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Our stakeholders

Sopharma AD stands behind the believe that being a responsible corporate citizen is the only way to run our business and to succeed in todays turbulent times. Because people matter. The company runs its social responsibility program to improve lives and to ensure sustainable development of the society - not as a cliché, but as part of our business strategy.

Investors

Sopharma AD is a public company whose shares are traded on the “Bulgarian Stock Exchange – Sofia” AD and on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. More than 5000 local and foreign legal and physical persons are shareholders in the company. Sopharma AD has been rewarded on a number of occasions with best corporate governance awards. In its communication with investors the company aims at following all internationally acknowledged best pracices in the field of good corporate governance, to provide timely and precise information, which reaches all interested parties simultaneously and to always provide additional information when this is needed.

Local communities

Sopharma AD invests in its local manufacturinges sites to protect the economic livelihood of local communities. Traditionally the company was a supporter of different projects in Vrabevo such as  trading center with a pharmacy store and a restaurant; St. Archangel Mihail church’s roof repairs. Sopharma AD invested in another 5 guest houses in Vrabevo as a base place for employees’ holidays and there will be 7 guest houses.
Sopharma AD works with Veliko Tarnovo municipality starting with projects for donations of medicines for clubs for elderly and retired people, but the program was outspread to investments in rennovations of the clubs, donations for the community centers, free computers for the outstanding students of the Military University in Veliko Tarnovo, etc.
In 2017 Sopharma continue with donations of medicines and tools for health indicators measurement. 

Citizens

We change together the city we live in

The “Zdravi” innovative eco-bicycle parking racks are placed near to the tennis courts in the Kniaz Boris Garden and infront of the National Library St. Cyril and St. Methodius.The ”Zdravi” bicycle parking rack is designed for 12 bicycles and is placed. 

Open air office

A joint project with Foundation Credo Bonum, which turns an open-air area into a space for shared work. The office is at the disposal for everyone who wants to replace the usual office by urban nature. The open-air office offers all the conveniences there are at the workplace – high speed wireless Internet, electric power supply for the equipment, portable solar chargers for the mobile devices, recreation places. In parallel with this there is an organized programme with wоrking breakfasts and discussion on various topics, presentations of companies, NGOs and actors in the office. The Project is implemented for the second consecutive year.  

Christmas in Sopharma

For the second consecutive year the Company organizes a Christmas holiday for children which is accessible for everyone willing to bring his/her child/ren/. The holiday includes Jazz for Children with Ventsi Blagoev, who provides the children themselves with possibility to be participants in the performances and workshops “The Dwarfs of Father Christmas” for paintings and coloring figures. 

 

Reading fairy tales

In 2017 Sopharma AD organized for the first time “Fairy Tales in Sopharma”, which met authors of children’s books and actors with the little readers and their parents. SBT were turned into a magical place for reading fairy tales along with the actors Ivaylo Zahariev, Yoanna Temelkova and Simona Halacheva and the author of children’s books Radostina Nikolova and the illustrator and author Maya Bocheva. The older children got involved in the writing of own books with Maya Bocheva from atelier “This and That”  In a separate corner the guests and the participants will view hand-made souvenirs which they may buy and the funds raised will be donated for a charity cause.

Presentation of the book Healthy

The children’s book “What Is There in My Lunch Box” published by Sopharma under the Project “Healthy” presents to the children in an understandable manner the products which are contained in the usual things from their daily menu and where the products themselves come from. The book was presented during the day announced as “With Children at Work” through interesting experiments and activities on the subject-matter healthy way of life prepared by Bio Igri (Bio Games). 
Sopharma donated 300 books for the Bulgarian National TV project “Window to the Homeland”

Zdravi, Bio-Games and Muzeiko free project “Human body” for the children of the Sopharma employee.

 

Pharmaceutical industries

Sopharma AD is a member and co-founder of BG Pharma and a member of EGA and European organization of manufacturers  of medicines sold over the counter (AESGP).
As a member of EGA Sopharma AD participates in adoption of Code of Conduct for the Manufacture of Generic and Biosimilar Medicines in the EU. The event followed the adoption of the EC guiding principles for good governance in the pharmaceutical sector.
At the 21st Annual Conference of the EGA, EGA President Mr Nick Haggar said that the European industry for generic and biosimilar medicines “fulfils its mission by providing high quality medicines for patients in Europe, increasing their access to effective treatment and partnering for sustainable healthcare”. There is a huge opportunity to increase access to medicines through competition in generic medicines across Europe (from 55% to 75% of medicines) to be sustainable and ethical (according to the newly approved Code of Ethical Behaviour of EGA). The generic and biosimilar industry is developing a model for sustainable pharmaceutical innovations associated with the development and manufacture of value-added products that can improve health outcomes and efficiency in hospitals. 
Pro-generic medicine policy favors society. One of the purposes of the latest healthcare strategy, Bulgaria has to spend more public funds for medical treatment of patients with generic medicines, which are much cheaper than the original drugs. Thus, this country would be able to save a substantial amount of money, according to Ognian Donev. “We are still waiting to see real policy in this field. The authorities must find a suitable solution, which would be in favor of the Bulgarian patients and reach a balance between the use of innovative and generic medicines.”, Ognian Donev said.
 
Better access for better health by 2020 is the aim of the 2020 European Medicines Agency /EMA/ Strategy. It will be achieved by high-standard global regulatory convergence, a single development programme for generic and biosimilar medicines and optimisation of regulatory processes supported by telematics tools.

Partnerships and memberships

Sopharma AD is a member of Global Compact Bulgarian Network, Confederation of Employers and Industrialist in Bulgaria (KRIB), Association of Bulgarian Exporters (AHK), AmCham, Bulgarian National Committee of International Chamber of Commerce, Association of Bulgarian Exporters and a co-founder of KRIB, ICC Bulgaria and ABE . The Company is in partnership with different organisations such as Bulgarian Charities Aid Foundation, Bulgarian PR Society, ABIRD, etc.

Global Compact Bulgarian Network 

As an active member of Global Compact Bulgarian Network we Sopharma AD participates in joint projects of the Network “‘I Am Proud of the Work of My Parents’, “The Road of the Food”, “Responsible choice” and “Healthy at Work” 

‘I Am Proud of the Work of My Parents’  was held for the fourth consecutive year in Sopharma, and in 2017 the factory in Kazanlak was included. In 2017 21 companies participated in 19 cities across the country and 115 jobs have been shown from more than 15 sectors of the economy. The meaning for businesses is to show to the children of their employees through specially designed programs and games that their work is important.

The “Responsible Choice” Project aimed to show that the companies can, through transparency in responsible production and supply, demonstrate to the consumers that with their actions have the power to change the production practices, to influence the „fashion“ imposed by advertisers and to nurture anticonsumerist culture in themselves and young people.

”Healthy at Work“ Games for Good  “Healthy at Work” is a programme for building up healthy habits and way of life of the employees of the companies through sharing good practices and information. The pilot project “Game for Good” includes a competition of teams from the companies participants in competitions in football, tennis, cycling and volleyball.

Bacause 

Sopharma AD joined the “Get Ready to Succeed”charity program of the Bacause for the third consecutive year. The program has been helping excellent parentless students from high schools and universities to continue their education. Тhe company chose to support two future medic and/pr pharmacies because pharmacy and medicine have always been inextricably related. “Doctor” and “Pharmacist” are among professions that could not develop without people’s trust, and together, they restore the most valuable asset in life – health..

Rinker Academy 
From 2016 Sopharma supports the training programme Rinker’s Challenge for starting up traditional and social entrepreneurs of Center "Rinker" to Foundation BCause. Its first edition was in 2014. Rinker’s Challenge offers a unique possibility to starting up entrepreneurs to pass through a structured system of trainings, to receive personal advice from leading professionals and entrepreneurs in all the spheres of the business and to obtain start-up financing of their business projects. 

Health Government agencies

Sopharma AD works with Bulgarian Drug Agency, Health Commission in National Parliament and Ministry of Health.

Employees

Being a responsible employer Sopharma guarantees freedom of association, provides inclusive health and educational services for the employees. There are 3 labor unions, 2 national represented and 1 “in-house” in the company. 
Providing safe and healthy working conditions is part of the standard but extends commitment to ensuring our workers and all employees’ workplaces, according to their knowledge and skills and invests in their development. We have 50% growth of training programs for 2015.
Sopharma AD ensure different social services  to the employee /link to “people”/:

  • Medical services with extra access to health care resources through free additional health insurance and annual preventive health check-up.
  • Free dental services in Sopharma dental care center.  
  • Library.
  • In-house kindergarten.
  • Area for sport activities "Healthy": free fitness club; yoga and folk dance classes; 4 holiday centres with preferential conditions for our employees.