Not long after our first entry into the Welsh market through our acquisition of Dudley Taylor Pharmacies, I am pleased to announce the acquisition of the Sheppard’s Pharmacy group.

Sheppard’s includes 34 stores and is the largest independent pharmacy group in Wales. This latest deal takes Avicenna Pharmacy to a total of 135 branches.

The Sheppard’s stores are well positioned and well invested community pharmacies, concentrated mainly in the South Wales Valleys with stores also in Pembrokeshire and around Bridgend. These locations perfectly complement our existing branches in Gwent and Powys.

I look forward to working with our new colleagues and further investing in the stores, taking forward the vision and legacy that Alan and Jean Sheppard have built since founding in 1972 when their first pharmacy was opened in Aberdare.

Avicenna will continue to invest in improving and growing our Retail Pharmacies as well as AviLab and our Independent Support organisation. The expanded store footprint will allow us to accelerate investments in technology, pharmacy support and our people not only for the benefit of our colleagues and customers but those of our 1,200 independent partners.

At Avicenna, we feel passionate about taking a forward thinking, long term approach to pharmacy. We strive to reduce our environmental footprint whilst continuing to improve the service we offer to our customers, tailoring what we offer to meet the needs of each of the unique communities we serve.

Avicenna were advised by Charles Russell Speechlys LLP and Hazlewoods LLP. The sellers were advised by Hugh James solicitors.

As part of a long-standing strategy to grow the business, I am delighted to announce the acquisition of Dudley Taylor Pharmacies Ltd, consisting of 57 stores. This will take our estate to 101 branches.

The new pharmacies are located across Yorkshire, the Midlands, the South of England, and Wales. These are all community based, with a mixture of Neighbourhood, High Street and Health Centre locations.

Dudley Taylor pharmacies are a great fit for the Avicenna family and perfectly complement our existing locations across the North East and the South of England. I look forward to working with our new colleagues and further investing in the stores to help build on their already outstanding level of patient care.

Over the past year we have invested significantly in the future of our business. As well as upgrading and rebranding stores, we have also founded AviLab, our new tech business unit. AviLab will focus on investments in technologies that can bring substantial benefits to both our stores and those of our independent members, driving innovations for the pharmacy of the future. This dedicated team are initially focusing on further developing our current pharmacy applications which are both seeing rapid growth. These are AviBuyer, our integrated purchasing system and Manage My Meds, our patient app.

I feel passionate and excited about the future of UK pharmacy. Avicenna will continue to invest in the sector, across both our own retail pharmacies as well as our independent member support organisation.

Avicenna were advised by Charles Russell Speechlys LLP and Hazlewoods LLP.

For any questions of for more info please contact alexandra.phelps@avicenna.org.

Avicenna has launched a new prescription ordering app – Manage My Meds – that enables customers to quickly order and track repeat NHS prescriptions from their chosen pharmacy.

The digital service, which launched this month, is free for customers and integrates with NHS patient-facing services, making it easy for customers to manage their medications without requiring any unnecessary trips to their GP.

Manage My Meds is an iOS and Android mobile app and cross-platform web app which brings together the NHS, pharmacies, and GPs to make it easy for patients to comprehensively manage their healthcare.

Features include daily medication reminders, repeat order reminders, being able to securely message and book appointments with GPs and pharmacies, viewable prescription history and medical notes, and the ability to manage prescriptions for a family through the app.

Jonathan Power, CEO at Avicenna, said: “Our pharmacies are at the heart of the communities we serve, providing essential NHS services and being available to support our customers’ needs. Manage My Meds is an integrated website and mobile app, designed in conjunction with NHS Digital, which makes it convenient for customers to manage their healthcare from the comfort of their own home. No other app allows patients to do this so comprehensively – it’s a global first in healthcare innovation.”

The app was first trialed in April before being refined based on customer feedback. The next stage of development is to offer the ability for users to have video consultations with pharmacists.

Press Coverage:
https://www.thepharmacist.co.uk/news/avicenna-launches-prescription-ordering-app/?utm_source=pha%20bulletin&utm_medium=newsletter

https://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/news/tech-news/2020/12/infinity-works-app-lets-avicenna-customers-order-repeat-prescriptions