This question has different answers depending on the size of the pharmacy. Over the past few years, there’s a been a tendency to have as many as possible due to frequent shortages and prices hikes. All mainline and shortline wholesalers buy from the same manufacturers across the world and if there are manufacturing and or supply issues such as sourcing API it impacts all wholesalers. A short term way of minimising the impact of price increases is to buy in bulk for upto 3 months’ supply subject to available cash and storage space. Pharmacy Friends offers a monthly tender for the first 5 workings days of each month which gives you an opportunity to purchase c.260 generics and 25 PIs at very competitive prices.

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It’s important to understand the more suppliers you have, the more time you take in checking deliveries, waiting to speak to customer services, chasing missing items and claiming credit notes to save a few pence. That time can clearly be spent doing more productive work around the pharmacy.

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Wholesalers are currently facing several issues such as the increase in minimum wage, more regulatory burden, increased distribution costs and limited warehouse operatable capacity. As a result wholesalers are reviewing existing accounts to assess their profitability and will increase minimum monthly spend thresholds or close the account if it is unprofitable. These actions are there to drive loyalty back to a wholesaler and it may seem that loyalty is a dead concept today, however, I think this notion will slowly come back into play. Pharmacy Friends believes in working with fewer partners with whom we can all develop a respectful and long standing relationship with. Therefore, choose your suppliers carefully and deal with those who will treat you as a valued customer.