Norsk Medisinaldepot

Norsk Medisinaldepot is a pharmaceutics and healthcare products wholesaler in Norway. It also operates the pharmacy chains Vitusapotek and the franchise chain Ditt Apotek. NMD is part of the Celesio group and has a total of 220 pharmacies in Norway, including the 31 hospital pharmacies. The company is based in Oslo.

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History

Prior to the deregulation of the pharmacy market in Norway, NMD was created on November 1, 1957 as a government agency that functioned as wholesaler for the pharmacies throughout the country. It took over this responsibility from five private companies. In 1992 the company bough Apotekernes Fællesindkjøp, previously owned by the pharmacies and that had imported and wholesaled medical equipment. In 1995 two competitors entered the market: Apokjeden (owned by Tamro) and Alliance Unichem. Two years later Storting decided to privatize NMD, and sold 17% to the Dutch Apothekers Coöperatie, and the state ownership was transferred from the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services to the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry. Also, the medical equipment subsidiary was sold to the Dutch company. In 1999 2% of the company was sold to 223 pharmacies throughout the country.

On March 1, 2001 the new Pharmacy Act was established, allowing free establishment of pharmacies in Norway. At the same time the state decided to not have any ownership in NMD, and sold its part, along with the rest of the owners, to Celesio. After the deregulation of market almost all pharmacies have been bought by the three wholesaler groups, and NMD created two subsidiaries, NMD Grossisthandel for wholesale and Vitusapotek to operate the pharmacies. In 2007 these were both merged with the mother company. The group has also established Apotekproduksjon that produces and sells raw products to the pharmaceutical industry in Norway.