Health Care turnover in Central and Eastern Europe risen by factor of more than six since 1992

A good image, huge increase in staff, building up of distribution channels, new conditions of payment and close cooperation with local doctors and health care providers - the recipe for Novo Nordisk Health Care's success in Central and Eastern Europe. So says Witte Rijnberg, vice president, Novo Nordisk Health Care Region 7, which includes that area.

Health Care's turnover in this part of the world has risen by a factor of more than six since 1992, when Rijnberg took over, despite the fact that the GNP of nearly every country in Central and Eastern Europe is still lower than the days before the fall of the Wall.

Rijnberg predicts that Novo Nordisk will continue to see growth in the region for some years to come.

"We may well see turnover fall slightly on individual markets but I am confident of an overall rise over the next few years. Primarily because more and more patients will start using our insulin and pen systems. On top of that, more of our new products will be launched here," says Rijnberg.

"Everything was right for growth when I arrived. Novo Nordisk has a good image in Central and Eastern Europe and a reputation for supplying quality goods. But staff numbers were low, the patients found it difficult to get hold of our products and our conditions of payment were obsolete. So we made a few changes. Now, distribution channels are in place throughout the region. Our products are available from wholesalers, pharmacies or other sources, depending on local conditions. Five or six years ago, our customers had to pay for goods before we shipped them. Now they have to pay within 30 days of receipt like in Western Europe. It's all a question of mutual trust between the customer and the company," says Rijnberg.

Over the last five or six years, staff levels have risen from around 30 to around 300.