The Sussex-based multiple told C+D yesterday (April 26) that it has completed the purchase of five pharmacies from Lloydspharmacy this month.

The branches are located in:

• County Oak Medical Centre, Brighton
• Newick, East Sussex
• Angmering Health Centre, West Sussex
• Manor Parade, Durrington, Worthing, West Sussex
• Sea Road, East Preston, West Sussex

 

All of the new branches are now open, with the last two opening yesterday and the first to open – at the County Oak Medical Centre – launching on April 1, Kamsons Pharmacy said.

However, it stressed that it is not acquiring any Lloydspharmacy branches located within Sainsbury’s supermarkets.

Read more: All Lloydspharmacy branches reportedly ‘at risk’ of closure

The family-owned Kamsons Pharmacy group now has 86 branches following the acquisitions, it said.  

Kamsons Pharmacy director Bharat Chotai said that the multiple is “delighted to welcome these new pharmacies to our group”.

“These are difficult financial times for community pharmacy but we have confidence that we can develop these new branches, local to us, with the support of our excellent staff,” he added.

Read more: ‘Popular’ Liverpool pharmacy sold as owner retires after 30 years

A Lloydspharmacy spokesperson told C+D that the multiple “is reviewing its community pharmacy estate and is selectively selling some branches”.

“No Lloydspharmacy store is at risk of closure, except those within the Sainsbury’s estate”, they added.

Lloydspharmacy closures

 

It comes as Lloydspharmacy has battled media reports that all of its branches are “at risk” of closure.

But in a statement to C+D at the time, a spokesperson said that the multiple “does not comment on articles that have been published based on unverified information”.

Read more: Wes Streeting ‘really alarmed’ by Lloydspharmacy closure reports

And C+D exclusively revealed in January that the multiple will withdraw its pharmacy services from all 237 Sainsbury’s stores over the course of this year.

It is as yet unclear whether each of these branches will close or be sold.

Read more: Lloydspharmacy quits Sainsbury’s: What we do (and don't) know so far

Meanwhile, C+D yesterday (April 27) revealed the locations of all eight Tesco pharmacy branches that will close from August.