Modern Pharmacy Design & Construction in Pakistan | ACCO

A pharmacy looks simple from the street: a counter, some shelves, a sign. Behind that counter it is a regulated store for temperature-sensitive and controlled medicines, a dispensing workplace where errors are costly, and a retail space that has to earn its rent. Ahmed Construction Company (ACCO) designs and builds retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies and pharmacy chains across Pakistan, from layout and licensing drawings to the finished, stocked-ready shop.

Types of Pharmacy We Design and Build

• Retail and community pharmacies in plazas, markets and housing societies such as DHA, Bahria Town and Gulberg.
• Hospital pharmacies serving OPD, inpatient wards, ICU and operation theatres, including satellite pharmacies on clinical floors.
• 24-hour and chain pharmacies that need a repeatable brand layout across several branches.
• Pharmacy with clinic or lab collection point, combining dispensing with a consultation room or sample collection.

Planning a Pharmacy Layout That Works

Good pharmacy design starts with the flow of medicines and people. We plan four zones and keep them clearly separated:

1. Customer zone: entrance, waiting area, OTC and personal care shelving, with clear sightlines from the counter for security.
2. Dispensing zone: the prescription counter, a checking surface, computer and billing point, and ready access to fast-moving stock.
3. Storage zone: bulk shelving, pallet or carton storage off the floor, a lockable cabinet for controlled drugs, and space for returns and expired stock kept apart from saleable stock.
4. Cold chain zone: pharmaceutical refrigerators for vaccines, insulin and biologics, placed on a dedicated circuit and away from heat sources.

For hospital pharmacies we also plan receiving from the store, issue windows to wards, and a clean area for preparing IV admixtures or chemotherapy where the hospital needs it.

Regulatory Requirements to Plan For

Pharmacy licensing in Pakistan is handled through the provincial drug licensing authorities under the Drugs Act and provincial drug rules, with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) setting national standards. Inspectors look at premises size, cleanliness, storage conditions, temperature control, and the presence of a qualified person. Requirements change and differ by province, so we confirm the current checklist with the client and their licensing consultant before finalising drawings. Our role is to make sure the building meets what the inspector will check: adequate area, washable finishes, protected storage, working refrigeration and proper lighting.

Building Services Inside a Pharmacy

• Air conditioning: most medicines must be stored below 25°C or 30°C. In Pakistani summers that means reliable split or ducted AC sized for the shop glazing and lighting load, not just for staff comfort.
• Power backup: refrigerators and AC on a UPS or generator changeover, with separate circuits so one fault does not shut down the cold chain.
• Lighting: bright, even lighting at the dispensing counter so labels and strengths can be read accurately, and display lighting on shelving.
• Security: CCTV covering the counter, entrance and storage, shutters or grilles, and a lockable controlled-drug cabinet.
• Data and billing: network points for POS, inventory software and barcode scanners.

Materials and Finishes

We use finishes that clean easily and survive constant traffic: porcelain or vitrified floor tiles, washable emulsion or PVC wall panels in storage areas, and laminated or solid-surface counters. Shelving is adjustable so the layout can change as the product mix changes. Signage, branding and glazing are designed together so the shop reads clearly from the road.

Cost and Timeline

Cost depends mainly on area, the level of fit-out, AC and backup requirements, and whether civil work is needed. A fit-out of an existing grey-structure shop is far quicker and cheaper than new construction. As a guide, a typical retail pharmacy fit-out takes about four to eight weeks once drawings are approved; hospital pharmacies take longer because they are tied to the hospital programme. We give an itemised BOQ so you can see exactly where the money goes before work starts.

Why Choose ACCO

• Healthcare experience: we design pharmacies as part of hospitals, so we understand storage, cold chain and clinical flow.
• One team for design, MEP and construction, which avoids the gaps between separate contractors.
• Written scope, payment stages and site supervision.
• Turnkey delivery, from drawings to the day you start trading.

Talk to ACCO About Your Project

Ahmed Construction Company (ACCO) has designed and built healthcare facilities across Pakistan since 1998, including work at LDMC, MCH Islamkot, King Edward Medical University / Mayo Hospital and UOL Hospital Lahore. Our architects, structural engineers and MEP engineers work under one roof, so drawings, BOQ and site execution stay coordinated.

Call or WhatsApp: 0322-8000190 · Email: info@acco.com.pk · Office 2, 3rd Floor, Bigcity Plaza, Gulberg-III, Lahore. Free architectural drawings on award of construction work.