Parapharmacy and cosmetics distribution to the pharmacy channel: how it works and which logistics operator to choose (2026)

Short answer: a parapharmacy or dermocosmetics brand reaches pharmacies through four routes that usually coexist: direct sales to the pharmacy, pharmaceutical wholesalers and distribution cooperatives, online parapharmacies and marketplaces, and large retailers with a parapharmacy section. Each route requires different logistics, but they all share three requirements: batch and expiry control with FEFO dispatch, orders with many SKUs in small quantities, and orderly returns management. The operator you choose must be able to serve all of those channels from a single stock.

This guide is published by Grupo Akoma, a B2B logistics operator with its own centres in the Vallès that provides a parapharmacy logistics service with picking and distribution to the pharmacy channel. Data on other operators comes from their official websites, without any assessment, and is linked under “Sources”.

How does a parapharmacy and cosmetics brand reach pharmacies?

Parapharmacy distribution does not follow a single path: the norm is to combine several routes.

Direct sales to the pharmacy. The brand has sales reps or telesales, the pharmacy places the order and the brand (or its logistics operator) prepares and ships it. It gives control over the product range, but means handling many small orders.
Pharmaceutical wholesalers and distribution cooperatives. They buy from the brand, store the stock and supply pharmacies through their own network. For the brand, the flow becomes orders of cartons or pallets to their warehouses, with delivery and expiry conditions set by each wholesaler.
Online parapharmacies and marketplaces. Platforms such as Promofarma sell to end consumers. Depending on the model, the brand sends stock to the platform or fulfils single-unit orders from its own warehouse.
Large retailers and retail chains. Chains with a parapharmacy section that order through their distribution centres.

The mixed model is the most demanding for the warehouse: the same batch may leave on the same day on a pallet to a wholesaler and in a box of six units to a local pharmacy.

What does each distribution route require from logistics?

Pharmacy (direct sales): multi-SKU orders of a few units, picked by unit or by retail box, with the batch noted on the delivery note and packaging that protects the retail box.
Wholesalers and cooperatives: full cartons or pallets with batch and expiry visible on the label, a minimum shelf life agreed per customer, correct paperwork and deliveries by appointment.
Online parapharmacies and marketplaces: integration with the platform, synchronised stock, single-unit shipping and frequent returns from end consumers.
Large retailers: pallet logistics labelling, fixed delivery windows and shortage control.

If you mainly sell online to end consumers, the group has a dedicated operation for fulfilment for online parapharmacies and marketplaces by Bolian Logistics. This guide focuses on the B2B side: pharmacies, wholesalers and retail.

Which warehouse operations make the difference in the pharmacy channel?

Multi-SKU orders in small quantities

A pharmacy order mixes sun care, facial care, anti-hair-loss and baby products, with two or three units per SKU. Because product lines have almost identical names and formats, the most common error is shipping the wrong variant. Ask the operator for barcode verification on every line and separate locations for similar SKUs. At Akoma we solve this with unit and full-carton picking for B2B orders with code, quantity and batch validation along the picking route itself.

Batch, expiry and FEFO dispatch

Each unit must be received with its batch and date recorded. From then on, stock leaves by FEFO (earliest expiry first), not in order of arrival. It is a variant of the FIFO method applied to the warehouse designed for products with a date.

Minimum shelf life at dispatch

Wholesalers, chains and many pharmacies set a minimum shelf life below which they will not accept product. The operator's system must block the dispatch of a batch that does not meet it for that specific customer, and alert you to stock approaching the limit.

Point-of-sale material

Seasonal campaigns reach the pharmacy with displays, samples and signage. The operator must store that material under its own code and ship it together with the product order.

Batch recalls and returns

If a batch has to be recalled, you need to block it in the system and know within minutes which pharmacies and wholesalers received it. For returns, the operator must check the condition of the retail box, the batch and the expiry date before deciding whether the product goes back into stock, into quarantine or is destroyed. We explain this in the guide to B2B and ecommerce returns management.

What do the regulations say about cosmetics distribution in Spain?

Much of parapharmacy is cosmetics, regulated by Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 and by Real Decreto 85/2018 (Spanish royal decree). Food supplements and medical devices have their own regulations. What affects the warehouse:

Distributor obligations (Art. 6 of the Regulation). Before making the product available on the market, the distributor checks that the labelling includes the mandatory information and that the date of minimum durability has not passed. While the product is under its responsibility, it must ensure that storage or transport conditions do not jeopardise its compliance.
Traceability (Art. 7). At the request of the authority, each distributor must identify who supplied the product and to whom it supplied it, for three years after the batch was made available.
Batch number on the labelling (Art. 19). The batch number is a mandatory particular and the reference the warehouse records in order to trace and recall.
Good manufacturing practice (Art. 8). Compliance is presumed when the harmonised standards are followed, which for cosmetics is EN ISO 22716. We cover it in the complete guide to ISO 22716 in storage.
Responsible declaration to the AEMPS (RD 85/2018, Art. 18). It is submitted by those who manufacture, condition, pack or label cosmetics in Spain and by importers from third countries. Companies subcontracted solely for storage do not need one, but the manufacturer or importer must include the subcontracted activities, storage among them, in its declaration.

In practice, your logistics operator is part of your compliance chain: it must be able to show where each batch is, who it was sent to and how it was stored.

Direct sales, wholesaler or logistics operator: which model suits you?

They are not mutually exclusive. A wholesaler provides blanket coverage of pharmacies, but not your direct orders or the stock you send to online platforms and retail. A specialist logistics operator holds your stock and serves it to all those channels under each one's rules. With several routes open, the practical solution is a single external warehouse that feeds them all.

Consider outsourcing when direct sales grow, you open a new channel or expiry incidents start costing you customers. If your product is dermocosmetic, you will find more detail on our page on dermocosmetics logistics with batch traceability through to the pharmacy.

Which logistics operators handle parapharmacy in the Barcelona area?

We set out what each operator publishes on its official website. Each one meets a different need.

1. Grupo Akoma

Logistics operator since 1991 with four own centres in the province of Barcelona (Lliçà d’Amunt, Barberà del Vallès, Caldes de Montbui and Martorelles) and 73,000 m². It publishes ISO 9001 certification for storage at all four centres and ISO 22716 at its Martorelles site. In parapharmacy it prepares orders for pharmacies, wholesalers and online stores from the same stock, with batch and expiry recorded on receipt, FEFO dispatch, batch blocking, 99.9% accuracy and robotic storage for small SKUs. It integrates with SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, PrestaShop and Shopify. It works from 100 pallets or 1,000 shipments a month. Best fit if you are a brand or laboratory that sells to pharmacies, wholesalers and online at the same time and want a single operator for all B2B channels.

2. El Rápid

Operator based in Gavà, active since 1968, with 16,000 m² in that town and ISO 9001 certification. It presents itself as approved by the AEMPS to store medical devices, cosmetics and personal care products, with its own fleet and deliveries to hospitals, health centres, pharmacies or distributors. Best fit if you combine cosmetics with medical devices and want an operator with its own warehouse and transport in the Baix Llobregat.

3. Airpharm

It was founded in Barcelona in 1988 and moved its headquarters to Madrid in 2019. It lists offices and a warehouse in the Zona Franca de Barcelona and centres in Madrid, Valencia, León, Guadalajara, Basel, Budapest, Dubai and Montevideo. It works in the pharmaceutical, veterinary, cosmetics and fine chemicals sectors, with temperature control, Authorised Economic Operator status and more than 40 audits a year, according to its website. Best fit if you import or export, need customs services or your product requires temperature control.

4. Logista Pharma

It presents itself as an independent distributor to the pharmaceutical channels in Spain, Portugal and Italy, with 11 pharmaceutical facilities, two of them in Barcelona, and coverage of pharmacies in those three countries. It offers laboratories sales networks, telemarketing and promotional material management. Best fit if you are a laboratory looking for pharmacy distribution together with sales and order-taking support.

5. General Servei

Warehouses in Sant Andreu de la Barca, Torrejón de Ardoz and Querétaro (Mexico), with ecommerce logistics integrated with online stores and marketplaces, and returns management. It publishes the certificate of compliance with good manufacturing practice for cosmetic products issued by the AEMPS and works with cosmetics and laboratories. Best fit if your main channel is online and you want a warehouse in both Barcelona and Madrid.

6. De Rijke

Warehouse in the G-Park in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda focused on fragrances, perfumery raw materials, essential oils and cosmetic ingredients for B2B companies. Best fit if what you need to store is raw materials for manufacturing, not finished product for the pharmacy.

Operator	Location in the Barcelona area	What it publishes on pharmacy, parapharmacy or cosmetics	Certification or authorisation published
Grupo Akoma	Lliçà d’Amunt, Barberà del Vallès, Caldes de Montbui, Martorelles	Orders to pharmacies, wholesalers and online from one stock; batch, expiry and FEFO; unit picking	ISO 9001 (storage), ISO 22716 (Martorelles)
El Rápid	Gavà	Own warehouse and transport; deliveries to pharmacies and distributors	ISO 9001; AEMPS approval to store medical devices and cosmetics
Airpharm	Zona Franca de Barcelona (headquarters in Madrid)	Pharmaceutical, veterinary and cosmetics with temperature control; customs	Authorised Economic Operator; more than 40 audits a year
Logista Pharma	Two centres in Barcelona	Distribution to pharmacies in Spain, Portugal and Italy; sales services	Not specified on the pages consulted
General Servei	Sant Andreu de la Barca	Ecommerce logistics for cosmetics and laboratories; marketplaces and returns	AEMPS GMP certificate for cosmetic products
De Rijke	Santa Perpètua de Mogoda	B2B fragrances, essential oils and cosmetic ingredients	Not specified on the page consulted

What should you ask for before signing with an operator for the pharmacy channel?

Current certificates (ISO 9001, ISO 22716 or others) with their scope: which activities and which centre they cover.
Proof of batch control: ask them to show you how they record batch and expiry on receipt and how it appears on the delivery note.
Minimum shelf-life rule per customer configured in the system, with alerts for stock nearing expiry.
Mock recall: how long it takes them to block a batch and list which pharmacies and wholesalers it was sent to.
Picking accuracy measured on multi-SKU orders, and how they check similar SKUs.
Returns procedure in writing: criteria for returning to stock, quarantine or destruction.
Multichannel capability: pharmacy, wholesaler, retail and online from the same inventory, each with its own packaging and paperwork.
Integration with your ERP and sales platforms to see stock, batches and orders in real time.
Written contract describing the subcontracted activities and each party's responsibilities, as RD 85/2018 requires of manufacturers and importers.

To compare providers with a broader approach, see the list of logistics operators in Barcelona and criteria for comparing them, and if your priority is the quality standard, the guide on what to require from a cosmetics logistics operator with ISO 22716. If your operation fits, you can ask us for a proposal for parapharmacy distribution from the Vallès.

Grupo Akoma · Since 1991

Do you distribute parapharmacy or dermocosmetics to the pharmacy channel?

We prepare orders for pharmacies, wholesalers and online stores from a single stock, with batch and expiry control at our centres in the Vallès. Tell us about your operation and we will prepare a proposal.

Request a proposal See parapharmacy logistics

Frequently asked questions

What is parapharmacy distribution?

It is the set of routes through which parapharmacy products (dermocosmetics, hygiene, baby care, supplements and other non-prescription products) reach pharmacies, parapharmacies, online stores and large retailers. It includes the brand's direct sales to pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers and distribution cooperatives, online platforms and retail.

Can I sell to pharmacies without going through a wholesaler?

Yes. Many brands sell directly to pharmacies through sales reps or telesales and fulfil orders from their own warehouse or a logistics operator's. It is common to combine this with wholesalers to reach the pharmacies that are not visited.

What is FEFO and why is it used in parapharmacy?

First Expired, First Out: the batch that expires first leaves first, even if it arrived later. It prevents pharmacies from receiving product with little shelf life left and reduces losses from expiry.

What is minimum shelf life at dispatch?

It is the minimum shelf life a customer requires when receiving the product. Wholesalers, chains and many pharmacies set it by contract, and the warehouse system must prevent a batch that does not meet it from being shipped to that customer.

Does my logistics operator need a responsible declaration to the AEMPS?

Under Real Decreto 85/2018, the responsible declaration is submitted by those who manufacture, condition, pack or label cosmetics and by importers from third countries. Companies subcontracted solely for storage do not need one, but the manufacturer or importer must include that subcontracted activity in its own declaration.

How is a batch recall managed in the pharmacy channel?

The operator blocks the batch in its system so that it does not leave in any order and generates the list of pharmacies, wholesalers and customers that received it, with date and delivery note. Anything that comes back is kept in a quarantine area until the brand decides what to do with it.

What volume does Grupo Akoma work from?

Grupo Akoma works with brands from 100 pallets or 1,000 shipments a month, and prepares orders for pharmacies, wholesalers, retail and online stores from the same stock at its centres in the Vallès.

Sources

Information taken from each company's public website as of November 2026. Third-party data is cited as published by each company and may have changed; check their website for current information.