CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS

What CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS does

CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS (CDP) is a French purchasing cooperative founded in 2008 as the procurement arm of the Astera Group, aggregating demand from approximately 3,000 independent pharmacy members across France. The company operates a B2B e-commerce and procurement platform that consolidates supply from 170+ partner laboratories (including Bayer, Roche Diabètes Care France, Nutricia, Hartmann, Pierre Fabre, Arkopharma, La Roche-Posay, Avène, Bioderma, Klorane, Vichy, Eucerin, Haleon, and Nestlé Health Science) across five product categories: Nutrition, Hygiene Beauté, Médication Familiale, Accessoires & Dispositifs Médicaux, and Compléments Alimentaires & Phytothérapie. CDP offers 5,500+ product references with average member discounts of 20-22% on laboratory products and up to 60% on monthly promotional offers, supported by three proprietary catalogs (Central'Ref published three times per year, Central'Prom monthly with ~60 promotional offers, and Central'Lab monthly informational leaflets).

The platform integrates with member pharmacies' LGO (Logiciel de Gestion Officine) management software via Pharma ML, enabling pooled ordering, consolidated invoicing, and 48-72 hour delivery. CDP generates revenue through membership/adhesion fees, transactional markups on product sales to members, and RFA (Remise sur Facture d'Achats) retroactive rebates from select laboratories. The company maintains a customer loyalty program (Club Privilège) and a comprehensive content layer including sales support tools (PLV, planograms, merchandising), laboratory media plans, training programs (webinars, e-learning), and counter case studies (Cas Comptoir) organized by therapeutic theme. Additional revenue and partnership channels include tripartite agreements with pharmacy group purchasing organizations (groupements) for customized catalogs, MDD hosting, and in-store animation campaigns.

CDP is structured as a Société par Actions Simplifiée (SAS) with €1,000,000 share capital, headquartered in Rouen (Seine Maritime) with operational offices in La Courneuve. It employs approximately 25 staff and is wholly owned within the Groupe Astera cooperative, which also includes CERP Rouen, LEO-Officine, LEO-Boutique, Les Pharmaciens Associés, and other pharmacy-focused businesses. The company does not sell to end consumers and operates exclusively within the French market.

Name

CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS

Legal name

CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS

Website

https://cdp.astera.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS is a French purchasing cooperative founded in 2008 as the procurement arm of Groupe Astera, serving approximately 3,000 independent pharmacy members with 5,500+ product references from 170+ laboratories, offering average discounts of 20-22% via an integrated B2B e-commerce and LGO-compatible procurement platform.

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

Value Pharmacies & Deep-Discount Pharmacy Retail (CRAEAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Discount Drugstores with Front-End General Merchandise (Value GM) (CRAEAHAI)

Keywords

• Pharmacy procurement services
• Pharmaceutical supply cooperative
• Drug wholesale distribution
• Pharmacy purchasing central
• Pharmaceutical inventory management

Headquarters

HQ city

Rouen

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership/Adhesion Fees: Pharmacy members pay adhesion fees to access the cooperative's purchasing power, catalogs, and negotiated discount terms with laboratories.
2. Product Sales/Markup: The cooperative purchases products from laboratories at negotiated volume discounts (average 20-22% discount) and sells to member pharmacies, generating margin on the markup. Members benefit from competitive pricing without storage obligations.
3. RFA (Remise sur Facture d'Achats): End-of-year rebates or retroactive discounts granted on selected laboratory purchases, rewarding member loyalty and purchase volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Centrale des Pharmaciens operates a B2B purchasing cooperative platform serving approximately 3,000 member pharmacies in France, aggregating 5,500+ product references from 170+ partner laboratories across nutrition, hygiene-beauty, family medication, medical devices, and dietary supplements. Members gain average discounts of 20-22%, monthly promotional offers up to 60% off, consolidated invoicing, no storage obligations, and 48-72 hour delivery through the cooperative's e-commerce portal and call center.

Product overview

CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS operates a B2B e-commerce and procurement platform serving approximately 3,000 pharmacy members. The platform centers on the e-commerce ordering system supplemented by three catalogs: Central'Ref (annual reference catalog published three times yearly with volume discounts and LGO software integration), Central'Prom (monthly promotional catalog with ~60 seasonal offers reaching up to 60% discount), and Central'Lab (monthly laboratory informational flyers with new product launches and counter case studies). Additional services include sales support tools (shelf planning, window displays, PLV materials), media planning from partner laboratories, training programs (webinars, e-learning, in-person events), the Club Privilège loyalty program (offering RFA rebates and exclusive offers), and a call center for proactive customer engagement. The platform aggregates 5,500+ product references from 170+ laboratories with average 20-22% discounts and 48-72 hour delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Central'Ref: Reference catalog published 3 times per year with updated references and pricing, annual offers with volume discounts, and integration into main LGO systems.
• Central'Prom
• Central'Lab
• Club Privilège

Products and services

• B2B E-commerce Procurement Platform B2B e-commerce platform enabling pharmacy members to order from 5,500+ product references across 170+ partner laboratories, with average discounts of 20-22% and 48-72 hour delivery to member pharmacies in France.
• Central'Ref Annual Reference Catalog Annual reference catalog published three times per year featuring updated product references and pricing, with annual offers including volume discounts and integration with major pharmacy management software (LGO).
• Central'Prom Monthly Promotional Catalog Monthly promotional catalog featuring approximately 60 seasonal and topical promotional offers with discounts reaching up to 60% and accessible purchase multiples as low as 1 unit.
• Central'Lab Monthly Laboratory Information Leaflets Monthly informational flyers from laboratories featuring brand launches, innovations, additional promotional offers, and counter case studies to assist pharmacists with sales advice.
• Club Privilège Loyalty Program Loyalty program rewarding engagement and loyalty of top member pharmacies with RFA (Remise sur Facture d'Achats) retroactive rebates, exclusive promotional offers, discount coupons, and events.
• Pharma ML Collective Ordering System Collective ordering system enabling simplified pharmacy replenishment through centralized ordering, unified billing across partner laboratories, and integration with pharmacy management software (LGO).
• Procurement Services for Pharmacy Groupements B2B service offering for pharmacy group purchasing organizations (groupements) that includes tripartite agreements with laboratories, customized catalog options, MDD product hosting, in-store animation campaigns, and logistics management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 20-22% discount on laboratory products
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Astera Group (Parent)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS was established in 2008 as the purchasing cooperative of Astera Group. The company operates as part of the larger Astera cooperative group which includes other pharmacy-focused businesses such as CERP Rouen, LEO-Officine, LEO-Boutique, and others.
• 170+ Pharmaceutical Laboratories (Including Bayer, Roche Diabètes Care France, Nutricia, Hartmann, Pierre Fabre, Arkopharma, La Roche-Posay, Avène)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe cooperative works with over 170 laboratory partners across 5 categories (Nutrition, Hygiene Beauté, Médication Familiale, Accessoires & Dispositifs Médicaux, Compléments Alimentaires & Phytothérapie). Laboratories include Bayer, Roche Diabètes Care France, Nutricia, Hartmann, Pierre Fabre, Arkopharma, La Roche-Posay, Avène, Bioderma, Klorane, Vichy, Eucerin, Haleon, Nestlé Health Science, and many others. These partnerships enable the cooperative to offer 5,500+ product references to member pharmacies.
• Pharma MLcoreTechnology or IntegrationPharma ML is the ordering platform and pharmacy management software integration used by CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS for pooled ordering and consolidated invoicing across member pharmacies. The integration enables seamless order processing through pharmacy LGO (Logiciel de Gestion Officine) systems.
• Pharmacy Group Purchasing Organizations (Groupements)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with pharmacy group purchasing organizations enable tripartite agreements with laboratories, customized catalogs, MDD product hosting, in-store animation campaigns, and logistics services. These groupements include Les Pharmaciens Associés and other regional pharmacy cooperatives.
• CERP Rouen SAS (Hosting Provider)minorOthersCERP Rouen SAS hosts the cdp.astera.coop website at 39/41 Rue des Augustins, 76000 Rouen. Tel: 0235527000.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Giphar: Major French pharmacy groupement aggregating independent pharmacies under a common banner with centralized purchasing. Comparable as a competing groupement/cooperative model targeting the same independent pharmacy procurement market.
• Phoenix Pharma France: Pharmaceutical wholesaler serving French pharmacies with full-line distribution, patient services, and pharmacy support solutions. Comparable as a national B2B drug distribution peer competing for the same independent pharmacy procurement wallet.
• Pharmactiv: French pharmacy groupement serving independent pharmacies with centralized purchasing, marketing, and category management services. Comparable cooperative/groupement business model and overlapping customer base.
• OCP Répartition: Largest pharmaceutical wholesaler-distributor in France, serving community pharmacies with full-line drug distribution and value-added services. Directly comparable as a B2B procurement and distribution platform targeting the same French pharmacy customer base, though OCP operates at materially larger national scale.
• Alliance Healthcare France: Major French pharmaceutical wholesaler distributing prescription and OTC products to community pharmacies. Comparable as a national drug distribution and procurement services competitor, with broader full-line coverage but overlapping customer base and lab relationships.
• Les Pharmaciens Associés: Pharmacy groupement (purchasing association) within the Astera Group serving affiliated pharmacies with collective purchasing terms. Directly comparable cooperative/groupement model targeting independent French pharmacies.
• GirodPharm: French pharmacy purchasing and services groupement serving independent pharmacies with centralized buying terms and merchandising support. Directly comparable groupement model targeting the same independent pharmacy members.
• CERP Rouen: Sister pharmaceutical cooperative within the Astera Group that distributes pharmaceuticals and parapharmacy products to member pharmacies. Closely comparable business model (cooperative purchasing/distribution for community pharmacies) and overlapping parent ownership.

Broad incumbents

• McKesson Corporation: Global pharmaceutical distribution and healthcare services company with significant European presence. Comparable as a broad incumbent in pharma wholesale distribution, though operating at vastly larger scale and across multiple geographies beyond France.
• Phoenix Group AG: European pharmaceutical wholesale, retail, and services group operating across multiple countries including France. Comparable as a broad incumbent pharma distributor, though diversified across retail, services, and pan-European markets rather than focused on French independents.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centrale-des-pharmaciens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 CENTRALE DES PHARMACIENS