Feisal’s Posts

Alitam pharmacies have risen to the challenge of the pandemic, changing the healthcare landscape for good.

In a year in which almost every family has suffered loss due to Covid-19, and endured untold psychological damage, there has been one saving grace: the community pharmacist. Masterfully rising to the multifarious challenges of this unforeseen crisis (and often putting themselves at considerable risk), Alitam pharmacists have thrown open their doors when other healthcare providers stayed firmly shut. They’ve served a population bereft of clinical contact, unable to see their GPs or visit A&E, and done so with the utmost expertise and care. Across the UK and Ireland, the yawning gaps in the current healthcare system were highlighted and, as pharmacists filled them, a new model of healthcare based around the community pharmacist has arisen.

Humility and professionalism

As the founder of Alitam, I’m privileged to see first hand the talent and devotion of our community pharmacists. Even before the pandemic, many of our pioneering pharmacies had evolved to become the ‘well-being hubs’ of their community, offering everything from expert clinical advice and treatments to preventative healthcare and high-quality nutrition and beauty supplies. All with the care and familiarity that a dedicated pharmacy team can uniquely offer. Many pharmacies have been caring for three generations of a family, intimately understanding their needs and, often unvoiced, concerns.

Enter Covid-19 and, overnight, our healthcare system was on its knees. The daily news broadcast images of hospitals with no beds, almost all appointments were cancelled and the prevailing mood was of panic. GPs closed their surgery doors, able to see only urgent cases, but often unable to offer any online consultations. Huge swathes of our population could no longer access their usual source of clinical care. Mental and physical health was on the decline.

But with characteristic humility and professionalism, our pharmacists rose to the challenge; doing what they always do, but now to an astonishing degree.

An extraordinary contribution

The lengths our pharmacists have gone to are extraordinary. In the beginning, of course, pharmacists themselves were unaware of the level of risk, but opened six days a week anyway. Many offered a 24/7 service, ensuring no patient ever went without their medicine. They faced staff shortages due to illness and
self-isolation, and often relied on family members for cover so the needs of their community could be met. They faced PPE shortages too, and spent a great deal of time sourcing face masks, hand gel and gloves. Nevertheless, they ramped up their free delivery service, often delivering up to a 10-mile distance. Many pharmacists made local deliveries on foot at the end of the working day.

With a high proportion of pharmacies integrated into healthcare centres, it’s no surprise these became the linchpins of community healthcare. GP calls were diverted to pharmacies who could access clinical records and directly treat patients where necessary. One Alitam member reports a 40% increase in workload as GPs relied on his expertise. The deep gratitude expressed by GPs and other healthcare practitioners is testament to the size of the undertaking.

The benefits of technological innovations deployed throughout our stores have been felt like never before. Dispensing robots, automated dispensing machines and apps for online consultations have all enabled our pharmacists to spend more time looking after patients. One member is even pioneering the use of drones for prescription delivery.

Then of course there’s the vaccination program, which many Alitam members can join thanks to the size of their stores. Due to the sheer determination to protect their communities, busy pharmacists tackled the paperwork and training, and overcame many obstacles. With comprehensive Covid-19 testing also available in store, they’re providing enormous reassurance to customers far and wide.

Constancy in a crisis

Perhaps of paramount importance is customers’ reliance on the familiar figure of a pharmacist they trust. There’s huge gratitude for the constancy of contact, the caring tone, the unwavering source of support. This is the utterly unique contribution made by pharmacists and their teams, providing vital succour to needy communities. Its value is unquantifiable but strongly felt, and cannot be replicated elsewhere.

An eye-opening opportunity

On an unprecedented scale, the variety of clinical services provided by pharmacies – encompassing everything from UTI checks, sore throat clinics, blood tests and emergency contraception to diabetes and cardiac health screening – has eased the burden on state healthcare. Forced away from other points of access, customers’ eyes have truly been opened to the scope of pharmacies’ offering. It’s been there all along, but is now reaching so many people that perceptions are changing – among HCPs, governing bodies and the public at large. Pharmacies are now seen as the cornerstone of community healthcare, catching many issues before they develop in severity and contributing to the overall well-being of locals.

‘I had no idea you could do all this!’ is a familiar refrain heard by Alitam pharmacists. Covid-19 has allowed them to demonstrate the value of bricks-and-mortar pharmacies like never before. The future for pharmacies, and for all of us lucky citizens under their aegis, is incredibly bright.

About Feisal Nahaboo

Founder of the OMMG, is known as ‘the man who has awakened a sleeping accountancy profession and now the pharmacy industry’. Feisal has spent much of his earlier career revolutionising accountancy practices by helping them offer services beyond compliance. He has also stimulated growth in several sectors by advising and coaching tens of thousands of SME commercial businesses. Feisal is a highly coveted speaker at wealth management events across the UK. He has partnered and presented alongside some of the worlds greatest thinkers including Dr Stephen Covey.

Getting to know Alitam Founder Feisal Nahaboo.

Feisal was born to do things differently. Growing up on a council estate in Bracknell, there was never any doubt in his mind that he’d transform something, someday. “I was always looking at things in a different way to everyone else,” he says. “I could see, even then, that people tend to stick to the same way of doing things.” He smiles, “My instinct was always to turn things on their head, to creatively spin ideas in my mind and see what happens. You suddenly free up possibilities, it’s like you take the brakes off and can power forward.”

As a young man, it became very clear to Feisal and those around him that the corporate world was the right home for this unique drive. At the tender age of 27, Feisal took the leap of faith to leave employment with an intent to disrupt and innovate the accountancy sector. He began self employment by working from his 3-bedroom ex council house. Just affording a £5k deposit (and borrowing legal transaction fees from his parents), he purchased his first small home in 2002 and began industry disruption from his own bedroom. He invested just £450 on second hand goods including a desk, fax machine, printer and a very dated laptop. Within weeks, his marketing systems were working effectively and he was engaging thousands of accountants into seminars where he began a career of motivating, influencing and directing substantial change in the accountancy sector.

“For fifteen years I helped accountants develop their practice, beyond the statutory compliance-based services, to offer a huge amount more and lock their clients in for longer,” explains Feisal. “I enabled them to deliver a wide range of value-added services including employment law, HR, corporate finance, insolvency, financial services and technology to name a few. It not only transformed each individual accountancy practice, it turned them into flagships for accountancy as we see it today.”

A force of nature

Bob Stebbings has worked alongside Feisal since those early days, and fondly testifies to his remarkable qualities. “Feisal is a force of nature,” he grins. “He has unlimited reserves of energy and, if he decides that something needs to be done, it will get done. In any given situation, he has an innate ability to focus on the critical factor, to divine a range of possible solutions and to find the optimum path to the desired outcome.”

Now a highly sought after fixture on the speaking circuit, and widely acclaimed for his business acumen, strategic expertise and creative vision, Feisal is the one behind whom all others gather.

A world first

Feisal channelled his trademark ingenuity and extraordinary energy into the genesis of the Overnight Multiple Merger Model (OMMM). Hailed as a ‘corporate miracle,’ this world-first involved merging a significant number of companies into one group at low cost and in record time. It was a stunningly original idea, and is taking the world by storm.

Feisal explains, “From the affiliate business model down to the vertical integrated business model, there are at least 39 options out there for building a business of substantial size. But I could visualise another, one so elegantly simple and requiring a handful of staff to get the model up and running. It offers a low-risk vehicle for high profit after tax (PAT) and the ability to pay high dividends. You can now build a ‘corporate giant’ at low cost, maximum speed and with substantial profit and value.”

The very first OMMM was Xeinadin Group, a 122 strong accountancy firm merger, overnight on 31st May 2019.Xeinadin is named after Feisal’s two eldest children Zein and Nadine. “Typically, merging companies is highly challenging,” says Feisal. “Requiring agreement on shared business principles, objectives, values and ongoing strategy. And yet, after a year of discreet planning, with competitors completely unaware of any activity, an industry-changing top 12 accountancy company was born.” The result has been to turn the accountancy sector on its head. Xeinadin is out in front with regard to client service, innovation and profitability. Witnessing such success, Feisal could hardly stop there.

The future of pharmacy

“The beauty of the OMM model is that it applies to all sectors around the world. But I’d had my eye on the pharmacy industry in the UK and Ireland region for some time. I thought that the OMM could be the key to driving the change our vital pharmacy businesses needed.” Indeed, while Feisal is passionate about the OMMM, it’s with regard to the pharmacy industry that his eyes really light up. “We see now, more than ever, that the healthcare systems in the UK and Ireland are collapsing under the weight of increasing need. One of our operational board members, Sukhjit Singh Gil, describes the current health service as ‘a giant behemoth.’ He’s spot on. While it performs well in many ways, unfortunately it can’t be nimble and reactive enough to deal with the complex demands of today’s population.” He continues, “And yet all along we’ve had these caring, skilled professional pharmacists, deeply embedded in their communities, often able to clinically advise patients and thus avoid the need for hospital and GP visits. And that’s when I had my A-ha! moment. What I needed to do was create a group of the very best pharmacies in the UK and Ireland; and use the enormous cost efficiencies, innovations and drive afforded by this group to enable a sea-change in the way we do healthcare.”

The improvement of healthcare for all

And thus Alitam was born. Feisal was characteristically meticulous in the process. “I’ve handpicked the top performing pharmacists in these geographical territories,” he says. “Those with not only admirable clinical skills, but entrepreneurial and forward-thinking mindsets. People who inspire me every day with their commitment and vision. Each has a different strength they bring to the table: Oonagh O-Hagan demonstrates how retail flair can transform the pharmacy offering; Mark Ledwidge is redefining the way we prescribe medicines; pharmacists like Nathan Raymond and Karen O’Brien are collaborating with GPs like never before; the Walker brothers are delivering the ultimate wellness offering in store; Dhruv Patel is the doyen of NextGen thinking. That’s really just to mention a few.”

“All of it is built on collaboration and trust. For hundreds of years, pharmacies have worked in competition with each other. For the first time, we are pooling an enormous amount of wisdom, connections and talent to exploit all the abilities of pharmacists; to create wellbeing hubs throughout the UK and Ireland which dramatically ease the burden on the NHS and improve healthcare for all.”

The Alitam executive board is one of the most stellar ever seen. A huge source of pride for Feisal is his Alitam Chairman, Sir Ken Olisa. “Having Sir Ken at the helm fills me with certainty that we are building something special,” he says. “None other than the Queen’s right hand man is guiding us towards success. I know I must be doing something right,” he smiles.

From the outset, it was clear that Feisal had the talent and energy to make Alitam a ground-breaking pharmacy group. Many business propositions come and go, but this one is remarkable, trustworthy and here to stay.

Surrounded by brilliance

Feisal credits his success to surrounding himself with the leaders in their field. “The criterion of excellence I apply when picking a business also applies to the team around me,” he says. “I surround myself with brilliance: brilliant thinkers, the best financial brains, visionary entrepreneurs with phenomenal track records, the top marketing professionals. All of them are at the top of their game. I trust them completely.”

Alitam executive director Arnold Wylie agrees, “Feisal’s ability to build and shepherd a community of like-minded people is quite extraordinary. It’s undoubtedly a big factor in the success he has enjoyed to date. I know I speak for everyone when I say how grateful we are to be led by this exceptional figure. The pharmacy and healthcare worlds are about to be transformed. Knowing Feisal he won’t stop here. I’m aware he is already planning an innovative attack on the Veterinary, Optician, Legal, Nursing Home and financial services industries with many others to follow.”

Covid-19 death rates plummet 402% in 3 weeks as Alitam pharmacies continue vaccination programme.

Only 7 weeks ago, Alitam founder Feisal Nahaboo urged more Alitam pharmacies to prepare themselves to support the largest vaccination programme in UK and Ireland history. At the time, Feisal believed community pharmacists could play a significant role in helping reduce the Covid-19 infection rate and to help save lives.

Feisal says: “Seven weeks ago Covid-19 related deaths had surpassed 83,000 in the UK alone but the role of local pharmacies in vaccinating as many people as possible had made profound differences as shown in the key statistics released by our government. Three weeks ago an average of 672 patients were confirmed to have died per day after contracting the virus. A fortnight ago this daily average was reduced to 488 deaths. Once again, with community pharmacies’ support, the death rate reduced substantially to 255 on average per day just a week ago. The UK has recorded a further average daily loss of 167 lives in the current week. The official death toll since the start of the pandemic now stands at a staggering 124,987 and could have been much worse had it not been for the support of regional community pharmacies.

Sadly, we’ve lost a further 42,000 lives over the last 7 weeks. It’s been a horrendous period of loss. Families have been obliterated and the country has been mourning for too long. The roll-out of the vaccination programme through community pharmacies was probably a few weeks too late but clearly it’s made a profound difference in reducing infection and saving lives. As of January 13th 2021, 2,639,309 people had received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination. Today another 20 million people have received a jab with almost half of all UK adults having had the first dose. Now 34% of the entire UK population has received treatment compared to just 4% back then. The role of high street community pharmacy has been underestimated for too long. They’ve played a critical role in driving down fatalities and helping our NHS to stay on its feet. Normality is starting to return with the return of our children to school. Fatality figures show we are now at the lowest point since October 2020. This isn’t coincidental. Community pharmacy has played a key part and for that reason the Alitam Group would like to thank our industry for the support it’s shown in getting the country back to some normality.

Whilst our NHS service has been totally overwhelmed and tested to the greatest levels to date, latest results show signs of major breakthrough. Government data now shows Covid-19 deaths falling by 34% in the past seven days and the 29% fall in hospital admissions over the same period is the fastest decrease at any point in the pandemic.

Covid-19 figures may be plummeting but there’s still potential trouble ahead. We should all remain on red alert. On Friday 5th March 2021, a sixth person in the UK tested positive for the Brazilian coronavirus labelled P1. This P1 variant is thought to spread even more rapidly than the original virus. Worryingly this may also be capable of evading existing vaccines. On this basis, the government should ensure that GPs and community pharmacists are working hand-in-hand to ensure that there’s ongoing effective vaccination distribution ability in all major cities, towns and villages. We need to have the ability to reach the deep pockets of our home nations. This is where community pharmacy will play an ongoing role in combating current and future variants. Our communities will depend on the local pharmacy. The threat and fear of pandemics will lead to a major reliance on community pharmacy. In the event vaccinations are updated, these will need to be administered regularly, possibly on an annual basis. It’s the community pharmacies that will be key in making this possible.”

Prof Hayward, member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) said he does not think new variants of Covid-19 will completely
evade the protection offered by vaccines.

Between 25% and 61% of people in the Brazilian city of Manaus were susceptible to reinfection with the worrying P1 strain. Vaccine manufacturers are working on updated vaccines to tackle variants, which could be fast-tracked for approval by the autumn.

Prof Hayward said: “The vaccines will still take the sting out of it, if you like, and reduce the case fatality rates. Of course, we have the technology to update the vaccines and I think that’s where we’re going really, a situation that will be much more like flu, the numbers of deaths will be much more like flu, the approach to surveillance of new strains and development of new vaccines and regular annual vaccinations will be like that.”

Alitam group founder, Feisal Nahaboo, has masterminded an ambitious 12 month recruitment drive to build an Executive Board of breathtaking talent.

All Executive Directors are pioneers in their field – top strategists, entrepreneurs, pharmacists, accountants and lawyers. Every single appointee, including latest board addition Simon Newton, CFO, shares the drive to work collectively, as one body with one vision: to become the ‘Pharmacy of the Future’ and a FTSE100 company within five years. Thereby taking their careers to the next level.

This unprecedented achievement is the result of Feisal’s relentless drive to build the best board possible. He hand-picked the leaders in their field, exhaustively detailing to each Executive Director how he builds his unique, futuristic Overnight Multiple Merger Model (OMMM). Following a year of continual engagement and negotiations, Feisal has succeeded in appointing a formidable array of talent – one intent on Alitam becoming a leading FTSE company in the near future.

‘The Great Reset is now’

“This is my executive dream team,” says Feisal. “A board which is pushing past the boundaries, changing the paradigm for the pharmacy sector. We’re in the midst of a Great Reset. Covid-19 has brought much of the world to its knees and the inconsistencies and inadequacies of the health system have been exposed. But this is all to the benefit of the pharmacy sector, which has seen a phenomenal surge in business. Its enormous capacity to support the health of communities and ease the burden on the NHS is at last being realised. The combined talents of the exceptional Executive Board means Alitam is uniquely poised to capitalise on this growth and build the future of pharmacy, today.”

The Executive Board dream team

“This exceptional team brings together phenomenal talent and a balance of specialisms, age profiles and backgrounds,” says Feisal. Younger Directors, such as CEO Sanjay Patel, focus on the future with their passion for NextGen technology and initiatives like remote dispensing robots and online purchasing. While more experienced Directors bring a vast knowledge of strategy, PLC corporate governance, management of risk and investor relations. Indeed, this is the consummate combination of futuristic thinking and a considered approach. Offering both stability, and all the rewards of innovation.

The team is steered by Sir Ken Olisa who, as the Queen’s right hand man, manages the Royal Family’s duties. It boasts a politician, serving in London’s square mile; the CEOs of the two leading independent pharmacies in Ireland and Northern Ireland, respectively; the owner of Ireland’s most successful online pharmacy; 3 qualified accountants with ‘Top 4’ backgrounds; and one of Ireland’s most reputable lawyers.

The founder himself has a proven track record. From council estate roots and working from his bedroom in a shared house, Feisal set up the largest network of professionals of its type worldwide. Over 700 professional brands have aligned themselves with FEISAL over the past 18 years.

Many have given FEISAL glowing endorsements for the results he creates and the integrity he breathes. Known for his academic excellence and for being one of the UK’s leading thinkers in his field, FEISAL has lead change in professional service industries such as accountancy. Some of the world’s best businessmen have aligned with FEISAL. Dr Stephen Covey is an example. He wrote arguably the best business book of all time, ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. Dr Stephen Covey enjoyed FEISAL’s strategic thinking and motivational ability. They worked together on stage in front of sold out London audiences.

FEISAL has also worked on stage with current and former BBC Dragons Theo Paphitis and James Caan. FEISAL was involved with the launch of an entrepreneur degree at Huddersfield University which he and Paphitis announced at press conferences. Feisal’s specialist areas include profit development, strategic development, business-modelling, strategic marketing, wealth management, business consultancy and entrepreneurial ability.

Feisal founded Xeinadin Group in 2018. Within 2 years, he consolidated a world record 122 UK and Ireland accountancy firms in an overnight merger, creating one of the largest accountancy groups in UK and Ireland history. Many acquisitions were made based on specialisms and expertise per office with an intent of mass internal referral, creating maximum profitability for the group.

Similarly to Xeinadin Group, Feisal founded Alitam Group in November 2019. Within a year, he had built a world-class ‘Pharmacy of the Future’ concept and engaged over 200 UK & Ireland pharmacies to consolidate in his overnight multiple merger model. Alitam is set to become a top 5 in the pharmacy industry.

FEISAL is renowned for industry disruption in not just one but now two industries. Feisal has personally head-hunted Alitam Board Directors with AIM and FTSE100 experience; he has secured the confidence of one of the most trusted figures in the British establishment; and harnessed the skills of outstanding pharmacists and entrepreneurs. No wonder many talented individuals are now approaching Feisal with requests to join the Alitam board. The confidence in Feisal, his exceptional management team, and the Alitam Group, is growing beyond measure.

Insight into the Overnight Multiple Merger Model and its latest success, Alitam.

The brainchild of Feisal Nahaboo, one of the UK’s leading business strategists, the Overnight Multiple Merger Model (OMMM) is a world first: merging a significant number of companies into one group at low cost in record time. Each OMMM is planned to obtain major market share on consolidation. It offers a low-risk vehicle for high profit after tax (PAT) and the ability to pay high dividends.

Hailed as a ‘corporate miracle’ by industry insiders, the very first OMMM realised was the Xeinadin Group, a 122 strong independent accountancy firm merger, overnight on 31st May 2019.

“This is a futuristic business model, enabling us to build businesses quickly at low cost, while creating enormous top end values.” Feisal Nahaboo, Founder, the OMMG

Typically, merging companies proves to be highly challenging – requiring agreement on shared business principles, objectives, values and ongoing strategy. And yet, after a year of discreet planning, with competitors completely unaware of any activity, an industry-changing top 15 accountancy company was born. Harnessing so much specialist knowledge and experience has yielded many client benefits to date, as firms consolidate their services. The latest cloud-based technology enables 122 accountancy offices to integrate and merge more easily than ever before. In short, this allows the accountancy OMMM firm to deliver ‘global knowledge with a local touch.’

One of a kind

Each OMMM is built with no planned debt. Thus making it far more robust and attractive to third party investment. Any future profitable entrants as acquisitions are planned on an annual basis. Crucially, it’s a highly trustworthy enterprise, involving very skilled, experienced operators with close scrutiny by industry regulators. This unique model is impossible to replicate without inside knowledge; creating enormous value in its licensing ability and major competitive advantage for those who license the model through the OMMG. For the companies involved it offers a wide array of exceptional benefits such as: economies of scale and cost efficiencies to enhance profits; the pooling of exceptional talent and knowledge; and the ability, as an ‘industry disruptor’, to innovate and gain greater market share.

Introducing Alitam: the Pharmacy of the Future

And now to a defining moment in the Pharmacy industry. The overnight creation of Alitam, a merger of 46 highly successful UK and Ireland Pharmacy groups (cumulatively over 200 pharmacy stores) in total, with the clear and unique vision to be the ‘Pharmacy of the Future.’

Only with the OMMM can such a disruptive move be realised. With Alitam, the great potential of the Pharmacy sector can truly be tapped; using analytics and the latest technology to widen the remit of pharmacies, empower patients, ease the burden on the NHS and maximise profitability and market share.

Alitam is steered by an exceptional management team. All have been identified and head hunted by the founder. Known as the Queen’s ‘right hand man’, Sir Ken Olisa (OBE) acts as Alitam Group chairman outside his role as London’s Lord Lieutenant, where he manages the Royal Family’s duties.
Formerly on Reuter’s FTSE100 executive board, and now a non-exec Huawei board member, Sir Ken Olisa is a true believer in the group’s vision and the expanding role of pharmacy following covid-19. Others on the board include Oonagh O’Hagan, who has built a leading online pharmacy based in Dublin, Ireland. FD Simon Newton has formidable experience of the London stock exchange listing process. Whilst Sanjay and Mitul Patel run a large group of 40+ pharmacy stores. Patrick McCormack was former CEO of the Sam McCauley group, the largest independent pharmacy in Eire at the time. And board consultants include Michael Guerin, who owns the largest independent group in Northern Ireland, Medicare. With such talent, experience and creative vision at the helm, everybody from investor to company director to the NHS and, of course, the customer visiting their local store will benefit.

“Now we have one united, leading pharmacy-based services provider, motivated by an unprecedented, visionary opportunity to work together as one stronger entity towards a common goal.” Feisal Nahaboo

In fact, Alitam serves as a spotlight on so many of the benefits of an OMMM. The merger involved a multi-million pound consolidation of 46 groups, with over 200 stores, and an aspiration to build a FTSE100 company within 5 years. Some groups have over 40 stores, others are standalone businesses, but serve large communities in key locations. A projected £15m of savings has been achieved through: streamlining overheads; shared software licenses and regulation costs; insurance savings; creation of own brand Alitam products; and a cohesive marketing, promotion and recruitment strategy among others.

It opens the way to pioneering healthcare: with initiatives such as remote dispensing robots; offerings such as podiatry, audiology and physiotherapy; and community-level health programmes. A source of great pride is the early involvement of Alitam in the Covid-19 vaccination programme; their work has helped to significantly reduce the spread of Covid-19 and associated deaths. Beyond the impressive vaccination drive of local Alitam pharmacies, they have been a tour de force in their communities during the pandemic – remaining open and of great help to people while GPs’ services were much reduced. Alitam shows how pharmacies can rise to the challenge of a global emergency; providing a bedrock of support to individuals and the NHS as a whole.

Alitam is also forging ahead with a strong ethos of sustainability, with a variety of recycling and renewable energy policies including fleets of fully electric vehicles.

Investor licensing opportunities

In an exciting new development, the OMMG are currently licensing the model beyond Xeinadin and Alitam; offering high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs and equity directors of successful companies the opportunity to buy a license to operate an OMMM, with a down payment of £3-5m. The OMMG will work alongside investors, as a proven business partner, to build the business yield to a predicted £200m of ‘additional value’ within 12-24 months, which nets investors an opportunity for substantial ongoing returns.

Alternatively, investment can be made in the OMMG itself, thus investors would hold shares in all future, debt-free and highly profitable OMMMs.

Witnessing more miracles

With further OMMMs planned in the Nursing Home, Veterinary and Legal sector, to name but a few, there can be little doubt we are witnessing not just one, but many, corporate miracles.

Delivering a seismic change for good; not just for the investment sector, but for the economy as a whole.

Alitam is pleased to announce that a selection of its members are in the process of being approved to deliver COVID-19 vaccines.

Communities across England will benefit from this decision as the country records its largest daily infection rate and deaths, as statistics surpass the initial lockdown and wave 1 between March and July 2020.

Alitam Deputy Chairman and Next Gen of Clockwork Pharmacy Group ; Dhruv Patel OBE said: “The government has finally made a decision to include a selection of community pharmacies to deliver the COVID-19 vaccinations. The Clockwork Pharmacy Branch in Mare Street, Hackney Central, London E8 has been provisionally approved to be part of the programme. We are delighted to be contributing our services to help save lives in our community.”

Pharmacist and Managing Director of Clockwork Pharmacy, Prashant Patel said: “All three vaccines have now been authorised for use in the UK. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a significant level of increased traffic into community pharmacy, so it was a surprise that pharmacy contractors were not on the initial list of the vaccination rollout. Community pharmacists want to continue their frontline role and delivering COVID-19 vaccinations is relevant as the local communities trust us to serve them best. We can now help the country to reduce infections and deaths by helping to vaccinate communities and reduce the spread of this deadly virus. Our staff participating in the COVID-19 programme will be appropriately trained in accordance to guidelines set centrally.”

A limited number of pharmacies in England will be authorised to offer COVID-19 vaccinations from January 2021. Pharmacies will be asked to deliver at least 1,000 doses a week.

However, the select few will need to conform to a list of requirements. By example, there will be core site and workforce requirements such as service seven days a week, from 8am to 8pm.

Alitam pharmacies will receive £12.58 per vaccination and double this quantum for patients receiving two doses. Doses may take place about a month in between. Protective equipment, vaccines, and consumables will all
be provided centrally.

Patients will be able to book their vaccinations at a primary care network general practice site or use the national booking service to have the vaccine at an Alitam community pharmacy designated site.

Alitam urges the Government to roll out a walk in program to all Pharmacies who currently provide flu vaccination services. On the basis of each participating pharmacy administering just ten vaccines a day, the total per day vaccinated in pharmacy would be in the region of 100,000.

Alitam Group Founder, Feisal Nahaboo, has continued to encourage pharmacies to step forward and join the government’s COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Feisal believes community pharmacists can significantly help in reducing the infection rate and to save lives. COVID-19 related deaths has now surpassed 83,000 in the UK and Feisal predicts fatalities will continue way
beyond 100,000 unless more community pharmacists are permitted to vaccinate.

As of 13 January 2021, 2,639,309 people have now received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. Whilst this is a major start, 96% of the UK population is still at risk with the 4% vaccinated still needing additional doses.

The Government has set out its UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan for vaccinating tens of millions of people by spring 2021, yet Feisal does not believe the country is maximising its distribution capability and predicts the
level of fatalities is set to soar.

The current roll-out programme includes 206 active hospital sites, 50 vaccination centres, around 1,200 local vaccination sites – including primary care networks and community pharmacy sites.

Feisal said: “The epidemic is far worse than what we initially experienced in Spring 2020. Our NHS service is totally overwhelmed and resources are being stretched to unprecedented levels. As medical professionals, we must stand closely together and best support the government with its COVID-19 vaccination role out plan.

We are suffering, mourning and living a ‘major incident’. Our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children are all dying from this infection. Whilst there’s some light at the end of the tunnel, the tunnel still remains very long. Whilst we now have 3 vaccination types we must work more effectively to speed up the roll-out process. Every day we fail to maximise our vaccine distribution, a further 1,500 to 2,000 lives are lost. I ask all our community pharmacists to step forward and help the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Our communities have trusted community pharmacists from day 1 of this pandemic. Alitam pharmacies offer a number of vaccinations, including the flu jab, every year – our communities expect us to help keep them safe. As community pharmacies, we are agile and can adapt to standards required to deliver the vaccinations. I’m delighted to confirm that more Alitam pharmacies are being approved each day to support the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

On Friday, Sadiq Khan described London’s infection rate as being ‘out of control’’ with the London Ambulance Service (LAS) taking 2,500 additional calls to a normal busy day. As a result, 125 firefighters and 75 Met Police officers have been drafted in to support the LAS. London is one of the worst affected cities. We have reacted to this news by supporting the London region. We have a number of pharmacies preparing their London-based facilities to the standards set by the government.

I’m extremely proud of our pharmacy frontline workers. They are considered one of the unsung heroes of this unprecedented crisis. They’ve shown immense heart, integrity and bravery since the pandemic and they’ve never failed the public. As a group, we are pulling together whilst pooling our knowledge to best prepare our patients’ vaccinations in record time.”

Temple Pharmacy based in Ealing, London is the latest Alitam member to support the government in reaching its COVID-19 vaccination roll out programme.

According to Nadhim Zahawi, more than 2.4 million people in the UK have now received a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are being scaled up dramatically across the UK with the government aiming for 200,000 vaccinations per day by Friday. Alitam believes this figure can increase by at least 50% if more community pharmacists become involved.

Despite the surge of vaccinations, the roll out has seen mixed results to date. Mass vaccine centres have been opened in London, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Stevenage, Bristol and Epsom, but there’s an argument that some environments are far more suitable and desirable than others. Pensioners in their late 80’s have been arriving at London’s ExCel Centre to be vaccinated, with some leaving having waited 20 minutes in freezing cold conditions. Other pensioners complained they had been left breathless by tackling an assault course of steep ramps and banks of stairs. The introduction of community pharmacies to support the COVID-19 vaccinations will support this matter.

Dinesh Patel, owner of Temple Pharmacy said: “Community pharmacists are best placed to serve their communities. This is our role in society. Our patients expect this from us and we expect this from ourselves. Our facilities are local, have easy access for the aged, and patients will not be left waiting in freezing conditions for a COVID-19 vaccination.

The cold can impede our patients’ health, especially the age group who are eligible for the vaccination at this time. Our staff are well trained and will adapt to the requirements to deliver the COVID-19 vaccinations. We have already installed pole barriers throughout the pharmacy to segregate customers from vaccine patients. We have also increased signage around the store. In addition, we have increased our waiting room capacity to avoid senior citizens waiting in the cold.

Temple Pharmacy will play its part in saving our patients’ lives, whilst helping to reduce the infections across the south of England. Infections and deaths are still rising. Whilst it’s worrying times, the vaccinations will reduce the spread and, over time, bring our region and country back to some normality. We are delighted to play our part and be involved in the national COVID-19 vaccination roll out.”

Alitam Group launches as a leading UK and Ireland Consolidator, ambitiously but confidently positioning itself as the ‘Pharmacy of the Future’.

Born in only November 2019, the Alitam group is a hugely exciting planned consolidation of approximately 50 Pharmacy Groups across the UK and Ireland region. These groups would represent over 250 pharmacy stores. It is planned that these pharmacists will come together as one united, leading pharmacy-based services provider, motivated by an unprecedented, visionary opportunity to work together as one stronger entity towards a common goal. Positioning itself as the ‘Pharmacy of the Future’ the group aims to proactively tackle challenges facing the industry head on and turn those challenges into solid, marketable business opportunities.

By placing technology and best practice at the heart of its customer offering the group’s acquired firms will ensure that they continue to deliver the very best service possible to their vast and extremely loyal client base. With technological change comes huge business opportunity for those willing to go the extra mile. The group plans to lead that endeavour. Pharmacy companies within the group range from small, local outlets to larger, regional, multi-store groups with several Superintendents.

Together Alitam will house many hard working pharmacists in our local communities. Embedded as trusted advisers in their local communities and with recurring annual revenue streams, these pharmacies have proven themselves extremely resilient to past economic uncertainty and could be best placed to support customers through evolving technological, political and economic landscapes. With so many disruptive, but exciting ‘fintech’ solutions emerging such as Hub & Spoke, only the most open minded and determined of pharmacies will succeed where others may fall. The opportunity to embrace and support further pharmacies wishing to enter the group will only serve to make the group stronger, increasing it’s market share and pooled expertise.

Many of the pharmacies were head-hunted into the group on the basis of their corporate success, brand, strong historic growth and future potential. All are seasoned pharmacists highly motivated to make the group a resounding success. Importantly the group’s aim is not to impose a centralised brand on its pharmacies or restrict working practices. At the core of the group’s philosophy is a recognition of the huge value inherent in the individual, regional brand identities of its pharmacies and the impressive work they have put in to create highly successful businesses, build the trust of their customers and to tailor their services to the needs of their local communities.

All member firms will keep their original names and operate independently as they have done historically, but benefit greatly from the support of fellow pharmacies, pooled resources, cost efficiencies, economies of scale and a network of specialist service providers. In this way all acquired pharmacies can deliver ‘big group expertise’ and capability with the ‘care and attention of a small local business’. With a focus on future growth and business continuity the group has developed it’s ‘NextGen’ initiative, aimed at developing the next generation of business partners.

This initiative will seek to identify and develop the most talented pharmacists within the group to evolve to equity level whilst simultaneously recruiting some of the best external talent. In this way the group will address succession issues and allow existing pharmacists with a lifetime of service behind them to unlock some of the value of their businesses. With planned turnover of £300m+ by December 2020 the group will forge and develop substantial, cooperative relationships with key technology and AI software providers for more effective integration and management reporting systems.

Such relationships and technological tools will allow participating pharmacies to provide new or enhanced services to existing customers. Greater specialisms such 2020 as ‘aesthetics’ available within the group will allow pharmacists to refer more work internally to generate immediate returns, with huge potential for future growth. Alitam pharmacies will offer more than the traditional pharmacy. Alitam plans to reinvent pharmacy as it begins a pathway to compete in an array of new areas. The group expects its pharmacies to increase transactional activity within its community as a key trusted advisor.

With a strong community theme, the group has a major focus on mutual cooperation and collaboration in order to best support the pharmacists and their customers. Senior level expertise will be strengthened through a mixture of internal networking initiatives, group learning exercises and training workshops focusing on dynamic teamwork and leadership skills. Group expertise will be pooled and shared.

The group has a put in place a strategy to execute a number of boards to ensure it can deliver its business objectives and financial plan. These will be announced in due course but personnel include MD’s headhunted from the largest independent pharmacy groups in both the UK and Ireland jurisdictions. The group has identified and has commenced dialogues with over 50 UK & Ireland pharmacy groups (over 250 locations/stores), to enter the Group in the very near future. The group’s ambition is to continue growing, by incorporating successful pharmacies who share the group’s vision and ideas and who are very excited and motivated by the ‘Pharmacy of the Future’ concept.