By leveraging the scale of Uniphar we provide industry-leading support and expertise to Ireland’s pharmacies, enabling independent pharmacies to compete with large multinational chains. We operate a vertically-integrated model that includes over 280 pharmacies. These include our two symbol groups, Allcare Pharmacy and Life Pharmacy.
Allcare Pharmacy is now the largest Irish-owned pharmacy group. It operates a dual franchise/owned model offering independent pharmacists a suite of support and services that help pharmacies to meet the demands of a changing industry.
We see Allcare pharmacies as focal points for community healthcare, so the time the pharmacist spends with the patient is what matters most. Our back-office support frees up pharmacy teams to focus on their patients and customers, allowing pharmacists to concentrate on their role as a key part of the primary healthcare system.
Because of its size and the backing of Uniphar, Allcare significantly improves the buying power and therefore margin of member pharmacies. Allcare also focuses on digital technology to improve the workflow in pharmacy and uses up-to-date Business Intelligence and Management Information Systems to help pharmacy owners to identify areas for improvement in their stores.
Life Pharmacy is the fastest-growing pharmacy symbol group in Ireland. Life is pharmacist-led, a model that is unique in that its members, through the Life Board, decide the strategic direction of the group. This is coupled with the strength of Uniphar to maximise the benefits to pharmacy owners and customers alike.
While offering a comprehensive level of support and services, Life allows independent pharmacists to retain control over their most important decisions. It supports them with a particular emphasis on brand and the provision of key services and expertise.
This translates to highly-competitive buying, national brand campaigns, local marketing support, merchandising and category management expertise, regulatory support and claims management.
In an ever-evolving retail pharmacy landscape Uniphar have developed the LinkUp Gold buying group to support independent community pharmacists future-proof their profits.
Trading under their local brand name, LinkUp Gold offers flexibility and efficiency to its retail partners. As trusted business advisors, LinkUp Gold enables independent pharmacies access to group buying power, tailored support services and on the ground support while retaining the underlying procurement benefits delivered as part of the buying group.
Pharmacists need to balance their two competing roles, as healthcare professional and business owner. We have built up a wide range of specialist expertise and developed a range of support services to support pharmacists to run their businesses smoothly and profitably.
Category Management – our category management specialists work with pharmacies to provide sales and market analysis. Using a sales per metre analysis, they determine how to maximise each category’s potential. Thenwe provide planograms and floor layouts that help the pharmacist to stockthe right products and put them where they will sell best.
Regulatory and Claims Support – every pharmacy is dealing with an increased burden of constantly changing regulation. We work with pharmacies, providing audits and advice to help them to ensure that they are operating to the required standards.
Training – for most pharmacy staff, dispensing ethical and OTC medicines is what they are familiar with. However, pharmacies are increasingly relying on front of shop consumer products, health and beauty and vitamin, minerals and supplements to provide new revenue streams. We provide training for pharmacists and their teams on how to make the mostof their existing footfall to expand their sales of these front of shop products.