LloydsPharmacy has opened its first franchised outlet at Gloucester. Andrew Lane, pharmacist and entrepreneur has partnered with LloydsPharmacy’s parent company, Celesio, to grow and develop his pharmacy by enhancing services for local customers and patients under a nationally known brand.

Celesio, has already transformed more than 300 pharmacies in the UK, by providing patients and customers with a modern, fresh pharmacy environment. It is a leading provider of integrated healthcare services to the NHS specialising in medicines, pharmaceutical care and primary care patient services.

Nigel Swift, marketing and sales director of Celesio UK, said: “The launch of the first LloydsPharmacy franchise store is a very exciting time for us. We have spoken to a lot of pharmacy entrepreneurs about what they’d like us to offer and created a compelling proposition, including complete end-to-end solutions, welcoming independent pharmacies into the brand.

“Franchisees will benefit from access to our vast expertise and capabilities, comprising a number of support services which include HR provision, IT infrastructure, pharmacy and retail standard operating procedures, store design and category management.”

Lane commented: “I am very pleased to be joining LloydsPharmacy. I truly believe through the franchise initiative we will be able to deliver more benefits and health services to the local community we currently serve, supporting patients’ health and well-being needs by combining our experience and local knowledge with the services and expertise from LloydsPharmacy.”

As a franchisee, Lane will have access to the full suite of health service training for his team, providing them with the opportunity to offer free enhanced health services for a range of conditions including skin health, pain management and smoking cessation, as well as Type 2 diabetes screening and blood pressure monitoring. He will also be offering the independent living range, Betterlife.

LloydsPharmacy has over 1,600 pharmacies across the UK. They are based predominantly in community and health centre locations. The company employs over 17,000 staff and dispenses over 150 million prescription items annually.