The Scotland-based multiple told C+D yesterday (May 10) that it is “due to acquire” five former Lloydspharmacy branches on June 5.

The branches are located at:

• 55 High Street, Lochee, Dundee, DD2 3AU
• 3 Orleans Place, Menzieshill, Dundee, DD2 4BH
• 9-11 The Roods, Kirriemuir, DD8 4EZ
• 48 High Street, Montrose, DD10 8JF
• 141 High Street, Auchterarder, PH3 1AD

 

The multiple is “the largest group of independent pharmacies in Scotland” and will have 56 branches across the country with the addition of these five new Lloydspharmacy acquisitions, it said.

 

You can view the locations of the branches on the map below.

 

 

 

Staff to transition

 

 

Davidsons Chemists expects to take over approximately 35 staff from the Lloydspharmacy branches it is going to acquire, bringing the total number of staff working at the multiple to approximately 700, it added.

 

The Lloydspharmacy branches “only had two pharmacist managers in place” but the Scottish group has “plans in place to recruit three new pharmacist managers for the other three branches”, it told C+D.

 

Read more: Lloydspharmacy item numbers dropped 20% over 18 months, data reveals

Davidsons Chemists managing director Allan Gordon said he is “pleased to acquire these five pharmacies from Lloydspharmacy”.

 

The new branches are all based in Tayside, meaning that the multiple’s “operations teams and warehouse distribution channels are close at hand to maximise efficiencies”, he added.

 

 

“Will take time to bed in”

 

 

Mr Gordon told C+D that the new pharmacies “will take a little time to bed in”.

 

However, he added that “once through that process”, the multiple “will look to push forward with [its] high standard of NHS services healthcare” such as bringing independent prescriber pharmacists to Auchterarder and Kirriemuir.

 

Read more: UPDATED: Lloydspharmacy ‘selectively selling’ branches to independent buyers

“The key matter at this stage, from a Davidsons perspective, is to make sure that the new pharmacies are fully transitioned into Davidsons culture”, he said.

 

This “will allow them to put patients first and benefit from the synergies and experience of a large pharmacy group”, he added. 

 

 

 

Lloydspharmacy ‘reviewing its estate’

 

 

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

 

“The majority of buyers of these selected branches are independent pharmacy owners and local businesspeople who have demonstrated that they are committed to our branch teams and patients and are well placed to meet the ongoing health needs of the local community,” they said.

 

Read more: Kamsons Pharmacy reveals acquisition of five Lloydspharmacy branches

 

They added that the multiple is “pleased that its colleagues from these stores will be joining successful local businesses”.

 

And they stressed that there will be “no change” for patients in the way they use their local pharmacy.

 

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

 

It comes as PharmData last month revealed that Lloydspharmacy saw a “significant” 20% decrease in its prescription item numbers over a recent 18-month period, while Boots and Well Pharmacy maintained item levels.

The UK pharmacy data platform questioned whether there could “be a correlation to the closures” recently announced by Lloydspharmacy. 

 

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

 

It followed the news revealed by C+D last month that Sussex-based chain Kamsons Pharmacy has acquired five Lloydspharmacy branches.

 

It also follows rumours and media reports that all of Lloydspharmacy’s branches are “at risk” of closure – although the multiple has stressed that none of its stores are “at risk of closure except those within the Sainsbury’s estate”.

 

It remains unclear how many branches are being sold and how many located in Sainsbury’s stores are to be closed.