Your situation
- You are hesitating between several premises and want to know which meet the distance requirement.
- Your opening application requires a measurement certificate issued by a sworn surveyor (IGT).
- A neighbouring pharmacy is in the process of being authorised and you wonder whether it counts.
The rule
Law 17-04 enacting the code of medicines and pharmacy (Article 57), Decree No. 2-07-1064 of 9 July 2008 and Order No. 902-08 of the Minister of Health impose a minimum distance of 300 metres between a new pharmacy and neighbouring pharmacies, whatever the zone, including those in the process of being authorised. The measurement follows Standard 13 of the ONIGT (National Order of Surveying Engineers) and is carried out by a registered, sworn surveying engineer.
How the distance is measured
- in a straight line, horizontally, regardless of the terrain — unlike for a tobacco shop;
- from the nearest end of the main façade: on the planned pharmacy's side, the inner face of the usable part; on the neighbouring pharmacy's side, the outer face;
- from points surveyed in the field and coordinate calculations, reduced to the actual distance;
- to the centimetre, then rounded to the metre in the certificate.
Requirements for the premises
- at least 24 m² of floor area;
- a main entrance opening directly onto the public road, except in a shopping centre;
- if the municipality has no pharmacy, the measurement is not required.
How it proceeds
- Preliminary review of the address and identification of nearby pharmacies.
- Surveyor's contract.
- Request to the governor for the list of neighbouring pharmacies, existing and planned.
- Consultation of the cadastre and field survey of the façades concerned.
- Calculations: coordinates, bearings and distances, with a sub-file for each pharmacy.
- Measurement plan (plan view, 300 m circle, location plan) and signed certificate.
The file handed over also includes the surveyor's contract, the surveyor's certificate of good standing with the Order and the procès-verbal (official report) of the surveyor's oath.
| Pharmacy | Tobacco shop | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | Straight line | Walking route |
| Threshold | 300 m everywhere | 100, 300 or 500 m depending on the zone |
| Measurement point | Nearest end of the façade | Middle of the entrance door |
Frequently asked questions
Are the 300 m measured on foot?
No. For a pharmacy, it is a straight-line distance between the nearest ends of the façades.
Does a pharmacy in the process of being authorised count?
Yes. The list requested from the governor includes existing pharmacies and planned ones.
When should the distance be checked?
Before signing a lease or a deed of purchase: the measured distance cannot be corrected afterwards.
Other useful guides
Opening a tobacco shop: how the distance to neighbouring tobacco shops is measuredOpening a tobacco shop in Morocco: 100, 300 or 500 m distance, pedestrian route measured under ONIGT Standard 14, and documents required.
Location plan: locating a plot precisely for the administrationLocation plan for a building permit or an administrative application: purpose, scale, content and tie-in to the Lambert system.
Interior survey: obtaining accurate plans of the existing buildingInterior survey of an apartment, premises or a building: plans of each level, areas, heights and files delivered to the architect.
Written by the surveying engineers of DATUM ENGINEERING, a firm registered on the roll of the ONIGT (National Order of Surveying Engineers).
General information article, based on the standards of the ONIGT (National Order of Surveying Engineers) and the ANCFCC (National Agency for Land Registry, Cadastre and Cartography) and on the texts in force on the date of update. It does not replace an examination of your file.