The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7468 p249
8 September 2007

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UniChem “protected pharmacy” through Pfizer deal

UniChem's decision to work with Pfizer as the single distributor of its medicines was to “protect pharmacy” from the threat of a logistics provider, such as DHL, taking on the service. So stated Ornella Barra, Alliance Boots's wholesale and commercial affairs director, at this year's UniChem convention, held this week in Barbados.

“If Pfizer, or another one of the top 10 manufacturers, wants to move [its supply model] it is impossible to stop them,” she declared. She said that UniChem signed the agreement with Pfizer to protect the interests of pharmacy.

“As a pharmacist myself, I understand the importance of the pharmacist’s relationship with the supply chain. Pharmacists are an essential link in the chain. We need to make sure we keep pharmacy at the heart of the wholesaling and distribution model.” She maintained that logistics companies do not have the same level of experience in delivering to pharmacy.

David Coles, former managing director of UniChem and recently appointed director of business development, Alliance Healthcare, agreed that choosing not to take part in changes to pharmacy distribution would not have meant the forces behind such changes would go away.

“We’ve understood that without engagement and involvement these changes could evolve to the detriment of both wholesale and pharmacy,” he said. “Interestingly, a year on from the start of the negative campaign to resist change the [British and European wholesale] industry associations are making some noises about now being interested to perhaps understand and engage more,” he added.

Commenting on the changes to medicines distribution, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee chief executive Sue Sharpe described the transition as “remarkably smooth”.

She said: “I think the reason it’s been smooth is because, and only because, we’ve kept the specialist pharmacy wholesaler in the game. The risk of somebody who doesn’t know the wholesale market, like DHL, coming in — that would really be bad news. It is clear to me that what we’ve had is UniChem, in particular, making sure that it has protected the pharmacy interest, and that, as we see the tremendous changes that are going to happen, we’ve got the skills and we’ve got the commitment and understanding of what community pharmacy needs.”


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