A pharmacy site must cover a population of at least fifteen thousand (1500) inhabitants in the major cities of Douala and Yaoundé, eighteen thousand (18000) inhabitants in the other provincial capitals and twenty five thousand (25000) inhabitants in the other localities.
However, the provisions of above may be waived depending on the economic activity in the health district.
THE CREATION
The population coverage ratios per pharmacy site are set every five (5) years by the Minister in charge of Public Health.
The pharmacy sites are created annually by health district, by order of the Minister in charge of Public Health, based on an adequate combination of demographic and economic factors.
The sites created are published and made available to the Council of the National Order of Pharmacists by the Minister in charge of Public Health.
(1) In the cities of Yaoundé and Douala, a minimum distance of three hundred (300) meters measurable from the adjacent ends must be observed between two (2) pharmacies.
(2) In the other provincial capitals, the minimum distance between two 2 pharmacies shall be three hundred and fifty (350) meters.
THE AWARD
The Council of the National Order of Pharmacists proceeds to the allocation of sites taking into account :
– Their validity,
– The locality chosen by the applicant,
– The chronological order of the valid registration numbers of the applications to practice in private practice.
Subject to the conditions of seniority, transfers are subject to the same criteria set out above.
A transfer is considered to be any movement of a dispensary from one health district to another.
In health districts with only one site, the applicant chooses the location of his or her pharmacy in conjunction with the Provincial Delegate of Public Health territorially competent and the National Council of Pharmacists.
In health districts with several sites, applicants shall choose the location of their pharmacy in conjunction with the Regional Delegate of Public Health territorially competent and the Council of the National Order of Pharmacists in the chronological order provided for above.
Any relocation of a pharmacy within the same health district is subject to the prior approval of the Provincial Delegate of Public Health with territorial jurisdiction.