Alliance UniChem sees healthy retail performance
Wholesale growth slower for European pharmacy operator
Alliance Unichem has seen stronger retail growth across the first half of it’s financial year balanced by a poorer wholesale performance.
The European healthcare group, said that the first six months of 2005 has seen growth in the wholesale division slower than in the comparable period last year, in part due to price cuts implmented by the Department of Health in the UK. Alliance said the market has now stabilised, with more normal market conditions expected in the second half.
In France, the group’s other main market, there continues to be an increase in direct sales to pharmacists by manufacturers, “but we remain confident that actions underway will generate benefits to help us address this trend.”
The group’s retail division continues to perform strongly, with the pharmacy acquisition programme currently ahead of plan due to the recent acquisition of Bairds Chemists, the 50 outlet pharmacy chain in Northern Ireland.
