Pharmaceuticals distributor Celesio has underlined its commitment to developing the DocMorris store network, as well as front-end sales, in order to reduce its dependency on prescription drugs and the associated price regulations.

Chief executive Fritz Oesterle said: “We target a balanced portfolio by 2015, when about half of our income will come from non-price regulated activities.”

Oesterle reaffirmed the company’s plans for up to 500 DocMorris pharmacies in Germany by 2015, up from the current figure of about 160.