Strategy and Development in Pharmacy Holding Companies: Enhancing Sustainable Lifestyle and Unlocking New Business Opportunities

ABSTRACT The creation of pharmacy holding companies today is not merely a strategic choice but increasingly a necessity, driven by evolving market dynamics, regulatory changes, and the growing complexity of management. This paper explores how these companies can play a transformative role by enhancing sustainable lifestyles and unlocking new business opportunities, which are both central to their development strategy. To address this, a multi‐criteria decision analysis is proposed, combining the compensatory methods AHP and TOPSIS, based on insights from four categories of experts. The results show a notable correlation between the AHP and TOPSIS values, although the rankings diverge. TOPSIS identifies business opportunities as the main driver behind a pharmacy owner's decision to join a holding, whereas AHP highlights the importance of lifestyle improvements and better working conditions. Expert perspectives also vary: managers and academics emphasize lifestyle factors, consultants focus on market potential, and pharmacists prioritize acquisition costs. Pharmacy holding companies, by evolving from shareholder‐driven to stakeholder‐oriented models, are positioned to place the customer at the center, expanding services and redistributing benefits generated by the new structure. A business strategy aligned with this model can contribute meaningfully to the achievement of SDGs 3 and 8.