AstraZeneca announces direct drug distribution deal with UniChem, AAH Pharmaceuticals

Source: Healthcare Exec

Date :20/12/2007 10:21:48

Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals company confirms new supply and delivery service, AAH Pharmaceuticals Limited and UniChem Limited to act as AstraZeneca's agency partners.

Luton AstraZeneca UK Ltd announced details of its new direct partnership with community pharmacies, dispensing doctors and hospitals, including the supply and delivery service and commercial arrangements yesterday.

Both its new supply and delivery service –announced earlier in 2007 – and the commercial arrangements will launch on 2 February 2008.

From this point, UniChem, the Alliance Boots unit and Celesio’s AAH Pharmaceuticals will act as agency partners to deliver AstraZenca’s agency partners to deliver AstraZeneca medicines directly to customers and patients in the UK the company said.

Office of Fair Trading

The announcement comes despite warning from the Office of Fair Trading that such arrangement could add hundreds of millions of to the annual drugs bill of the National Health Service.

AstraZeneca said that it had taken the conclusions and recommendations of the report.

“(AstraZeneca)…maintains that this new direct relationship with customers represents its commitment to a shared agenda with pharmacy customers, the NHS, healthcare professionals, as well as the Government in delivering more effective and efficient healthcare to patients,” the company said.

December 20, 2007