SK-Pharmacy

What SK-Pharmacy does

SK-Pharmacy LLP (ТОО «СК-Фармация») is the sole government-designated Unified Distributor for pharmaceutical procurement and distribution in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Established in February 2009 by Government Resolution No. 134 and restructured under the Ministry of Health in May 2013, the company centrally procures medicines, medical devices, and medical equipment on behalf of approximately 2,000 state-funded medical organizations under the Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care (GVFMC) and Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) systems. In 2024, the company processed procurement volume of 491 billion tenge across 1,593 SKUs, delivering 50 billion tenge in cost savings and supplying 2+ million patients with free medicines. The organization also operates as the financial lessor of medical equipment to healthcare facilities nationwide.

The company's core technology platform is the Unified Pharmaceutical Information System (БФАЖ), a proprietary procurement request and workflow system used by all 2,000 medical organizations to submit demand forecasts by SKU, volume, dosage, and delivery schedule, integrated with the Social Health Insurance Fund. This is complemented by QLIK Analytics for procurement data analysis. Physical operations run through four regional logistics hubs in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, and Aktobe, providing cold-chain storage and nationwide distribution coverage across all 14 regions of Kazakhstan. The company holds ISO 37001:2016 anti-corruption management certification and partners with UNICEF, the World Bank, and STOP TB for specialized procurement, as well as with Pfizer, Roche, AstraZeneca, MSD, J&J, and Bayer for domestic production localization.

SK-Pharmacy's business model is that of a state-owned pass-through procurement agency rather than a commercial enterprise: funding flows from the republican budget and the Social Health Insurance Fund, and the company does not generate commercial revenue. Pricing is determined through open competitive tenders regulated by the Ministry of Health, and the entity holds two state pharmaceutical distribution licenses. Long-term supply contracts of up to 10 years are signed with domestic manufacturers (covering 30% of procurement by value in 2024) and BigPharma counterparties. The customer base is exclusively government and government-funded medical organizations, with no exposure to private pharmacy channels.

Name

SK-Pharmacy

Legal name

ТОО «СК-Фармация»

Website

https://sk-pharmacy.kz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SK-Pharmacy is Kazakhstan's sole state-owned Unified Distributor, centrally procuring medicines and medical devices for approximately 2,000 government-funded medical organizations under the country's free medical care and health insurance systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Pharmaceutical Distribution Services

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (4242), Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (424210)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Government & Public-Sector Pharmaceutical Supply (Tender/Prime Vendor) (HLAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hospital & Health-System Pharmaceutical Distributors (HLAIAJAD), Specialty Pharmaceutical Distributors (HLAIAJAB), Medication Inventory, Procurement & Supply Chain (Pharmacy) (HLACAKAI)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical procurement services
• Public healthcare distribution
• Medicines supply chain
• Unified pharmaceutical distributor
• Government drug procurement

Headquarters

HQ city

Astana

HQ country

Kazakhstan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Procurement Services: SK-Pharmacy is a state-owned Unified Distributor that does not generate commercial revenue. It procures medicines and medical devices on behalf of the government-funded Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care (GVFMC) and the Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) system. Funding comes from the republican budget and the Social Health Insurance Fund. The company organizes open tender procedures for procurement and manages logistics to medical organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SK-Pharmacy organizes centralized public procurement, storage, and logistics of medicines and medical supplies as Kazakhstan's government-designated Unified Distributor. It procures medicines and medical devices on behalf of the state-funded Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care (GVFMC) and Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) programs and delivers them to approximately 2,000 medical organizations across all 14 regions of Kazakhstan through four logistics hubs in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, and Aktobe. The company also manages financial leasing of medical equipment and operates the Unified Pharmaceutical Information System (БФАЖ) for procurement request management.

Product overview

SK-Pharmacy (ТОО 'СК-Фармация') operates as the Single Distributor for pharmaceutical products in Kazakhstan, managing centralized procurement and distribution of medicines and medical devices under the Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care (TKMKK) and Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MZhMS) systems. The core product is the Unified Distributor System, which encompasses procurement services (including open tender, special procurement, and direct contracts), a unified pharmaceutical information system (БФАЖ) for request management, and a national logistics network with regional hubs in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, and Aktobe. Additional offerings include domestic producer support through long-term contracting (up to 10 years), humanitarian aid coordination, and a public contact center (1439). The organization serves approximately 2,000 medical institutions and millions of patients across the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Distributor System (Unified Distributor) Government-mandated centralized pharmaceutical procurement and distribution system providing medicines and medical devices to approximately 2,000 medical organizations across Kazakhstan under the Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care (GVFMC) and Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) frameworks. Operates four regional logistics hubs (Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktobe) with cold chain capabilities.
• Unified Pharmaceutical Information System (БФАЖ) Information system used by medical organizations to submit procurement requests for medicines and medical supplies by name, volume, dosage, form, and delivery schedule, with integrated approval workflows and coordination with the Social Health Insurance Fund.
• Public Procurement of Medicines and Medical Devices Centralized tender-based procurement services for medicines and medical products organized via open tenders and direct contracts with domestic and international pharmaceutical manufacturers; covers 1,593 types of medicines and medical products with 491 billion tenge in 2024 procurement volume.
• Pharmaceutical Logistics and Distribution Network Centralized logistics network providing storage and cold chain transportation for medicines and medical products from four regional hubs to medical organizations across all 14 regions of Kazakhstan.
• Long-Term Domestic Manufacturer Support Program Long-term supply contracting program (up to 10 years) that provides guaranteed government procurement orders to domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers, including contract manufacturing arrangements with international BigPharma companies for technology transfer and localization.
• Contact Center 1439 Free public hotline providing information on medicine availability and delivery schedules, and a channel for citizens to report delivery delays and ask questions about free medicine provision.
• Humanitarian Aid Coordination Service Centralized coordination service managing incoming medical humanitarian donations and distributing them to healthcare facilities across Kazakhstan.
• Medical Equipment Procurement and Financial Leasing Procurement and subsequent financial leasing of medical equipment to healthcare organizations using republican budget funds; 396 units of medical equipment procured in 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 billion tenge savings on procurement in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Кыргызфармация (KyrgyzPharmaceuticals)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Memorandum signed for joint procurement of medicines with Kyrgyzstan's single distributor. A pilot joint procurement was planned for 2024. Cooperation aims to reduce costs through consolidated purchasing and expand population coverage.
• STOP TB PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019First contract signed for procurement of innovative drugs Delamanid and Bedaquiline for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis. Total procurement value of 1 billion tenge covering approximately 2,500 patients.
• World Bank (БҰҰДБ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership from February 2018 for procurement of modern Hepatitis C medications (Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir). The World Bank platform reduced drug costs by 10 times. Treatment success rate reached 95%. The platform now covers all patients registered with the disease.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership started in 2016 for procurement of antiretroviral drugs for HIV patients. Through UNICEF procurement, coverage of HIV patients increased from 6,000 to 18,000 people. UNICEF platform also enabled procurement of vaccines. The partnership expanded the range of ARV drugs and included vaccines.
• PfizercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of cooperation signed in September 2022. Negotiations ongoing for localization of pneumococcal vaccine (Prevenar-20) production in Kazakhstan. A roadmap was signed in early 2024 between Pfizer's regional director and the Kazakh Ministry of Health and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for contract manufacturing of innovative biotechnology drugs.
• RochecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for localization of innovative oncology drug production in Kazakhstan, with involvement of Nobel and KAZNIIOIR for breast cancer drug production in Almaty.
• AstraZenecacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing discussions for expanding cooperation and localization of pharmaceutical production in Kazakhstan.
• Merck & Co (MSD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSD expressed interest in expanding strategic presence in Kazakhstan. Discussions covered Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for oncology, Gardasil vaccines for HPV prevention, and long-term supply arrangements.
• Johnson & JohnsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum signed between the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan and Johnson & Johnson for development of contract manufacturing of medicines and technology transfer in clinical research.
• Bayer KazakhstanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership between the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan and Bayer Kazakhstan aimed at developing clinical research market and advanced technology transfer.
• BIOCADminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRussian biopharmaceutical company BIOCAD is interested in investing in new pharmaceutical production in Kazakhstan, specifically oncology and autoimmune drug manufacturing.
• Кыргызфармация (KyrgyzPharmaceuticals)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with the single distributor under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan for implementation of a pilot project on interstate procurement.
• SANTO (Khimepharm JSC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SANTO for development of cluster and research sector potential. SANTO's R&D center plays a significant role in combining functions of research and production within the cluster.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing cooperation with UNICEF for expanded partnership including procurement of medicines and vaccines for Kazakhstan.
• QazTrademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of cooperation signed with QazTrade (Trade Policy Development Center) for promoting Kazakhstani pharmaceuticals to foreign markets. Partnership includes export promotion and cost reimbursement programs for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
• Kazakh InvestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly developed Investment Guide Book for potential investors. Provides information on import and investment incentives for the pharmaceutical sector in Kazakhstan.
• KazakhExportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for export development and implementation of insurance instruments for export operations.
• QazindustryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for partial reimbursement of production costs for pharmaceutical manufacturers under special economic zones.
• Chinese Pharmaceutical CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNegotiations conducted with major Chinese pharmaceutical companies in June 2026 covering direct contracts, production localization, and investment opportunities.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Кыргызфармация (KyrgyzPharmaceuticals): State-owned single distributor under Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Health, counterpart to SK-Pharmacy. Signed a memorandum in 2023 for joint procurement with SK-Pharmacy, including a 2024 pilot for consolidated purchasing—making it both a peer (same role in neighboring country) and a partner.
• Crown Agents: UK-headquartered international development company providing procurement, supply chain, and governance services to governments and donors in emerging markets. Directly comparable to SK-Pharmacy's role as a public-sector procurement agent operating on behalf of a national health system.
• Uzbekistan Single Distributor (Ministry of Health): Uzbekistan's Ministry of Health single distributor for state pharmaceutical procurement—mentioned in SK-Pharmacy partnership materials as a cooperation partner for interstate procurement pilots. Same mandate and institutional design as SK-Pharmacy, just in the adjacent CIS jurisdiction.
• Global Drug Facility (Stop TB Partnership): Global pooled-procurement mechanism for TB medicines serving low- and middle-income countries. SK-Pharmacy is a procurement partner for Delamanid and Bedaquiline—same tender-driven, international-procurement-of-specialty-medicines model, though GDF operates across countries while SK-Pharmacy is national.
• IDA Foundation: Amsterdam-based non-profit pharmaceutical wholesaler supplying essential medicines to governments and NGOs in low- and middle-income countries. Comparable to SK-Pharmacy in mission (public-sector supply), model (centralized procurement, tendering, quality assurance), and customers (government health systems, humanitarian organizations).
• UNICEF Supply Division: UN agency division that procures medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies on behalf of governments. Direct peer in government/public-sector pharmaceutical supply—SK-Pharmacy is itself a UNICEF procurement partner for HIV drugs and vaccines, replicating the same tender-based, pooled-procurement model for Kazakhstan's health system.

Broad incumbents

• Pharmstandard: Russia's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer with significant distribution operations across CIS. Comparable to SK-Pharmacy in regional CIS pharma footprint and BigPharma-contract manufacturing positioning, but commercially operated (versus SK-Pharmacy's state-mandated distributor role) and vertically integrated into manufacturing.
• Katren: One of Russia's largest pharmaceutical distributors, operating national distribution centers and serving thousands of pharmacy and hospital customers across CIS. Comparable distribution scale and customer base (~2,000 medical organizations) to SK-Pharmacy, but commercial (rather than state-mandated) and operating in a different regulatory environment.
• R-Pharm: Major Russian pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor with CIS-wide footprint, including oncology, immunology, and specialty therapeutics. Comparable in regional scale and specialty pharma positioning, though R-Pharm is a vertically integrated commercial entity rather than a government-designated procurement agency.

Emerging players

• BIOCAD: Russian biopharmaceutical company investing in oncology and autoimmune drug manufacturing with expressed interest in localizing production in Kazakhstan via SK-Pharmacy partnerships. Comparable in CIS specialty biologics space and contract manufacturing alignment, though BIOCAD is a manufacturer rather than a distributor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SK_Pharmacy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCoaGAnxK1KcIe4x_meIAIYA/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=0
• Facebookfacebook.com/skpharmacy.kz
• Instagraminstagram.com/skpharmacy.kz/?e=fe062cad-17bb-42ff-817f-2e8ce0dde9f8&g=5

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 SK-Pharmacy