Pharmacy2U
{{Short description|Online pharmacy located in the UK}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Pharmacy2U
| logo = Pharmacy2U.svg
| logo_size =
| type = Online pharmacy
| industry = Pharmaceutical
| founded = 1999
| founder = Daniel Lee
| defunct =
| location = Thorpe Park, Leeds, England
| area_served = United Kingdom
(prescriptions)
| key_people = {{unbulleted list|Mark Livingstone|(CEO)|Gary Dannatt |(COO) |Maya Moufarek|(CMO)}}
| products = NHS repeat prescriptions service
| owner =
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent =
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}
Pharmacy2U is a British online pharmacy company, which manages NHS repeat prescriptions on behalf of patients.
History
Pharmacy2U was founded by pharmacist Daniel Lee in November 1999, and launched to the public in June 2000.{{Cite web |title=Journey to Pharmacy 2U |url=https://www.pharmacymagazine.co.uk/journey-to-pharmacy-2u#:~:text=Pharmacy2U%20was%20founded%20by%20Daniel,delivery%20services%20in%20the%20UK. |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=www.pharmacymagazine.co.uk |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Connelly |first=Dawn |date=2024-02-29 |title=Special report: has the online pharmacy bubble burst? |url=https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/feature/special-report-has-the-online-pharmacy-bubble-burst |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=The Pharmaceutical Journal |language=en-US}}
The British Medical Association initially had concerns about the use of internet prescribing and wanted to know more about Pharmacy2U's service. The chairman of the BMA's prescribing committee, George Rae, said "I would advise against getting private prescriptions over the internet because the patient's GP is not involved".{{cite news |title=UK's first online pharmacy opens |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/537928.stm |access-date=12 June 2019 |work=BBC News }} By July 2000, the council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society had established the standards of professional practice for those who wished to provide pharmaceutical services via the internet.{{cite book |title=Medicines, ethics and practice : a guide for pharmacists. |date=2000 |publisher=Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain |isbn=0853694648 |pages=129 |edition=Vol. 24 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uu_NMQEACAAJ |access-date=12 June 2019}} By August 2000, Pharmacy2U was one of the founding members of the European Association of Mail Service Pharmacies.{{cite journal |title=Internet-Apotheken: Qualitätssiegel entwickeln |journal=Deutsches Ärzteblatt |date=8 December 2000 |url=https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/25336 |access-date=12 June 2019 |language=de}}
Pharmacy2U was involved in the first pilots to trial the electronic transfer of prescriptions (EPS) which went live in June 2002.{{cite news |title=Patients to get home delivery of medicines |work=The Yorkshire Post |date=14 August 2001}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/pj-online-news-etp-pilots-go-live-as-deadline-nears/20007004.article?firstPass=false|title=ETP pilots go live as deadline nears|date=8 June 2002|work=The Pharmaceutical Journal|access-date=25 March 2020}} With EPS, patients could request prescriptions electronically, and receive their medication by a postal delivery rather than picking it up in person.{{cite news |title=Whitehall is late getting online |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/2716274/Whitehall-is-late-getting-online.html |access-date=12 June 2019 |work=The Telegraph |date=29 April 2001}}
By 2003, Pharmacy2U had incorporated 142 surgeries into its program.{{cite news |last1=Mathieson |first1=S. A. |title=Inside IT: All good things come to an end |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2003/jul/10/medicineandhealth.onlinesupplement |access-date=12 June 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=10 July 2003}}
In October 2015, Pharmacy2U were fined £130,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office for selling the names and addresses of patients without their permission. A spokesman apologised and said that Pharmacy2U would no longer sell patient data.{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Chris |title=NHS-approved pharmacy fined for selling patients' details without their consent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/pharmacy2u-nhs-approved-pharmacy-fined-130000-for-selling-patients-details-without-their-consent-a6701411.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/pharmacy2u-nhs-approved-pharmacy-fined-130000-for-selling-patients-details-without-their-consent-a6701411.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=12 June 2019 |work=The Independent |date=20 October 2015 }}
During the opening of their £3.5 million Leeds-based dispensary in 2015, Pharmacy2U stopped providing medication for several weeks due to a failure in their automated dispensing system. A Pharmacy2U spokesman apologised, saying that "unforeseen difficulties" had led to "unexpected delays for some orders".{{cite news |last1=Ward |first1=Victoria |title=Hundreds of patients left without medicines over Christmas due to technical problems at online pharmacy |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/12075810/Hundreds-of-patients-left-without-medicines-over-Christmas-due-to-technical-problems-at-online-pharmacy.html |access-date=12 June 2019 |date=31 December 2015}}{{cite web |last1=Horti |first1=Samuel |title=Pharmacy2U loses 5,000 patients after Xmas delivery disaster {{!}} Chemist+Druggist |url=https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/news/thousands-patients-leave-pharmacy2u |website=www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk |date=17 February 2016|access-date=13 June 2019}}
In January 2016, Pharmacy2U merged with ChemistDirect.co.uk who specialise in over-the-counter remedies. ChemistDirect.co.uk's Mark Livingstone took on the role of CEO for the newly formed group with Daniel Lee moving to chief pharmacy officer.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Tamlyn |title=Online pharmacy Chemist Direct in merger deal |url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/leads-deals/mergers-acquisitions/online-pharmacy-chemist-direct-merger-11564767 |access-date=12 June 2019 |work=Birmingham Post |date=4 July 2016}}
In July 2017, Pharmacy2U's direct mail was criticised for leaving patients confused about their repeat prescriptions.{{cite news |last1=Tominey |first1=Camilla |title=Pharmacy2U repeat prescriptions: NHS patients 'confused' over P2U direct mail campaign |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/829082/Pharmacy2U-repeat-prescriptions-NHS-P2U-Leeds-direct-mail |access-date=12 June 2019 |work=Daily Express |date=16 July 2017 }}
The company was in a legal dispute in late 2018 over the rights of the contact details of members of the National Pharmacy Association. The presiding judge expressed concerns over the company's ability to "pick off" individual members.{{cite web| url = https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/news/pharmacy2u-loses-legal-battle-for-contact-details-of-npa-members/20205910.article&firstPass=false| title = Pharmacy2U loses legal battle for contact details of NPA members| work = Pharmaceutical Journal| last = Wickware| first = Carolyn| access-date = 29 December 2018}}
As of May 2019, Pharmacy2U has over 350,000 nominated EPS patients.{{clarify|date=June 2019}}{{cite web |title=Statistics |url=https://digital.nhs.uk/services/electronic-prescription-service/statistics |website=NHS Digital |publisher=NHS Digital |access-date=12 June 2019 }} In November 2019, Pharmacy2U dispensed over 621,128 prescription items.{{cite web |title=Pharmacy and Appliance Contractor Dispensing Data |url=https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/prescription-data/dispensing-data |website=NHS Business Services Authority statistics |publisher=NHS Business Services Authority statistics |access-date=12 June 2019}} Pharmacy2U was named no.91 in 2019's Sunday Times Tech Track 100.{{cite web|url=https://www.fasttrack.co.uk/company_profile/pharmacy-2u/|title=Sources: The Sunday Times Tech Track 100|date=7 September 2019|access-date=9 September 2019}}
The company made a loss of £16 million in 2018/19, although it added 330,000 new NHS patients and dispensed more than 5.3 million NHS prescriptions.{{cite news |title=Pharmacy2U made £16m loss in 2018-19, report reveals |url=https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/news/pharmacy2u-made-16m-loss-annual-financial-report-shows |access-date=24 February 2020 |publisher=Chemist & Druggist |date=10 January 2020}}
In 2020, Pharmacy2U opened a dispensary in Leicester, almost completely automated and capable of dispensing up to 6.5 million prescription items a month.{{cite news |last1=Bradshaw |first1=Julia |title=Robots replace pharmacy dispensers as online drugs orders will be processed almost entirely by machine |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/06/30/robots-replace-pharmacists-online-drugs-orders-will-processed/ |access-date=9 March 2020 |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=30 June 2019}}
In March 2021, it was reported that Pharmacy2U was exploring a potential sale to a new private equity backer.{{Cite web|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/nhs-online-prescription-giant-pharmacy2u-142700235.html|title = NHS online prescription giant Pharmacy2U eyes sale bonanza}}
Pharmacy2U acquired the LloydsDirect business from LloydsPharmacy in October 2023 for an undisclosed sum.{{Cite web |last=Stent |first=James |date=2023-10-06 |title=Pharmacy2U buys LloydsDirect for undisclosed sum |url=http://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/CD137325/UPDATED-Pharmacy2U-buys-LloydsDirect-for-undisclosed-sum |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Chemist and Druggist}}
References
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