About us / History

HISTORY OF OKTAL PHARMA GROUP


Since its founding more than 30 years ago, Oktal Pharma has grown into a respectable business partner on the territory of the Republic of Croatia and the wider region and has become part of the Amerisource Bergen Corporation (ABC)

1992.

FOUNDING

Oktal Pharma is established as a privately-owned limited liability company for commerce and services. It supplies pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare facilities with a wide range of domestically manufactured and imported medicines and medicinal products. Founder Branko Parag, mag.pharm.
1995.

CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE

Forty-nine percent ownership interest sold to new co-owners – Vladimir Klobučar, MPharm, and Marijan Škiljević, MPharm – with the aim of raising capital, expanding the range of products and transforming the company into a modern pharmaceutical wholesaler with integrated full-service distribution of medicines and medicinal products.

1997.

OWNERSHIP OF FIRST PHARMACY

Oktal Pharma acquires Healthcare Facility Ghetaldus-O with two pharmacies (Opatija and Umag).

1998.

FIRST BRANCH OFFICE

Split Branch Office established.

1999.

PURCHASE OF OWN BUSINESS PREMISE

Oktal Pharma purchases its own business premises from Bratstvo d.d., Utinjska 40, Zagreb, which it fully refurbishes.

2000.

RELOCATION

Relocation to Utinjska 40 to new business premises (administrative building, and automated and computer-controlled warehouse, fully adapted to meet the requirements of medicines distribution).

2001.

EXPANSION

  • Customs warehouse opened
  • Consignment warehouse opened
  • Rijeka branch office established
  • Osijek branch office established
  • Oktal Pharma Ljubljana branch office established – start of business expansion to markets of neighbouring countries
  • Start of retail pharmacy chain expansion
2002.

ISO 9001:2000

Oktal Pharma d.o.o. Croatia – first pharmaceutical wholesaler in Croatia certified according to ISO 9001:2000 (quality management system).
2002.

EXPANSION OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN BIH

Oktal Pharma d.o.o. Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) established.
2004.

INTEGRATION OF QUALITY SYSTEM

  • Oktal Pharma d.o.o. Croatia certified according to ISO 14001:1996 (environmental management system)
  • quality and environmental management (IQEM) system integrated based on ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:1996
2004.

EXPANSION OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN SERBIA

Oktal Pharma d.o.o. Belgrade (Serbia) established. 
2004.

PHARMACY CHAIN NEW NAME

Healthcare Facility Ghetaldus-O changes name to Healthcare Facility Vaše zdravlje.
2004.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Signed contract with German pharmaceutical wholesaler Andreae-Noris Zahn AG (ANZAG) on the transfer of 49 percent of ownership interest. 
2006.

OKTAL PHARMA SARAJEVO IN OWN BUSINESS SPACE

Relocation of Oktal Pharma d.o.o. Sarajevo to its 2200 m2 newly built fully-owned business and warehouse premises, creating the preconditions for building a respectable pharmaceutical wholesaler in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2006.

COMPANY'S HEADQUARTERS

Acquired full ownership of Bratstvo d.d. at the location of the company’s headquarters.
2008.

COMPANY REGISTRATION IN SLOVENIA

Re-registration process of Ljubljana branch into OPH Oktal Pharma d.o.o. Ljubljana completed.
2008.

NEW BUSINESS PREMISE

New modern business-warehouse premises with total gross area of 9837 m2 built, with more than 6000 m2 of warehousing space and the remainder for own use and lease.
2010.

ALLIANCE BOOTS BOUGHT ANZAG

Pharmaceutical wholesaler Andreae-Noris Zahn AG (Anzag) becomes a subsidiary of Alliance Boots, international health and beauty group.
2012.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN WALGREENS AND BOOTS ALLIANCE

Walgreens and Alliance Boots form a strategic partnership to create the first global company to join a network of pharmacies, pharmaceutical and healthcare products – Walgreens acquire a 45% ownership interest in Alliance Boots, with a full acquisition option. 

2012.

EXPANSION OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN BIH

Oktal Pharma acquires 70% of pharmaceutical wholesaler Velfarm d.o.o. from Bosnia and Herzegovina, founded in 1997.
2012.

STRENGTHENING OF PHARMACY CHAIN

Chain of pharmacies owned by Oktal Pharma d.o.o. includes a total of 25 pharmacies.
2013.

ALLIANCE HEALTHCARE AG

From 1 April 2013, Andreae-Noris Zahn AG (ANZAG) operates under the name Alliance HealthCare AG, Deutschland.

2014.

GDP / GMP CERTIFICATION

Oktal Pharma is the first of the large Croatian pharmaceutical wholesalers in the Republic of Croatia to obtain licenses (certificates) for work in accordance with the new Croatian and EU standards – GDP (Good Distribution Practice) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). On the basis of that achievement, Oktal Pharma becomes a member of the European Healthcare Distribution Association as a wholesaler of medicines registered with the European Medicines Agency (Eudra GMDP – EMA). 
2014.

WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE

The merger of Walgreens and Alliance Boots, in December 2014, formed Walgreens Boots Alliance, the world’s first global pharmacy, pharmaceutical and healthcare product company, with Oktal Pharma as one of its members.
2016.

STRENGTHENING OF PHARMACY CHAIN

Oktal Pharma’s chain of pharmacies includes 29 pharmacies.
2016.

NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTRE

New distribution centre opened in Dugopolje.
2017.

INTEGRATION OF QUALITY SYSTEM

Quality System Integration – ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, GDP and GMP.
2017.

EXPANSION OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN HUNGARY

Affiliate opens in Budapest, Hungary. 
2019.

OKTAL PHARMA D.O.O. SARAJEVO MERGED VELFARM D.O.O. GRAČANICA

Oktal Pharma d.o.o. Sarajevo continues its work as well as the work of Velfarm d.o.o. Gracanica, which is now Oktal Pharma Sarajevo branch in Gracanica.
2019.

EXPANSION OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN NORTH MACEDONIA

Oktal Pharma DOOEL import-export Skopje (North Macedonia) established.
2020.

STRENGTHENING OF PHARMACY CHAIN

Oktal Pharma’s chain of pharmacies "Vaše zdravlje" includes 34 pharmacies. Webshop "Vaše zdravlje" launched.
2021.

AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORPORATION

Transfer of ownership share from Walgreens Boots Alliance to Amerisource Bergen Corporation (ABC).

2022.

RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Solar power plant put into operation.