Pharmacy2U, the UK’s largest online pharmacy, has made its first significant foray into the care home pharmacy sector with the acquisition of Care Quality Pharmacy (CQP) in January 2026. This strategic move aims to enhance medication management services to meet the complex healthcare requirements of care home residents. CEO Kevin Heath views the acquisition as a "natural extension" of Pharmacy2U’s strategy, expanding its services beyond its core online repeat dispensing model into a segment that demands specialised clinical oversight and personalised care. This move addresses a substantial market, with care homes accounting for an estimated 42 million NHS prescription items and costs nearing £410 million in 2024/25. It also aligns with the critical need to support the UK's ageing population, whose residents often have multiple long-term conditions, making effective medicines management vital for improving quality of life and reducing hospital admissions.
Founded in 2013, Care Quality Pharmacy specialises in serving care homes, extra-care services, and domiciliary care agencies across England, Scotland, and Wales. CQP distinguishes itself by offering comprehensive services, including care planning integrations, compliance visits, audit support, and staff eLearning modules. Crucially, it provides both paper-based and the increasingly important electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) chart services, which are essential for reducing medication errors among older adults, backed by structured clinical governance and staff training.
The combined entity is expected to deliver improved service through the integration of CQP’s specialised offerings, such as eMAR and care planning, with Pharmacy2U’s large-scale technological infrastructure. Care homes will benefit from a more dependable supply service, leveraging Pharmacy2U’s reported 98% medicine stock availability, alongside robust clinical support. Patients, families, and care providers can anticipate streamlined access to prescriptions, enhanced medicines management, and integrated staff training. Furthermore, this acquisition supports NHS and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) strategic goals around medicines optimisation, with the aim of preventing prescription errors, improving adherence, and ultimately reducing emergency admissions.
While Managing Director Usman Tahir confirmed the partnership will allow CQP to focus on service improvement and growth, the consolidation in the pharmacy sector, exemplified by Pharmacy2U's history of acquisitions, has previously attracted regulatory scrutiny regarding competition. However, the current deal focuses on specialised, rather than general retail, pharmacy services. Overall, Pharmacy2U's entry into the care home sector signifies a broader trend of digital platforms merging with specialised clinical services to address the needs of high-needs populations. The subsequent impact of this technology-integrated care model on patient outcomes and service quality will be a key development to monitor.
