The 42-strong pharmacy chain took over three ex-Lloydspharmacy branches last month and is due to complete on a further three pharmacies this week, its director of operations Richard Stephenson told C+D yesterday (July 10).
The branches are located in:
- Dollar
- Sanquhar
- Lossiemouth
- Bridge of Allan
- Laurieston
- Peebles
Mr Stephenson said that the acquisitions “presented an opportunity to further complement our existing estate due to the locations”, with the Sanquhar and Lossiemouth branches “of particular interest” due to the chain already owning pharmacies in these villages.
“Having the opportunity to pick up pharmacies that are in need of some TLC was one we could not miss,” he told C+D.
Read more: What do corporate disposals mean for the Scottish pharmacy market?
It follows a spate of corporate disposals across Scotland in recent months, with Davidsons Chemists picking up five former Lloydspharmacy branches in May and Rowlands acquiring 30 soon after.
And brothers James and Brendan Semple, who own Scotland’s TLC Pharmacy group, bought a former Lloydspharmacy branch in Gourock, Renfrewshire, earlier this year – the pharmacy where one brother held his first manager’s job and the other completed his first day of work as a pharmacist.
Meanwhile, Bannerman’s Pharmacy revealed last month that it had bought back two Glasgow pharmacies that its previous owners had sold to Lloydspharmacy 20 years ago.
Staff retained
Mr Stephenson told C+D that all the staff at the former Lloydspharmacy branches had “been retained…as well as adding new team members to allow the business to progress moving forward with new services”.
“We always retain colleagues on any acquisitions and can’t wait to work with the teams who have moved over,” he said.
Read more: The Lloydspharmacy we started out in went up for sale – so we rushed to buy it
He told C+D that Right Medicine Pharmacy now has “over 300 colleagues working hard for the communities we look after”, with the business growing “dramatically” since the group’s first pharmacy opened in 2002.
Owners Noel Wicks, Mike Embrey and Jonathan Burton are “all still involved in the business to this day”, Mr Stephenson said.
Read more: Scottish group buys back branches it sold to Lloydspharmacy 20 years ago
Although "behind the scenes", completing on the former Lloydspharmacy branches had been “incredibly hard work”, Right Medicine Pharmacy is “delighted to welcome these new teams to the…family”, he said.
There is already “a real buzz” in the communities where the group has been operating the new pharmacies, which “makes the whole process feel worthwhile”, he said.
“I would also like to thank all the team at Right Medicine, our service providers and wholesalers who have been involved in the acquisitions of these [branches],” Mr Stephenson added.
Read more: Davidsons Chemists reveals acquisition of five Lloydspharmacy branches
“They have worked incredibly hard to see a smooth transition to Right Medicine Pharmacy.”
A Lloydspharmacy spokesperson reiterated to C+D that the multiple is “reviewing its community pharmacy estate and is selectively selling some branches”.
They said that the multiple is “pleased that colleagues from six of its branches in Scotland will be joining the Right Medicine Pharmacy family”.
There will be “no change” for patients in the way they use these pharmacies, they added.