Subsection 1: Opening and content of the pharmaceutical record

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Article R1111-20-2

French Public Health CodeIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

I.-The pharmaceutical record contains :

a) Data relating to the identity and identification of its holder, in particular his national health identifier, and, where applicable, data relating to the identity of his legal representative or the person responsible for exercising a legal protection measure with representation relating to his person;

b) The contact details of the holder and, where applicable, those of the holder's legal representative or the person responsible for exercising a legal protection measure with representation in relation to the holder's person;

c) The identification, characteristics and quantity of the medicinal products, products and objects defined in article L. 4211-1, dispensed with or without a medical prescription to the holder, as well as the dates and details of dispensing and the medical prescription.

II - The data relating to the identity and contact details mentioned in a and b of I concerning the holder of the pharmaceutical record are kept in the record until it is closed.

The data mentioned in a and b of I concerning the legal representative or the person responsible for exercising a legal protection measure with representation relating to the person is kept in the file until it is closed. This data is automatically deleted, before the file is closed, when the holder reaches the age of majority or when the Conseil national de l'ordre des pharmaciens is informed by any means that the legal protection measure from which the holder benefited has been terminated.

III - The data mentioned in c of I is kept for the following periods :

five years in the case of the biological medicinal products mentioned in 14° of Article L. 5121-1;

- eighty-three years in the case of the vaccines mentioned in b of 6° of Article L. 5121-1;

-three years for the other medicinal products, products and articles defined in article L. 4211-1.

At the end of these periods, the data is automatically deleted.

IV -The pharmaceutical record keeps a record of the actions carried out, in particular the date and time of the intervention and the identification of the person who carried it out.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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