Diana Dimitrova is the Executive director of Framar Holding AD, the corporate structure that unites the activities of Framar pharmacies in the offline and online space. Managing a large-scale enterprise behind almost 40 pharmacies, a popular online store, a huge logistics center, and a production base is not easy. What are the secrets of success and where is Framar Holding AD heading in the future, says Diana Dimitrova.

How long have you been in the management of Framar Holding AD?
Framar Holding AD was officially launched in 2017 as a structure to unite the growing number of pharmacies, internet projects, and ventures that we develop under the umbrella of Framar. I have been with the company since 2014, initially heading the Finance Department.

What is unique about the brand Framar?
Every brand that works for and stands behind its image is unique. Framar has its history and we have managed to build a face in front of customers, partners, and investors.

High-quality online and offline service is for us of utmost importance. We do our best to have trained employees who can give the right solution to customers. Our work confronts us with dozens of challenges every day. Each one must be analyzed and resolved in terms of its usefulness to the customer.

The rich range of products, some of which are exclusively presented through Framar, is also important to us. I can confidently say that we have over 2,000 contractors, with an extremely diverse portfolio – from large pharmaceutical warehouses to companies with a single product.

A significant part of Framar’s brand awareness also comes from the website www. framar. bg, which is already 14 years old. Behind this unique project, stands the work of hundreds of doctors, pharmacists, journalists, and other specialists. We were innovators when the Internet was still only an exotic way of connecting people.

The persistence with which we move forward in the global space, our desire to give useful information to people, and the innovative ideas for easier access to information about health and prevention are important to all our customers and readers.

We are launching a TV campaign in the summer, where the main message is "search online pharmacy Framar on the Internet - save time". This sums it all up – easy and fast solutions with high added value.

Is it easy to manage a pharmacy chain of this size? What qualities and skills should a manager from the sector possess?
The challenges in senior management are the same everywhere. If you accept your work as a cause and dedicate yourself to it if your inner feeling shows you that this is precisely your cause, then overcoming every difficulty and every decision made will come about naturally and without unnecessary drama. In terms of qualities and skills, a manager must possess strong character, relevant competence, and integrity – in dealing with the team and with the clients. The challenges are standard - deadlines, conditions, time, money, people, forecast, report, and conclusions. If you put your head down and get stuck in the numbers, you miss everything that is going on around you. The pharmaceutical sector developed with extreme dynamics over the past year and a half.

The competencies of the manager must be related to both professional activity and personal characteristics and values. Of course, possessing the necessary knowledge and skills within the professional niche is crucial. But for me, it is imperative that a manager also has strong interpersonal and behavioral qualities – leadership potential, problem-solving skills, and analytical thinking.

A manager must also have a team he can rely on. A good team of professionals is a basic prerequisite for success in any undertaking.

Are there "male" and "female" decisions in management?
No, there are only right and wrong decisions in a business. A common stereotype is that women cannot rule. It is not so.

Men and women have different views on problems, the way to approach them and find the right solutions. It is best to decide without considering the emotional side in a reasoned discussion. Individual decisions are not balanced, they are often the result of emotional coloring.

In Bulgaria, many successful women-run businesses. In that sense, we do not even have to prove that we can. Success is what does it for us.

How has the COVID-19 crisis affected your business?
The COVID crisis has made us stronger. Our industry took a serious hit right from the start. We had a duty to provide the necessary medication, attention, and assistance – our clients expected this from us and we could not let them down. We reorganized our work, increased the working capacity of the online pharmacy, and accepted the challenges with a clear awareness of the responsibility we bear. Along with this, we were forced to solve problems along the way. The feeling that every decision had to be right and you have no room for trial/error is extremely strenuous. We also thank our partners, with whom we went through this difficult period.

The COVID crisis was also the expected forward movement in the sector's digitization field. The digital direction is the right one because it saves money, time, and lives.

It increased electronic payments and gave scope for new information technologies.

If you could, would you change anything related to the regulation of the sector, and if so, what? In general, how do you assess the development of the pharmaceutical sector in our country?
I would change a lot of things. One of the most important changes is the now-introduced electronic prescription. It facilitates patients' access to adequate help from the pharmacist. Electronic prescriptions apply to both patients and physicians.

On the other hand, I realize that any change, no matter how small or large, causes stress in the system. Colleagues in many pharmacies are still unsure about working in a digital environment, this is about to change.

Pharmacies are an over-regulated sector, and there is nothing wrong with that. Regulations benefit and protect the patient. However, there are also some which make our work difficult - ours and that of everyone else in the chain. I would like to move in this direction - digitization and liberalization. New technologies provide the necessary security. The closed system also harms all economic entities. I would change and modernize exactly them.

A lack of trained staff is felt, probably a problem for absolutely everyone in the business. I would like the state to realize the deficiency of young personnel in health care and to take adequate measures. Without lowering the bar at the university entrance to have more doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. The change for this needs to start today so that there is someone to treat us in 10 years. We provide a training base for all eager young people; we partner with educational institutions.

What will happen in the future in the pharmacy market, what are the current trends that will develop?
I will take the liberty of summarizing some of the key directions of development, some of which we are preparing for, and others we are currently working on.

• Digitalization
It is impossible to have a pharmacy without full connectivity between all units in the system – NHIF, warehouse, chain sites, verification systems, control, and payment instruments. Digitalization works in favor of the client, making it easier for the pharmacist to concentrate on solving the client's problem and providing an adequate consultation.

• Services in pharmacies
Pharmacy services are not regulated, but this is an interesting direction. Is it possible to have a manipulation room, consultations from a trusted pharmacist on specific problems from quitting smoking campaigns, to weight loss, and awareness about various diseases? For years we have been assisting and organizing campaigns raising awareness of the dangers of having high blood pressure, varicose veins, and other socially significant diseases. Pharmacies are a good place to promote such topics. Prevention steps are an investment in health. The main problem here is that they are not legally regulated and, accordingly, health-insured persons cannot benefit from free services provided in pharmacies.

• Online trading of prescription drugs
We look forward to it, the next logical step after the e-prescription. It would completely change the way of working in the pharmacy sector, to the benefit of the patient. Easier and simpler, more effective, and truly lifesaving.

• Artificial intelligence in decision making
Although we are far from the capabilities of robotic staff, smart programs can assist in the selection of medicines, nutritional supplements, and cosmetics. The huge variety of products can be classified and the operator's choice is made easier.

• Online consultations
Great idea, no clear regulation. But past periods of lockdown have shown its effectiveness. It is necessary to think about the right way in which it can happen, there are already good examples.

• NHIF and health funds
In the future, it is logical to see the entry of alternative health funds as an alternative to the NHIF. We all want to see a much more reasonable distribution of our health money.

• Electronic health card and file
We are still cautiously entering the future on this topic as well. The electronic file is a fact, it should be filled with more information and be useful. Less paper, more efficiency.

• Physical pharmacies - dropping out and consolidation
Consolidation processes in the sector have been going on for years, and they are still going strong. There are many reasons, individual pharmacies and small chains that have not imposed a good pace of development are falling away. Those who have a conservative management policy, and are open to the new, with a desire for development and innovation will remain on the market.

What new can we expect from Framar pharmacies, what are the novelties?
We are currently actively working on the inclusion of new pharmacies in the cities of North-Eastern Bulgaria. We are looking for top locations for large, modern facilities, with a spacious hall and several cash registers - a model that we impose in all new facilities. They are very well received - adequate charging and service which is invaluable in case of need.

The start of construction activities on our autonomous warehouse, which will be in Stara Zagora, has also been officially launched. Our ambitions are for it not only to be a depot to supply the regional logistics centers but also to be a main base for the online pharmacy, allowing us to fulfill 2000+ shipments daily, with the necessary storage and handling facilities. The development of the production of medicines and nutritional supplements is also underway, for which we have yet to equip a suitable room.

We are planning to produce a wide portfolio of white-label products, which will give us room for better prices/quality, as well as relative independence of the chain for some of the most turnover items.

Our strategic partnership with Thrace University is also underway, where we assist in the development of the Pharmacist Assistant specialty. We are also in negotiations with other educational institutions. We realize that personnel will not appear from anywhere unless we focus on their development. We can assist with experience and specialists.

Your message to the readers of Business Lady magazine?
One of the reasons I love my job and work with pleasure is the satisfaction of helping many people get rid of their problems and improve their quality of life every day. What I can wish the readers is to be healthy.