Alliance Healthcare to open Boots pharmacies in Sweden

Alliance Healthcare has entered into a partnership with Farmacevtforetagarna to launch a chain of independent pharmacy outlets in Sweden.

The pharmacies will operate under the Boots brand name, with the plans having seen a positive reception in Sweden, leading to more than 100 entrepreneurs expressing an interest in participating.

A new business called Boots Farmacevtforetagarna will be established to support the new pharmacies, with the enterprise being 51 per cent owned by the Alliance Boots group.

The deal also sees Farmacevtforetagarna, which had previously been affiliated with the Swedish Pharmaceutical Association, become a separate and independent entity.

A spokeswoman for Alliance Boots has told PJ Online that the scheme, the first of its kind for the firm, is not planned to extend to the UK.

Meanwhile, Ornella Barra, chief executive for the company’s pharmaceutical wholesale division, said: “Alliance Boots’ aim is to launch Boots as a strong and trusted pharmacy brand in Sweden, whilst continually seeking ways to offer innovative products and services to patients and consumers.”