Pharmacy brokers Christie & Co have announced numerous sales of pharmacies in the UK over the last couple of weeks, with a few first time buyers entering the market to snap up the businesses.

It comes as Christie & Co appointed Richard Thomas as a new senior business agent for its pharmacy division in the south west of England and south Wales last week (November 20).

Thomas is “delighted to be returning” after previously working in the hotels brokerage team for six years, and is now rejoining after a stint at the Radisson Hotel group.

C+D rounds up what’s been going on in the community pharmacy market.

Armstrong’s Pharmacy

A family-owned community pharmacy has been sold in Sheffield after 67 years in business, Christie & Co announced last week (November 19).

Armstrong’s Pharmacy has been purchased by husband and wife first time buyers as its previous owners Chris and Jane are set to retire, as the pharmacy has been in their family since 1957.

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“It is pleasing that the new owners are a young, motivated husband and wife team with plans to enhance what we have done with the business as a family,” Chris Armstrong said.

Christie & Co senior business agent Tom Young said “the business was a fantastic example of a well-run independent community pharmacy with good margins, a well-drilled team, and owners who really worked hard to provide top-class service to their community”.

It currently dispenses an average of 11,332 items per month, but the new buyers want to increase the size of the pharmacy with additional consultation rooms and introduce new services for the local community.

Middleton Pharmacy

A former GP owned Darlington village pharmacy has been sold for the first time in 22 years, Christie & Co revealed this month (November 15).

Middleton Pharmacy was owned by three GPs who operated as Middleton Healthcare Limited, and they opted to sell so they can retire.

One of its owners Patrick Holmes says he’s happy the sale is “keeping the business local” and is confident it will “provide excellent care and service to the local community going forward”.

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The independent contractor Chemix Group purchased it and will benefit from its close proximity to a GP surgery and its high performing 10,874 items on average dispensed per month.

Its directors Prashanth Takkallapally and Harendra Patel are locals to the area and “knew this was the right pharmacy to add to our expanding group”, as they own another pharmacy in Halifax.

Crediton Pharmacy

A high-street Devon pharmacy has been bought by first-time buyers who end their long wait to own a pharmacy.

The new owners of Crediton Pharmacy, Nivitha Mutakoduru and Nija Nambiar, say it’s “been an ambition of ours to own a pharmacy for some time” and they “can't wait to get started”.

They are locals to the area of Devon market town Crediton, near Exeter, and previous owner Osman Hamid sold it after 10 years so he can “concentrate on his other business interests”, Christie & Co announced last week (November 18).

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Christie & Co director Jonathan Board said it was “an excellent opportunity for a local, more hands-on operator to take on an established community pharmacy” and the new owners “will make a success of this business”.

Hamid added he has “no doubt they will bring fresh energy and new ideas to lead it forward successfully”.

Skelton Pharmacy

A North Yorkshire village pharmacy has been sold to a first-time buyer within a few weeks of hitting the market.

The new pharmacist owner of Skelton Pharmacy in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, says he is “really looking forward to embarking on a new, exciting journey and to what the future holds”, after its sale was announced on November 13.

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Christie & Co pharmacy director Karl Clezy said the pharmacy was at an “affordable price level” and it was “placed the pharmacy on the market in the middle of February this year and we successfully agreed a deal after the first week in March”.

Previous owner Zulfiqar Rafiq had it for the past 11 years and had been mostly run by locums, and he wishes the new owner well as “he is buying a thriving and growing business with excellent staff and loyal patient base”.

Wylam Pharmacy

A Northumberland village pharmacy and flat has been sold for the first time in 22 years as its previous owner retires.

Wylam Pharmacy has been sold to Kiani Healthcare Ltd, and its managing director Reyhane Kiani hopes to build on the pharmacy’s “excellent local reputation” and “potential” by “by offering more services and delivering better care”.

Previous owner Andrew Nicholson has run it since 2002, with Christie & Co's Karl Clezy confirming the sale of the pharmacy “along with the freehold property including a flat above” last week (November 21).

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It’s the second pharmacy Kiani Healthcare owns, and Clezy said he is “confident they will develop this pharmacy and enhance patient care just like they did with their first branch”, with Wylam Pharmacy currently dispensing an average of 11,300 NHS items per month.

All pharmacies have been sold for undisclosed prices.