distribution companies, generating revenue through negotiated margins and service fees from logistics, commercial and project activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% of Italy's intermediate pharmaceutical distribution covered through member cooperatives
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PRIMA LabminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Collaboration with PRIMA Lab for a webinar on colorectal cancer prevention, with FederFARMA.CO (through its PROFAR brand) providing educational content for pharmacists on the role of pharmacy in prevention and public information.
• RELEX SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2023FederFARMA.CO partnered with RELEX Solutions, a supply chain and retail optimization provider, to improve space planning and category management in affiliated pharmacies. Implemented in April 2023 in collaboration with Athena Retail (consulting/integration partner). The solution enables centralized planogram management through a shared database while allowing partner societies to adapt to specific pharmacy needs.
• Sistema Farmacia Italia (SFI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Sistema Farmacia Italia (a company created by Federfarma and Federfarma Servizi) signed a partnership protocol with FederFARMA.CO in December 2022 to develop pharmaceutical care projects supporting independent pharmacies. SFI aims to create a pharmacy network implementing standardization processes while respecting independence, enabling access to new professional and economic opportunities. Maurizio Stroppa (FederFARMA.CO Director General) also serves as SFI CEO.
• PodartiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Co-branding partnership with Podartis, a leading orthopedic company, for the Avanterra therapeutic line of products including therapeutic insoles (plantari) for foot wellness, circulatory health, and posture. Three co-branded PROFAR-AVANTERRA product references launched initially in 50 selected pharmacies with pharmacist training support.
• Athena RetailminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting and integration partner specialized in category management process optimization, collaborating with FederFARMA.CO on the RELEX Solutions implementation for planogram management in affiliated pharmacy networks.
• IQVIAminorOthersIQVIA provides market overviews and data analytics for FederFARMA.CO conventions and strategic planning. Dr. Leonardo Soldati (Associate Director, Strategic Supplier Services) presented at the IX Convention on market trends including digital health and AI applications in healthcare.
• PromoticaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Promotica for the CartaPro loyalty card prize catalog management, distributed to over 1,000 Italian pharmacies. Renewed annually.
• MenariniminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship agreement for the 'La gestione in farmacia del paziente con ansia lieve' (pharmacy management of patients with mild anxiety) ECM distance learning course, 13.5 credits, running May–December 2023, through Sistema Farmacia Italia.
• ZentivaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerZentiva (Novartis division, generic pharmaceuticals) partnership for product information sharing and promotional materials through FederFARMA.CO platform, including Propol2, Schoum, Ruscoven, and Zeflavon products.
• BayerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Bayer on a pharmaceutical care project in the cardiology area, including training programs and support services for pharmacists to develop specialized cardiology pharmacy services.
• SandozminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSandoz (Novartis generics and biosimilars division) introduced through FederFARMA.CO to member pharmacies as a strategic partner for generic pharmaceutical products.
• FarmacentrocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooperative pharmacy distribution company operating in central Italy with 1,000 members. Key distribution partner and member of FederFARMA.CO Board of Directors. Co-developed the App 2.0 customized for the MiaFarmacia network.
• VIPROF SRLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistributor of homeopathic, natural, phytotherapeutic products and food supplements being acquired by FederFARMA.CO (acquisition announced 2022, finalized in the 2025-2026 period). VIPROF allows management of slow-moving products benefiting member distribution companies.
• FarmakopeacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly-owned brand of OTC and SOP medicines under exclusive concession, included in FederFARMA.CO's first consolidated balance sheet 2025.
• SECOF – Società Europea di Cooperazione FarmaceuticaminorOthersEuropean pharmaceutical cooperation body representing pharmacist-owned intermediate distribution companies from Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Portugal, and Turkey. FederFARMA.CO participates in SECOF meetings and shares Italian experience on digitalization, e-commerce, and network services with European counterparts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• McKesson: McKesson is the largest global pharmaceutical distributor and a broad incumbent that also owns Celesio in Europe. Compared to FederFARMA.CO, it operates at vastly larger scale but with a more diversified portfolio including specialty pharma, biopharma services, and retail pharmacy technology.
• Cencora: Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen) is one of the 'Big Three' US pharmaceutical wholesalers with global operations. It is comparable in the wholesale and distribution layer but does not specialize in the independent pharmacy cooperative model that defines FederFARMA.CO.
• Cardinal Health: Cardinal Health is a global pharmaceutical distributor and healthcare services provider. It is a broad incumbent in the wholesale drug distribution space FederFARMA.CO operates in, but at a different scale, with different geographic focus and without the cooperative ownership structure.

Direct peers

• Celesio: Celesio (now part of McKesson) operates European pharmaceutical distribution and pharmacy retail under brands like Lloyds Pharmacy. Its wholesale-plus-pharmacy-services model and integration with independent pharmacies are directly comparable to FederFARMA.CO's cooperative distribution and SEC platform approach.
• Alliance Healthcare: Alliance Healthcare (Walgreens Boots Alliance) is the largest pan-European pharmaceutical wholesaler serving independent and chain pharmacies. It is the closest analogue in business model to FederFARMA.CO: centralized procurement, distribution to retail pharmacies, and pharmacy services across multiple European countries.
• AAH Pharmaceuticals: AAH Pharmaceuticals is the UK pharmaceutical wholesaler owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance and focused on independent pharmacy customers. Its centralized procurement and distribution to a nationwide independent pharmacy network makes it directly comparable to FederFARMA.CO's cooperative wholesale model.
• Phoenix Group: Phoenix Group is the leading pharmaceutical wholesaler in Europe and operator of pharmacy retail and services brands. Its combination of wholesale distribution, pharmacy retail, and pharmacy services directly mirrors FederFARMA.CO's central purchasing plus pharmacy services bundle.

Regional players

• Unifarm: Unifarm is an Italian pharmaceutical cooperative distributor that is a member/owner of FederFARMA.CO. It operates in the same Italian geography with comparable distribution offerings to independent pharmacies, and its president Francesca Rauzi sits on FederFARMA.CO's board.
• Oriola: Oriola is a Nordic pharmaceutical distributor serving pharmacies and hospitals in Finland, Sweden, and the Baltics. It is comparable in business model (pharmaceutical distribution to independent pharmacies) but operates in a different geographic territory from FederFARMA.CO's Italian focus.
• CEF – Cooperativa Esercenti Farmacia: CEF is a major Italian cooperative of pharmacy operators and a member/owner of FederFARMA.CO. Its president Vittorino Losio is also President of FederFARMA.CO. CEF operates as a regional player in Italian pharma distribution with overlapping coverage of independent pharmacies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/federfarmaco

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 FederFARMA