The
Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 266 No 7132 p107 Indiemed.com starts online trading for generics
Asda plans more pharmacies
Co-op buys into Hadley Healthcare
November retail sales
Indiemed.com has established an online marketplace for trading in generic
and parallel imported medicines (www.indiemed.com).
Trading in generics has started between a closed group of manufacturers and
wholesalers and is to be opened to pharmacists in March.
Initially companies are able to trade by either auctions or by displaying catalogues
of products. Both forward auctions (where products are offered for sale) and
reverse auctions (where bids to supply are invited) are possible through the
system.
The initial user group consists of manufacturers (APS Berk, Cox Pharmaceuticals,
Generics [UK], Norton Healthcare and William Ransom & Son) trading generic products
with wholesalers (Mawdsley Brooks & Co, Maltby & Sons, Graham Tatford & Co and
PIF). Parallel imports are to be added to the system later.
Indiemed.com is a private limited company established by Credo Group Plc, a
business development and venture capital company, along with Alpharma Inc (a
multinational pharmaceutical company), Intercare Group Plc (a pharmaceutical
manufacturer and distributor), William Ransom & Son Plc (a British pharmaceutical
company). Indiemed.com was set up in April last year. Once trading has been
established in the UK, the company is planning to set up subsidiaries in Denmark
and the Netherlands.
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Asda Stores Ltd wants to increase the number of in-store pharmacies it owns
to 94 this year, the company announced on January 21.
Asda has established a new speciality division encompassing its pharmacy, optical
and photographic processing operations, mirroring the speciality trading division
of its parent company, Wal-Mart.
At the end of 2000, Asda had 36 pharmacies, six vision centres and six photo
shops. The number of pharmacies is to be expanded to 70 by the end of the first
quarter of 2001 by the purchase of in-store concessions from Alliance Unichem
Plc, the parent of Moss Pharmacy (PJ, September 23, 2000, p440).
New openings should take the number to 94 by the year end. In addition, a further
44 photo shops and 44 vision centres are planned this year.
To support its expansion, the speciality division is planning to recruit 120
pharmacists and 150 pharmacy support staff this year as well as 50 ophthalmic
and 50 dispensing opticians.
Wal-Mart’s speciality division also includes jewellery and “tire and lube” (tyre
replacement and lubrication) businesses. A jewellery concession may be piloted
in 2001, but Asda said that it had no plans to introduce the tire and lube concept
to its stores.
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Co-op Health Care Ltd, the pharmacy division of United Norwest Co-operatives
Ltd, has acquired a 50 per cent stake in pharmacy software developer Hadley
Healthcare Ltd for an undisclosed sum, it was announced on January 22.
Co-op Health Care said that it would inject substantial funds into Hadley Healthcare
to enable the further development and marketing of its Eclipse patient medication
record system. Eclipse was first launched in August, 1999. Co-op Health Care
said that it had been impressed with the performance of Eclipse in trials. Hadley
is also working on software for head office data collection and analysis, electronic
transmission of prescriptions, integrated internet applications and electronic
point of sale systems.
Mr Mike Hadley, MRPharmS, founder of Hadley Healthcare, will remain associated
with the business. He said: “This is a tremendous boost for us.”
Co-op Health Care has 124 pharmacies in North and North West England and the
West Midlands. It owns Sants Pharmaceutical Distributors Ltd, based in Stoke-on-Trent.
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The value of retail sales for November, 2000, under the classification of
pharmaceutical sales, was up three points at 125. The classification of the
retail sale of pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetic and toilet goods excludes National
Health Service receipts. The figures are based on returns made by a number of
large retail pharmacy chains, but exclude Boots the Chemists Ltd, which is classified
under non-specialised retail stores. The figures are compiled by the Office
for National Statistics.
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Unilever Plc has merged Lever Brothers Ltd, its home care subsidiary, with Elida Fabergé, its personal care subsidiary, to form Lever Fabergé Ltd. The two businesses already share their head office at Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey.
Reckitt Benckiser has appointed Britannia Pharmaceuticals Ltd as distributor for its National Health Service prescription medicines business. Reckitt Benckiser will continue to distribute and support its non-prescription medicines.
Boots the Chemists Ltd saw its sales fall by 5 per cent in the run up to Christmas
as a result of fewer colds and its exit from the leisure products market.
Sales of non-prescription medicines were reported to be down by 8.3 per cent
in the 13 weeks to December 30, 2000, the company announced on January 16. Sales
of non-core leisure items were down 39.5 per cent as these items were removed
from major branches.
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