Who Owned Georgia English.pdf

A PHARMACEUTICAL OLIGOPOLY“Why are there so many pharmacies in Georgia?” I asked myGeorgian friend Lika, recently.“Funny, I was thinking the same thing the other day. I don’tknow. They must be really profitable or else a good way formoney laundering,” she said. “I love that tendency, you know,when you can’t explain something and you think it’s a dodgymoney laundering scheme,” she added.While there is reason to suspect something dodgy is going on,it isn’t money laundering. However, Lika is right about one thing.Pharmacies are a profitable business; just not for everybody.There are approximately 2400 retail pharmaceutical outletsin Georgia; or 1 pharmacy for every 1500 people. In the UK, forcomparison, there are about 10,000 pharmacies; or 1 per 6264people. 199In 2006, the turnover of retail trade was 196.6 million GEL.In 2010 it nearly tripled to 543.3 million GEL 200 . Between 2005and 2010, the demand for pharmaceuticals grew at a pace of15% a year. 201 The average household in Georgia spent 34% ofits disposable income on health care in 2010, compared to 15%in 2002 202 . As for medical goods, the average household spent50% of their health expenditures in 2007. That number increased199 UK National Statistics http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/health-social-care/specialist-health-services/pharmacy-services Accessed 05/12/2012200 Information provided by Geostat.201 Komsa International (2011) Investment Guide; Opportunities in Georgia’sPharmaceutical Sector, in cooperation with the government of Georgia,Dec. 2011. http://www.investingeorgia.org/upload/file/Opportunities_in_Georgias_Pharmaceutical_Sector.pdf Accessed 05/12/2012202 Georgia – National Health Care Strategy 2011-2015; Affordable and QualityHealth Care, Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. p. 6http://www.healthrights.ge/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/jandacva_Eng.pdfAccessed 05/12/201250