Pickfords Pharmacy: New name for 21 branches across Midlands and Yorkshire
Pickfords Pharmacy is the new name for three pharmacy businesses that merged last July – Mr Pickford’s, McGills Pharmacy and D&R Sharp.
The merger means that the group of 21 community pharmacies across the Midlands and Yorkshire will now operate under the Pickfords Pharmacy name, the company announced earlier this week (May 10).
Every site will be renamed accordingly over the coming months and a series of events has been planned to celebrate the rebranding.
Chief executive Nick Yarrow said: “The merger has been very positive. What we’re trying to do is bring together the best of the three businesses and that has been an ongoing journey in the months since the acquisition.”
Hexthorpe branch first to change signage
The first pharmacy to receive the new Pickfords signage was the branch in Hexthorpe, Doncaster.
Chief operating officer Mimi Lau signalled the event as a “turning point for the group”.
“Initial reaction has been fantastic and very soon the name Pickfords Pharmacy will be widely recognised for the great service we deliver to customers and patients every day,” Ms Lau added.
Mr Yarrow is hoping to host an MP at their next pharmacy openings, along with inviting “our oldest customer, [either] by age or longest serving”.
“It’s about engaging with the community and making sure that the community is aware that while the name has changed, the team and the basic service hasn’t,” he added.
New hub-and-spoke model
A hub-and-spoke dispensing model sits at the heart of the new business.
Mr Yarrow believes the system frees up pharmacy teams’ time “to deliver value and services to patients”.
The dispensing model has in part helped the pharmacies deliver a whopping 160,000 COVID-19 jabs and give flu jabs to nearly 17,000 people over the past 18 months, he believes.
Read more: DH launches long-awaited pharmacy hub-and-spoke dispensing consultation
The company has two dispensing hubs, one in the Leicestershire and Northamptonshire area and a second one that launched last week to serve the chain's branches in Doncaster.
“This is part of our journey to be more than just a pharmacy – we want to be a trusted source of healthcare services at the heart of each one of the communities we serve,” Mr Yarrow added.
