Ở Pháp thì Pharmacity không có cửa luôn

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As a consequence (kết quả là), there are no chains (chuỗi nhà thuốc). It would be illegal (bất hợp pháp) in France for a pharmacist to front for a chain.

The results are the opposite (đối nghịch) of what free-marketeers might expect and what chains like CVS would claim. Drugs, both prescription (kê đơn) and over-the-counter (qua quầy), are cheaper than in the U.S., and the service (dịch vụ) is far better.

To some extent, lower-cost drugs are also the result of France’s system of regulation of drug pricing, which evaluates pharmaceuticals on the basis of efficacy (hiệu nghiệm) and pays accordingly. Once a drug is approved, price increases (common in the U.S.) are illegal.

But the system of retail drugstores also accounts for the lower prices. There are 23,000 separately (riêng biệt) owned pharmacies in France.

This system produces plenty of competition (cạnh tranh) for price and for service. Due to the combination of wholesale and retail regulation, and the salutary competition it produces, studies show that the average French person spends about half on prescription drugs what the average American does.

Independently owned local French drugstores are also part of the fabric (sợi dệt, sợi tơ) of neighborhoods.