Nottingham pharmacy races towards £50m turnover as weight-loss boom fuels growth
X
Register for free to receive latest news stories direct to your inbox
Register
A Nottingham online pharmacy is on track to hit record revenues of around £50m this year after demand for weight-loss medication transformed the business
The Family Chemist, based on Nottingham South & Wilford Industrial Estate in West Bridgford, expects turnover to rise from around £30m in 2024 to £50m this year, with ambitions to double revenues again to £100m by 2027
The company, which employs 40 people, is now planning to recruit a further 20 staff and is searching for larger premises after outgrowing four sites since launching its GLP-1 weight-management service
Weight-loss medication now accounts for around 70% of the company’s business, with demand accelerating following the launch of the UK’s first oral GLP-1 weight-loss tablet
According to the company, order volumes have increased by between 20% and 30% since the introduction of the new tablet, which offers an alternative to injectable treatments
Clinical director Sunny Dhain said early evidence suggested the medication was attracting patients who had previously been reluctant to seek treatment
He said: “The early evidence strongly suggests that the new tablet is bringing some completely new patients into GLP-1 treatment. The finding that 36.1% of early users had no previous GLP-1 treatment supports the view that an oral option is removing barriers for some patients
“Needle avoidance is likely to be one of those barriers, given that approximately one in five adults may experience some degree of needle or injection fear. Affordability, convenience, privacy, availability and not needing refrigerated medication may be equally important factors.”
Founded as an online pharmacy business, The Family Chemist has now served more than one million customers and built a patient base exceeding 500,000 people
The company says its growth has driven recruitment across clinical, technology, logistics and customer support functions, including pharmacists, independent prescribers, software developers and fulfilment specialists
Dhain said the business was investing heavily in technology, automation and clinical systems to support future expansion
“We’ve experienced extraordinary growth over the past few years, but our focus has always been on building a safe, clinically-led healthcare business rather than simply processing more prescriptions,” he said
“We’ve moved premises four times already and are now looking for a larger site that will support the next chapter of the business while maintaining the high standards our patients expect.”
The company expects further job creation in Nottingham over the next year as it expands its operations and prepares for higher dispensing volumes and increased demand for weight-management treatments
Previous Article
Next Article
