Abstract
Entrepreneurship is an intrinsic component of family medicine practice in Romania, given that the family doctor combines clinical responsibilities with those associated with organizing and administering an independent medical practice. This paper analyzes the dual role of the family doctor as both a medical professional and an entrepreneur, with emphasis on the interaction between professional values, managerial responsibilities, the economic sustainability of the practice, and population access to primary health care services. The research is descriptive and exploratory and is based on an analysis of the specialized literature, the institutional and regulatory framework, as well as secondary statistical data provided by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) and the National Health Insurance House (CNAS). The results support the existence of a hybrid professional identity of the family doctor, within which professional and entrepreneurial logic coexist and condition one another. The physician must ensure patient well-being, quality and continuity of care, and clinical decision-making autonomy, while simultaneously managing costs, human resources, infrastructure, revenues, and the financial sustainability of the practice. The analysis of the evolution of independent family medicine practices highlights a decrease in their number from 10,652 in 2020 to 10,266 in 2023, followed by a moderate recovery to 10,394 practices in 2025. Significant territorial disparities persist, however, with approximately 60.2% of practices located in urban areas and 39.8% in rural areas in 2025. Different entrepreneurial risk profiles associated with market entry are also highlighted, depending on whether the physician chooses to take over an existing practice or establish a practice from scratch. The results of the analysis suggest that the development of family medicine in Romania requires not only adequate and predictable funding, but also policies aimed at reducing territorial disparities, facilitating market entry and practice transfers, reducing administrative burdens, and developing physicians’ managerial and entrepreneurial skills. In this context, entrepreneurship should not be viewed as being in opposition to medical professionalism, but rather as a complementary dimension which, under an appropriate institutional and regulatory framework, can contribute to practice sustainability, service accessibility, and improved quality of primary health care.
Cuvinte cheie
family medicine
entrepreneurship
medical practice
primary health care
professional autonomy
Romania.
Istoric articol
Publicat
31.08.2026
Informații autori
Citare recomandată
Cecilia Irina Răbonțu, Isabel Răbonțu (2026). The Family Doctor Between Professionalism and Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Perspectives in Romania. Constantin Brâncuși University of Târgu Jiu Economics Series, 2(1), 108–115. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.65631/jes.4.2026.9
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