Buying + Selling: LPC vice-chair sells, high-demand Lancashire sales, and online pharmacy expansion in Bradford
Cottam Lane Pharmacy
A high-dispensing community pharmacy in Preston has been sold by its retiring GP owners to a local group operator.
Cottam Lane Pharmacy is located inside the surgery of the same name in the Ashton area and had been owned by three GP partners, with two of them now retired.
The sale helps them move to full retirement. One of the new owners, Zakir Patel, said there are plans to invest in the pharmacy “as part of our wider group expansion by adding extra services, as well as a full rebrand”.
Read more: Seller instructions rose by 91%, reveals pharmacy brokers
The pharmacy is open 79 hours each week and dispenses an average of 21,000 items per month.
Christie & Co pharmacy director Jon Booth said there “over 90 enquiries in the first few weeks” it was on the market and it’s an example of a pharmacy “garnering a high level of competition from both existing and new buyers” when it may have been “unsellable” a couple of years ago.
“A good result for the sellers but also a great opportunity for the buyers to quickly tweak the operational side of the business and improve margins,” he added.
Leyland Late Night Pharmacy
A high-dispensing Lancashire community pharmacy has been bought by a first-time buyer.
Leyland Late Night Pharmacy has been sold by Rizwan Akhtar in order for him to retire and pursue other opportunities outside of pharmacy.
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It dispenses around 13,400 items per month on average and Ismaeel Gulrez has bought the Leyland pharmacy after Chfistie & Co said there was “strong demand for quality opportunities” in Lancashire now.
Roundhay Pharmacy
An LPC vice-chair has sold his Leeds community pharmacy as he starts to look at retirement.
Roundhay Pharmacy, in the Harehills area, has been owned by Adeel Sarwar, who is also vice-chair of Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire, for over 20 years.
Read more: Pharmacy chain selling over half its estate for £3.2m
TD Medicare Ltd’s Sie Yew Ting and Tech Ding have bought Roundhay Pharmacy to add to their two branches in Scunthorpe.
Ding moved to Leeds in early 2024 and says “acquiring a Leeds pharmacy contract was a key aim for our growth plans”. It currently dispenses an average of 11,500 items per month.
Co-Chem Pharmacy
A Birmingham community pharmacy owned by a husband and wife team for 39 years has been sold to allow them to retire.
Zulfqar and Yasmeen Ahmed said it’s been “an honour to serve the Handsworth community since 1986” as they sold Co-Chem Pharmacy to Kassim and Ali Mawji.
“We hope that we were able to make a little difference to our patients health and wellbeing and wish them all the very best in the very capable hands of the new owners,” they added.
Co-Chem Pharmacy is in the north-west Birmingham suburb of Handsworth and new owners Kassim and Ali Mawji also currently own Star Pharmacy in nearby Perry Barr with two other business partners.
The pharmacy dispenses an average of 5,750 items per month and the sale took just four months.
Pharmacy Care Direct
A Bradford community pharmacy has been sold to an online pharmacy owner following a portfolio review by the previous owner.
Faisal Sheikh said he made the “tough decision” to sell Pharmacy Care Direct in Shipley after more than 22 years of ownership as he chose to scale down his portfolio.
Shamas Ul Haq of Door 2 Door Pharmacy has purchased the Pharmacy Care Direct that dispenses an average of 5,000 items per month.
He owns Kinsley Pharmacy in Wakefield along with an online pharmacy in that city.
Ul Haq plans to merge another online pharmacy he owns in Bradford with Pharmacy Care Direct.
Whitkirk Pharmacy
A small Yorkshire operator has bought an east Leeds community pharmacy next door to a GP surgery.
The new owners are a couple who already own two pharmacies, one in Scarborough and one in Norton. With their new site Whitkirk Pharmacy in the Crossgates suburb, they plan to introduce private services and enhanced NHS services.
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Christie & Co pharmacy director Jon Booth said Whitkirk Pharmacy’s “proximity to Leeds city centre” and “excellent transport links” made it popular, adding that “interest for this type of site have further improved in recent months, and supply continues to outstrip demand significantly”.
Whitkirk dispenses an average of 9,600 items per month and is next door to Austhorpe View Surgery.
Ben Wilson owned Whitkirk Pharmacy for over 20 years and will now retire after saying it was a “big decision” to sell but the “time was right”.
West Hill Pharmacy
A group operator with around a dozen pharmacies in Kent and the south east has purchased a Dartford community pharmacy.
West Hill Pharmacy was previously under corporate ownership but has been sold as part of a strategic disposal to Eastry Pharmacy Ltd, whose owner Chetan Bhatu said is “excited to expand into Dartford” and offer new services and products.
West Hill dispenses an average of 6,538 items per month is next to a busy health centre on one of the town’s main roads near the main shopping area.
Dyffryn Pharmacy
A small community pharmacy on the edge of the picturesque Brecon Beacons has been sold to a local pharmacy group.
Dyffryn Pharmacy dispenses an average of 3,300 items per month in the village of Dyffryn Cellwen and its new owners will introduce more NHS and private services.
Read more: Buying + Selling: Local indie expansion, grade II listed upgrades and retiring sellers...
Denise and Peter Littlewood will now retire after selling the pharmacy they owned for over 20 years.
Dipton Pharmacy
A high-dispensing village community pharmacy in County Durham has been sold to a first-time buyer.
Dipton Pharmacy was sold to local pharmacist Tammy Douglas and is located close to Dipton’s GP surgery.
It was sold by Farah Chemists who wanted to focus on their five Newcastle branches and currently dispenses an average of 9,150 items per month.
Audenshaw Pharmacy
A Manchester community pharmacy in a shopping parade has been bought by a group of pharmacists in a joint venture with another nearby pharmacy contractor.
Audenshaw Pharmacy dispenses an average of 11,500 items per month and its previous owner Pravin Mistry sold to allow for retirement.
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Christie & Co pharmacy director Jon Booth said the sale took a while but was pleased to get it done despite difficulties in needing to “negotiate a new lease on behalf of the buyers”.
Morrells Pharmacy
A high-dispensing Staffordshire community pharmacy within a health centre has been sold to an expanding group operator.
Morrells Pharmacy dispenses around 11,700 items per month in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Secret Potions Ltd have bought it from Michael Morrell who will now retire.
Buntingford Pharmacy
A Hertfordshire high street community pharmacy has been sold as part of a strategic divestment.
Buntingford Pharmacy dispenses around 10,000 items per month and it was the second time Hutchings had sold the pharmacy in the last 10 years.
Dormanstown Pharmacy
A Redcar community pharmacy within a shopping parade has been sold.
Dormanstown Pharmacy dispenses around 7,000 items per month and was sold after a review of the previous owner’s estate.
Hamlet Pharmacy
A South East London community pharmacy has been sold to a first-time buyer.
Tafa Mwadira bough Hamlet Pharmacy from Girish and Varsha Mehta who decided to retire, with the high street pharmacy dispensing 4,740 items per month on average.
Spring Pharmacy
A high street community pharmacy in London has been sold to allow for retirement.
Spring Pharmacy in Hoxton dispenses around 8,000 items per month on average.
All community pharmacies were sold for an undisclosed price.
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