Farmácias têm recorde de empregos gerados | Exame

Record Job Growth in Brazilian Pharmacies

The Brazilian pharmaceutical retail sector has experienced remarkable job growth in 2021, creating 7,325 new jobs—an average of 814 per month and 27 per day. This surpasses previous records, according to the Associação Brasileira de Redes de Farmácias e Drogarias (Abrafarma).

Significant Increase in Employment

From January to September 2021, the number of employees in the largest pharmacies and drugstores in Brazil reached 142,301, a 7% increase compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic) and a 66% increase since 2011.

Growth Factors

• Significant increase in sales: The pharmaceutical retail sector saw its largest percentage growth in a decade (17.39%).
• Expansion of clinical services: Services like rapid tests, vaccinations, and blood pressure/glucose checks have boosted employment.

The Abrafarma CEO, Sérgio Mena Barreto, highlights an eightfold increase in these services compared to 2020, transforming pharmacies into primary healthcare centers. The number of pharmacists employed also increased, reaching 20% of the total workforce (up from 18% two years prior).

Distribution of Employees

The 142,301 employees work across administrative areas of the 26 largest networks and in 8,705 stores.