M&A In The Pharmacy Sector

Even though consolidation in the pharmacy services industry has been ongoing for several years, ample opportunity remains for mergers and acquisitions activity. It is inevitable that people will continue to need treatments for illnesses, which means that the demand for pharmaceuticals is always a robust market, and that directly correlates to the pharmacy industry. High demand translates to unique opportunities for sellers.

If businesses plan to stay competitive in the pharmacy industry, there are certain areas of focus in which they will need to remain vigilant.

The pressures of an increasingly on-demand society and getting medications to patients faster
Transparency must be clearly demonstrated when it comes to costs and start-ups are poised to capitalize on this market
Enhanced offerings to patients such as improved medication compliance or unique services that will help maintain a competitive foothold within an aggressive industry

Specialty Pharmacy

The subsector of specialty pharmacy has been a burgeoning industry and includes pharmaceuticals that are subject to certain criteria. They are used to treat chronic, rare, or complex conditions, and they typically come with a high price tag. Availability for these specialty treatments is only through exclusive or limited distribution and they can often require special handling, storage, or administration requirements. Their safety is under continuous monitoring and patients who require these treatments also require significant education regarding their use.

Therapies categorized under specialty pharmacy are often injections or infusions, but can also include oral biopharmaceuticals. The types of diseases typically managed by specialty pharmacies include cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS, and hepatitis C.

It has become common for specialty pharmacies to collaborate with hospitals, retail, and manufacturers. Such collaborations can improve patient access and patient care. It has also become more common for specialty pharmacies to consolidate for growth of market share and enhanced capabilities. New technologies play a large role in specialty pharmacy scalability. While scale is a clear marker of success, growth spans beyond the biggest companies to mid-tier pharmacies. Independent retail community pharmacies are finding more cost-effective ways to serve customers by creating collaborative networks that also make them more appealing partners for manufacturers. When it comes to M&A in the arena of limited-distribution drugs, strong capabilities and payer relationships are key to gaining exclusive access to these higher-priced therapies.

Infusion therapies are already a major driver of revenue growth, and are seeing more attention in the specialty pharmacy market to boost margin growth amid a slowdown in the introduction of new drugs. Additionally, more and morepatients are being treated in outpatient settings and in their own homes. Herein lies a major opportunity for specialty pharmacy to establish complementary strengths in infusion therapy.

Institutional Pharmacy

Nursing homes, hospitals and hospices that do not have an on-site pharmacy rely on institutional pharmacies to repackage and deliver prescription medications and other services for administration. Demand in this sector grows as the population ages, and there is a need for nontraditional revenue streams such as patient therapy evaluations, regulation compliance strategies, and clinical management programs that employ newer technologies.

In this multi-billion-dollar market, institutional pharmacy providers are faced with a particularly intricate set of organizational and regulatory challenges. Navigating these issues requires innovative solutions for institutional pharmacy providers across a multitude of topics that range from pricing to compliance.

Keys to Successful M&A in the Pharmacy Sector

Innovation is driving the charge to unlock rapid growth in this space with focus on smart, actionable data, lower cost-of-care workflows, and better technology platforms. A skillfully executed M&A strategy makes all the difference in achieving meaningful growth aspirations.

A solid integration strategy plays an important role in pharmacy M&A to ensure that the structure creates advantages and retains talent while aligning corporate cultures, values and objectives. M&A transactions in the pharmacy space require careful planning, due diligence, and attentiveness to manage the intricacies of integrating multiple systems, processes, and organizations. Aspects that should be evaluated include relationships, clinical platforms, therapeutic areas, IT capabilities, business development, marketing, and sales.

Market timing is key, and you must have a concrete plan for how to partner effectively to expand capabilities. These deals demand a clear vision and organizational leadership focus across multifunctional disciplines in order to achieve M&A synergy.

Contact Us

Are you ready to sell your company? Even if you are not sure, it is a great idea to have a conversation about your future with our M&A specialists. We can offer you expert strategies for how to grow your business, create a winning exit strategy, and executing a lucrative deal.

Americas: Sam Smoot at +1 (813) 898 2350 / Smoot@BenchmarkCorporate.com

Europe: Carl Settle at +44 (0)161 359 4400 / Settle@BenchmarkCorporate.com

Africa: Anthony McCardle at +2721 300 2055 / McCardle@BenchmarkCorporate.com

ABOUT BENCHMARK INTERNATIONAL

Benchmark International’s global offices provide business owners in the middle market and lower middle market with creative, value-maximizing solutions for growing and exiting their businesses. To date, Benchmark International has handled engagements in excess of $6B across various industries worldwide. With decades of global M&A experience, Benchmark International’s deal teams, working from 12 offices across the world, have assisted hundreds of owners with achieving their personal objectives and ensuring the continued growth of their businesses.

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