Modern pharmacy layout for 60–100 sqm: a guide for Romania
An efficient layout for a modern pharmacy puts functional clarity first: a generous counter, a service route with no bottlenecks and firm zoning between commercial display and the secure storage of medicines. The customer flow must be separated visually and physically from the staff's operational route. Everything else, materials, lighting, brand accents, is built on top of this structure, not instead of it.
In short:The pharmacy layout must provide clear zoning between the service area, display, storage and, where relevant, the laboratory, for an efficient flow.Customer traffic needs aisles at least two people wide, and the space behind the counter must allow free movement.In small spaces, furniture goes around the perimeter, while central islands are recommended for medium-sized spaces and the boutique format.Materials and finishes must withstand heavy traffic, and layered lighting increases efficiency and product visibility.Compliance with legal norms decisively shapes the size and position of the dispensing area, access for people with reduced mobility and the separation of the preparation area.
The principles behind a modern pharmacy layout
Every good fit-out starts with functional zoning: you clearly separate the service area, the display area for OTC products and cosmetics, the storage area for prescription medicines and, if the pharmacy offers this service, the compounding laboratory. The hierarchy of activities decides where each function goes, not the other way round.
The circulation aisles for customers should allow two people to pass comfortably, and the area behind the counter needs enough space for the pharmacist to turn without touching shelves or display cases. The ergonomics of the workstation matter as much as the look of the display: the distance between the prescription dispensing point and the stock of frequently requested medicines directly affects service time.
Brand identity must not be sacrificed for functionality, nor the other way round. A well-placed logo or a distinctive colour palette can coexist perfectly with an efficient operational flow, as long as the design decision comes after the functional structure is set.
- Clear zoning: service, display, storage and, where relevant, a laboratory
- Aisles at least two people wide for traffic
- Enough space behind the counter for free movement
- The brand is expressed through colour and materials, not through compromises in flow
Pro tip: Do not design the counter as a central decorative feature. Think of it first as a workstation, then as a visual element. The reverse order produces pharmacies that are beautiful but slow.
How to organise the zones: counter, islands, display and storage
The size of the pharmacy determines how much freedom you have with central islands and open display. A small pharmacy, under 50 sqm, works best with dense perimeter furniture and a counter placed so that it overlooks the whole room. A medium-sized pharmacy, between 60 and 100 sqm, can include a central island that organises the flow without blocking the view of the counter. The boutique format, focused on dermocosmetics and personal advice, relies on separate consultation areas and showcase-style display, with the emphasis on experience, not volume.
- Define the customer's main route from the entrance to the counter
- Place the multifunctional island on this route, not outside it
- Keep the perimeter furniture for fast-moving stock
- Visually separate the prescription area from the open sales area
The GOmed Academiei pharmacy project illustrates exactly this logic: an old space converted through a generous counter, built-in furniture and a multifunctional island that organises the flow without narrowing the aisles. At the other end of the spectrum, CC Pharmacy by studio Est, a conversion project in Dorobanți, kept the three classic elements of a pharmacy, the medicine cabinets, the service counter and the compounding laboratory, but zoned them so that the laboratory stays visible without conflicting with the customer route. Farmacia Magic went in a different direction, with custom-made furniture and organised drawers that create a warm identity, proof that a budget focused on customisation can solve both ergonomics and display.
- Small spaces: dense perimeter furniture, a counter with full visibility
- Medium spaces: a central island built into the main route
- Boutique format: separate consultation areas, showcase-style display
Materials, colours and lighting that build trust and efficiency
The choice of colours depends on positioning. A pharmacy focused on dermocosmetics benefits from warm palettes that draw the customer towards the consultation area, while a high-traffic neighbourhood pharmacy works better with neutral tones that let the products speak for themselves.
Finishes must be chosen for resistance to heavy traffic and frequent cleaning, not just for looks. Glossy surfaces look premium in photos, but they scratch quickly in a space with a constant flow of customers and boxes.
Layered lighting, general, task and accent, remains the most efficient way to highlight own-brand product lines without tiring visitors' eyes, an approach also confirmed in the design of modern medical spaces. Shelves with accent lighting increase the visibility of higher-margin products, and task lighting at the counter reduces errors when reading prescriptions.
- Warm palettes for consultation, neutral ones for high volume
- Matt finishes that resist impact and daily cleaning
- Accent lighting on the shelves with own-brand products
Pro tip: Test the accent lighting on a single shelf before rolling it out. The difference in colour temperature between zones can create a “cold island” effect if it is not calibrated correctly.
What the law requires and what it means for the layout
The layout of a pharmacy is not only an aesthetic decision; it is regulated. Order of the Minister of Health no. 444/2019 sets the rules for establishing, organising and operating pharmaceutical units. Its annex was amended by Order no. 192/2026, published in the Official Gazette on 27 May 2026, which specifies who carries out the authorisation and control inspections. Check the consolidated version of the rules before you fix the furniture.
In practice, these rules directly shape several layout decisions: the minimum dimensions of the dispensing areas, access for people with reduced mobility and the presence of a dedicated preparation space, when the pharmacy offers this service.
- Check the minimum dimensions of the service area before you set the furniture
- Provide step-free access and enough width for a wheelchair
- Document the physical separation between the preparation area and the open sales area
At the authorisation inspection, these points are checked on the finished space. So consult the updated rules before you order the furniture.
Case studies: real projects and their lessons
The three projects documented above respond to concrete constraints. GOmed started from an existing pharmacy that was old and not functional, and reorganised it around a multifunctional island that handles both display and the organisation of the flow. CC Pharmacy kept the compounding laboratory in view, from inside and from the street, without affecting the sales flow. Farmacia Magic used custom-made furniture, organised drawers and generous aisles for older people to build a welcoming neighbourhood pharmacy.
- Converting old spaces calls for flexible furniture solutions, not extensive demolition
- The compounding laboratory can stay visible without compromising the sales flow
- Custom-made furniture solves ergonomics and aesthetics at the same time
Combining built-in furniture with organised drawers and a multifunctional island can reduce service time in heavy-traffic scenarios, a gain that adds up visibly over a busy day. The complexity estimate for a similar project depends directly on how many functions have to fit into the same space, not only on the total floor area.
How to start a fit-out project step by step
An effective brief contains concrete data: stock volume, the share of own-brand products, peak hours and the average number of customers in the room at the same time. This information saves time and costs during the works, because it avoids later changes to the furniture.
- Set the brief: business goals, stock volume, estimated traffic
- Allocate the budget by component: furniture, lighting, technical works
- Go through the stages: visual concept, technical design, construction coordination
- Choose the contractor based on their real portfolio, not just on price
Pro tip: Always ask for a flow plan, not just a 3D rendering. The rendering looks good, but the flow plan shows whether the pharmacy actually works at peak time.
The SelfDezign view: how we approach the fit-out of a modern pharmacy
We avoid standardised “trendy” solutions because a pharmacy does not only sell products; it sells trust at a vulnerable moment for the customer. A successful project is not the most photogenic one; it is the one where the flow works at peak time and the pharmacist does not waste time looking for stock. We translate business goals, speed of service, display for own-brand products, compliance, into concrete decisions on furniture and zoning, not into aesthetic wish lists.
— Toni
How SelfDezign can help with your pharmacy layout
SelfDezign is the alternative to an improvised fit-out based on standard furniture bought separately from several suppliers: we provide the visual concept, a complete technical design and construction coordination on site, under a single team responsible for the result. The client receives 2D and 3D plans, detailed material lists and direct supervision of the works, so the layout decisions made at the concept stage carry over faithfully into the finished space, instead of getting lost in the contractor's different interpretations.
If you are preparing a commercial fit-out project, the practical checklist for fitting out a retail space helps you structure the brief before the first discussion with the design team. To see how the collaboration actually unfolds, from brief to implementation, you can go through the SelfDezign work process and schedule an initial discussion about your project.
Sources
The layout decisions presented here are based on publicly documented projects and on the current legal framework for pharmaceutical units.
