Chemist Direct
| Industry | Healthcare |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | , United Kingdom |
Key people | Mark Livingston: CEO |
Chemist Direct is a UK-based company providing medical products and services in addition to beauty products online.
History
2007–2013:
Founded in 2007 by Mitesh and Krishna Soma in Birmingham, the company attracted early investment—including around £3 million from Atomico—in 2009.[1] In 2011, Stuart Rowe was appointed CEO, and by 2013 the company raised approximately $10 million from Atomico, Lepe Partners, and DMG Media to support rapid growth in online prescription, health advice, and pet medicines.[2]
2016: Merger with Pharmacy2U
In July 2016, Chemist Direct merged with NHS repeat-prescription-focused Pharmacy2U in a deal worth over £40 million. The combined business claimed a customer base of 1.5 million and capacity to dispense up to 1 million prescription items per month. Mark Livingstone became CEO and Pharmacy2U founder Daniel Lee became COO.[3]
2016-2020: Post-merger evolution
The merged entity scaled NHS repeat dispensing and clinician-led services. By May 2019, Pharmacy2U—now inclusive of Chemist Direct offerings—was dispensing over 500,000 medication items per month with more than 350,000 EPS-affiliated patients. Revenue rose from £25.8 m in 2017 to £43.2 m in 2018, despite posting losses around £16 m–£20 m.[4] Chemist Direct continued to sell under its trade name.
2020-2023: Expansion
In 2023, Pharmacy2U acquired LloydsDirect, integrating it under a unified brand and combining strengths in digital prescription fulfillment and clinical care.[5]
Growth and current status
In July 2016, it announced a merger with Pharmacy2U.[6]
References
- ^ "Chemist Direct - Business Model Exemplar". Business Model Zoo. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ^ Sweney, Mark (2013-07-03). "Daily Mail publisher and Skype co-founder invest in ChemistDirect". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ^ "Pharmacy2U and Chemist Direct merge in £40m deal". The Pharmaceutical Journal. 2016-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ^ Connelly, Dawn (2019-07-11). "Inside Pharmacy2U". The Pharmaceutical Journal. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ^ "Pharmacy2U and LloydsDirect unite". Pharmacy2U. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ^ "Leeds' Pharmacy2U completes £40m merger with Chemist Direct to create industry giant". Bdaily. 4 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.