Pharmacy chain set to reduce cost , offer quality health care
By Stephen Macharia
The idea of operating a community pharmacy in Kenya seemed non-lucrative and abstract a decade ago , with low investor confidence in the business model .
A number of them , however , continue to spruce up strategically located in busy towns and buzzing estates across the country .
Haltons Limited is one such community pharmacy - a story of grass to grace .
Service in one of the Haltons Pharmacy Branches
The company , which started a single business entity has registered stellar growth to 52 pharmacies in less than a decade , “ providing replicable medical services across all branches ”.
“ Our growth highlights the potential of a business model many people deemed null and void ,” said the pharmacies ’ chief pharmacist and founder , Louis Machogu .
A sundry thought that Dr Machogu was committing a career suicide when he showed the government sector his back and ventured into the community pharmacy retail business .
Founded in 2007 , the company currently boasts of an annual turnover of over Sh190 million and a workforce of 180 - a majority of whom are pharmaceutical technologists .
Haltons projects to grow its revenue to Sh 600 million with the current number of branches with further predictions to touch the Sh1 billion mark after opening 50 other branches . It targets 200 branches by 2018 .
The pitiable healthcare services and a desire to create an “ ecosystem of quality ” medicine for patients in Kenya , is what hatched the dream to start the first corporate chain of community pharmacies in the country , said Louis .
“ We were the first to start a chain of pharmacies in a corporate way . Other people were doing it but as oneman show . We run as a corporate with internal corporate governance structures that include quality assurance and integrity of products ,” Mr Machogu said in an exclusive interview with the Health Business magazine .
According to him , Haltons carries the vision of standardised quality pharmacy services in the country . Machogu also believes that emerging pharmacy chains such as Goodlife and Safedose further Haltons course of professionalised pharmacy services and place the country on track to achieve quality drugs for Kenyans , promoting industry self-regulation .
“ Chains of pharmacies do not compete but complement each other in promoting the idea of chain outlets ,” he said adding that his dream is to see community pharmacies become the norm in provision of healthcare . That , according to him , will standardise pharmaceutical services and lead to cheaper cost of medication .
He urged pharmacists to institute measures to curb counterfeit drugs by professionalising pharmacy business through stocking of quality drugs and employing qualified staff . Pharmacy chains according to Louis will institutionalise quality pharmacy services
16 November-December 2016