Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM

What Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM does

Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM S.A. is a 100% Polish state-owned pharmaceutical distribution company headquartered in Warsaw that wholesales medicinal products, dietary supplements, medical devices, and cosmetics to over 4,000 pharmacies, 500+ public hospitals, and 500+ non-public healthcare facilities across Poland. Founded in 1945 as the Central Sanitary Warehouse of the Ministry of Health and incorporated as a joint-stock company in 2003, CEFARM generates revenue through transaction-based sales across pharmacy, wholesale, and hospital channels, supplemented by logistics services, contract manufacturing, clinical trial support, bonded warehousing, and a regulated importer-of-record service for medicinal products without Polish marketing authorization. Underlying capability is built on GDP-compliant distribution infrastructure, GMP-certified manufacturing and import operations at its Radomsko plant, three-zone temperature-controlled warehousing (2-8°C, 8-15°C, 15-25°C plus deep-freezing), an isothermal vehicle fleet (2-33 pallet capacity) with real-time temperature monitoring, and a 24/7 "Life Saving" emergency order service. Distribution is executed through dedicated sales reps, telemarketing teams, public tender participation for Ministry of Health procurement, and specialized hospital and target-import sales teams, with FY2023 net sales of PLN 1.46 billion.

Name

Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM

Legal name

Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM S.A.

Website

https://cefarm.com.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM S.A. is a state-owned Polish pharmaceutical distributor headquartered in Warsaw, wholesaling medicines and medical products to 4,000+ pharmacies, 500+ public hospitals, and 500+ non-public healthcare facilities across Poland, with GMP-certified manufacturing and clinical trial logistics in Radomsko.

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 industries

Specialty Pharma & Biologics Distribution (GDP-compliant) (HLAGAMAD), Specialty Pharmaceutical Distributors (HLAIAJAB), GMP Quality, Validation & Regulatory Support (GMP/CSV/Qualification) (HLAGAGAL), Medical Devices & Diagnostics Temperature-Controlled Storage (TLALABAH), Prescription Pharmaceutical (Rx) Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAHAA)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical distribution
• Pharmaceutical logistics
• Pharmaceutical wholesale
• Cold chain logistics
• Pharmaceutical warehousing

Headquarters

HQ city

Warszawa

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Distribution: Core business: wholesale and retail distribution of pharmaceutical products including medicinal products, dietary supplements, medical devices, and cosmetics. The company distributes to over 4,000 pharmacies, 500+ public hospitals, 500+ non-public healthcare facilities, and pharmaceutical wholesalers across Poland.
2. Logistics Services: Warehouse space rental, transport and distribution services, foreign goods wholesaler operations, bonded warehouse, and importer's warehouse services for pharmaceutical industry clients.
3. Manufacturing Services: Contract manufacturing services including packaging, repackaging, labeling, sealing, storage, and distribution of medicinal products, medical devices, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and clinical trial materials at the GMP-certified facility in Radomsko.
4. Clinical Trial Support: Comprehensive logistics and manufacturing services for clinical trials including labeling, repacking, sealing, distribution of clinical samples, and handling of investigational medicinal products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM S.A. distributes pharmaceutical products (medicinal products, dietary supplements, medical devices, cosmetics) to over 4,000 pharmacies, 500+ public hospitals, 500+ non-public healthcare facilities, and pharmaceutical wholesalers across Poland. The company also operates GMP-certified contract manufacturing at its Radomsko plant, provides target import services for unlicensed medicines, runs a 24/7 emergency "Life Saving" delivery service, and offers specialized temperature-controlled warehousing, bonded and importer's warehouse services, clinical trial logistics support, and pharmaceutical fleet transport services.

Product overview

Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM SA is a pharmaceutical distribution company offering a platform of interconnected services. The core offering consists of five pharmaceutical distribution channels: Sales to Pharmacies (serving over 4,000 pharmacies), Sales to Wholesalers (distribution from EU and non-EU countries), Hospital and NZOZ Sales (serving 500+ hospitals and healthcare facilities), Target Import (import of unlicensed medicines globally), and Life Saving (express urgent delivery). These distribution services are supported by complementary logistics modules including Foreign Goods Wholesalers, Importer's Warehouse (for non-EU imports), Medicinal Products Manufacturing Plant (GMP-certified facility in Radomsko), Clinical Trials services, Space Rental (temperature-controlled warehouses), and Transport & Distribution. The company holds over 14,000 product items in its regular commercial offer and operates with ISO 9001, GMP, and GDP quality management systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sales - Pharmacy Channel (Sprzedaż Kanał Apteczny) Pharmaceutical distribution services to pharmacies, supporting pharmaceutical care through business relationships with over 4,000 pharmacy partners across Poland. Includes daily supply of medicinal products, dietary supplements, medical devices, and cosmetics with dedicated telemarketing and sales representatives.
• Sales - Wholesale Channel (Sprzedaż Kanał Hurtowy) Distribution of medicinal products, dietary supplements, and medical devices from EU and non-EU countries to pharmaceutical wholesalers throughout Poland, operating under pharmaceutical wholesaler permit FAH/734/93 with GDP-compliant storage and transport.
• Sales - Hospital and NZOZ Channel (Sprzedaż Kanał Szpitalny i NZOZ) Hospital sales services serving over 500 public hospitals and over 500 non-public health care centers, including medical centers, clinics, doctors' offices, nursing homes, hospices, and foundations. Includes participation in Ministry of Health public procurement tenders and target import services.
• Target Import (Import docelowy) Specialized import service for medicinal products without Polish marketing authorization, enabling procurement of medicines from almost any location worldwide for patients with special needs on a named-patient basis.
• Life Saving (Ratunek Życia) Express emergency delivery service available 24/7 for urgent medicine orders, fulfilled with extraordinary precautions and increased control when human life is at stake. Available outside normal working hours as a unique offering in the Polish pharmaceutical distribution market.
• Foreign Goods Wholesalers (Hurtownie towarów obcych) Licensed wholesale of foreign goods including medicinal products, narcotic and psychotropic drugs, medical devices, foodstuffs for particular nutritional uses, and dietary supplements, operating under GDP guidelines in three temperature zones (2-8°C, 8-15°C, 15-25°C).
• Importer's Warehouse (Magazyn Importera) Physical import location for products from outside the European Union and EFTA member states, providing services for acceptance, storage at controlled temperatures (15-25°C or 2-8°C), distribution, archival sample storage, and batch release certification for pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers.
• Medicinal Products Manufacturing Plant (Wytwórnia Produktów Leczniczych) GMP-certified contract manufacturing facility in Radomsko offering comprehensive services including storage, distribution, labeling, packing/repacking, sealing, and batch release certification for medicinal products, medical devices, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and investigational medicinal products.
• Clinical Trials (Badania Kliniczne) Comprehensive clinical trial support including logistics and manufacturing services - labeling, repacking, sealing, and distribution of clinical samples - performed in accordance with GMP, GCP, and GDP requirements for clinical trial sponsors and CROs.
• Space Rental (Wynajem powierzchni) Rental of specialized temperature-controlled warehouse space in Warsaw and Radomsko facilities for pharmaceutical wholesalers, veterinary wholesalers, cosmetics wholesalers, and food wholesalers, with cold stores (2-8°C), cooling zones (8-15°C), and room temperature (15-25°C).
• Transport and Distribution (Transport i Dystrybucja) Pharmaceutical logistics transport services using specialized vehicle fleet with capacity from 2 to 33 pallets, isothermal bodies, cooling/heating systems, and temperature sensors meeting GDP requirements for safe medicine transport throughout Poland, including return load handling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over 4,000 pharmacies and 500+ hospitals nationwide with same/next-day delivery capabilities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Phoenix Group: One of Europe's largest pharmaceutical wholesale groups, operating across multiple European markets. Comparable as a broad-line pharma wholesaler with multi-temperature logistics, though much larger and pan-European versus CEFARM's Poland-only focus.
• Alliance Healthcare (Walgreens Boots Alliance): Global pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor serving pharmacies and hospitals across Europe. Comparable in operating model (full-line wholesale + value-added logistics services) but operates at much greater geographic and customer scale than CEFARM.
• Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen): US-headquartered global pharmaceutical solutions company with pharmaceutical distribution and specialty services. Relevant comparable as a wholesale-plus-specialty distribution model, though at vastly greater scale than CEFARM.
• McKesson Europe (now Phoenix): Global pharmaceutical distribution giant with broad European footprint including pharmaceutical wholesale and specialty distribution. Comparable in wholesale-distribution business model; CEFARM is much smaller and Poland-focused.

Direct peers

• Salus International: Polish pharmaceutical wholesaler and logistics provider supplying pharmacies and healthcare facilities. Comparable to CEFARM as a domestic pharma distributor with hospital and retail channel coverage.
• Farmacol: Polish pharmaceutical wholesaler serving pharmacies, hospitals and wholesalers with broad product assortment. Closely comparable to CEFARM in customer mix and product breadth within the Polish market.
• Polska Grupa Farmaceutyczna (PGF): Major Polish pharmaceutical wholesaler and pharmacy network operator with extensive nationwide distribution. Directly competes with CEFARM in full-line drug distribution to pharmacies and healthcare facilities.
• NEUCA: One of Poland's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers, distributing to pharmacies, hospitals and clinics nationwide. Directly comparable to CEFARM in scale, full-line wholesale model, and multi-channel (pharmacy, hospital, wholesale) coverage.
• Pelion (formerly PGF SA group): Polish healthcare group combining pharmaceutical wholesale (including PGF wholesale arm) with pharmacy retail chains. Comparable as a multi-channel pharma distributor serving the same Polish pharmacy and hospital customer base as CEFARM.

Regional players

• Agfa-Gevaert / Polpharma Logistics services (contract pharma logistics): Polpharma is a major Polish pharmaceutical manufacturer that also operates logistics and distribution services domestically. Comparable to CEFARM as a domestic pharma operator with distribution and contract manufacturing capabilities serving the Polish market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centrala-farmaceutyczna-cefarm-sa

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Centrala Farmaceutyczna CEFARM