Lincolnshire Co-op joins Company Chemists’ Association

The Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), the trade association for multiple pharmacies, has announced that Lincolnshire Co-op will be joining as a member as of 1 January 2025.

Offering a wide range of services from its family of businesses for over 160 years, the independent consumer cooperative owns 43 pharmacies in and around Lincolnshire and surrounding counties.

Lincolnshire Co-op also operates a pharmacy wholesale business, and a central fill pharmacy, which now serves over half of its branches. The facility, based in Lincoln, has dispensed over 1.4m prescription items so far this year.

“I am delighted to welcome Lincolnshire Co-op into the CCA,” Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the CCA, said.

“The CCA has long been the trade association for multiple pharmacies. We are very proud of our heritage and how we support our members as they continue to provide world class health and wellbeing services from their pharmacies. As the trade association for multiple pharmacies, we work to shape the future of community pharmacy and to create an environment where our members can operate in confidence, able to invest in their futures.

“The operation and scale of Lincolnshire Co-op means that it is a perfect fit for the CCA. We are very excited to welcome new colleagues into our membership, so that we can share knowledge, experience and skills with each other, for the benefit of patients, the NHS, and the community pharmacy sector.”

Alice Hare, head of care, Lincolnshire Co-op, added: “We have worked with the CCA on specific areas of pharmacy practice for several years, and joining the CCA feels like the best way for us to continue with our collaboration and benefit from the exceptional support it provides members.

“The CCA represents multiple pharmacies so is a good for fit us, especially as we look to the future and how we can further invest to grow in pharmacy and support our communities with health and wellbeing services.

“I am looking forward to meeting the CCA’s other members in the coming weeks and months and contributing to their collective efforts to build the future for community pharmacy.”

Lincolnshire Co-op has its own membership scheme and dividend card and offers a widespread programme of community support, including a pop-up community health pod, which tours community events offering free health checks.