Spanish pharmaceutical distribution co-op Cofares Group has celebrated its 75th birthday with a visit to King Felipe VI of Spain.
The co-op’s president, Eduardo Pastor, attended Zarzuela Palace in Madrid alongside the other members of Cofares’ governing body.
King Felipe praised the achievements of the organisation and its values of equality, accessibility and solidarity. He also recognised how the Spanish population and national health service benefit from a co-operative pharmaceutical distribution system.
Mr Pastor thanked the monarch “on behalf of the co-op’s entire governing board, partners, and employees for generously granting us an audience”.
He also made assurances to King Felipe that Cofares Group “will continue working to sustain this business model and our country’s national health system”.
The meeting reviewed the history of the co-op, which was formed in 1944 by a group of pharmacists to improve ties with laboratories and suppliers. It has been working ever since to guarantee patients access to the most appropriate treatment, and to ensure that any Spanish citizen has access to the medicines they need.
Cofares now claims to be Spain’s largest healthcare company, as well as the leading distributor of medicines in Spain and the fifth largest distributor in Europe. It has more than 11,100 member pharmacies and 6,000 customer pharmacies, all using the co-op’s distribution services that can reach any part of Spain – however remote – on a daily basis.
