We grow with our strategy
Dear Shareholders, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We can look back on a successful first half of 2022. With sales growth of 5.5%, we exceeded our forecast.
With the coronavirus measures being lifted, we are gradually returning to a new normal, which has also had a positive impact on the business performance of the Group as a whole. We were also able to invite our shareholders to a General Meeting in May for the first time in two years, giving us a chance to welcome them in person.
We have compiled an operational review of the first half of the year for you in the Management Report.
The outbreak of the war in Ukraine has shown us once again how quickly the sense of security we are used to can turn into uncertainty. Within the Galenica Group, we wasted no time in organising aid deliveries and, as long as circumstances permitted, transporting them directly to Ukraine with the help of our logistics partners. Our employees also donated CHF 116,000 to the Swiss charitable foundation «Swiss Solidarity». Galenica has doubled this amount, thus making at least one additional contribution towards helping the Ukrainian people. We would like to thank all employees of the Galenica Group for their solidarity and donations.
«We are actively shaping the digitalisation of the health system and driving forward the networking of all stakeholders.»
Galenica continues to drive digitalisation forward
We want to play an active role in shaping and driving forward the digitalisation of the healthcare system. This includes forming networks of everyone involved – from patients, pharmacies, hospitals and doctors to health insurers. The focus is always on keeping processes as simple, efficient and safe as possible for our patients and customers to help lower overall costs. In addition to our own digital offerings, we are striking up strategic partnerships with digital solution providers. One example is our investment in the Well healthcare platform. This enables customers to benefit from even easier access to our services. Well also supports healthcare professionals, as it gives them the option to connect the functionalities and data to their existing systems and, for example, allocate appointments via Well or use health data that users share with them via the app.
In the first half of the year, we worked intensively on our e-prescription solution and our e-Mediplan. We will now test these with the help of partners in various pilot schemes. Patient safety and the needs of our customers are our top priority. E-prescriptions can make a crucial contribution to ensuring these needs are met.
The pharmacy as the first point of contact for health issues
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the important role that pharmacies play and shown their potential as a first point of contact for health issues. With our pharmacy services and advice, we are not only able to offer patients and customers a low-threshold range of health-related services, but also make a significant contribution towards reducing the overall cost of treatment. The figures clearly show that what we offer is appreciated and used by our customers. Demand has increased by about 60%: while around 27,000 customers used the services and advice offered by pharmacies in the first half of 2021, this figure had already risen to 43,000 in 2022.
Pharmacies can only fulfil this important role in the healthcare system thanks to their competent and dedicated employees. Like many other sectors, healthcare is facing an acute shortage of skilled workers, which is also evident at Galenica’s pharmacies. Galenica uses various elements to position itself as an attractive employer. For example, services and advice enrich the work of pharmacy employees and give them the opportunity to use their full expertise to help customers, supported by up-to-date training and further education programmes that enable employees to expand and consolidate their skills. In recent months, we have also developed some new ways to attract new specialist staff.
New home care services create added value for patients and their caregivers
The ever-increasing need for care to be provided at home as far as possible, our ageing society and the cost pressures associated with this are creating a greater need and demand for outpatient services and treatment options. That is why we are playing an active role in steering the shift towards more services in the home care sector and offering simple and practical solutions for both patients and their caregivers, such as nursing homes and home-care organisations. In March 2022, we teamed up with Medicall to set up the joint venture Emeda. The Emeda team consists of mobile doctors who specialise in outpatient geriatric medical care for residents of nursing homes. Thanks to this joint venture, they will be even better placed to provide pharmaceutical care for patients.
«The health, safety and well-being of our customers are at the heart of our business activity.»
We systematically implement our sustainability goals
We have made further progress in the area of sustainability. In addition to the photovoltaic system at the logistics centre in Burgdorf, which went into operation in 2018, a further one is currently being installed at the modernised distribution centre in Lausanne-Ecublens, which will be opened this autumn, and another is planned for the distribution centre in Niederbipp in 2023. With these investments, we are taking a step further in reducing our environmental footprint.
Another sustainability goal is ensuring the long-term motivation and satisfaction of our employees. All teams discussed the results of the last survey and worked out specific measures based on them. We also carried out further awareness-raising schemes for our employees in the area of IT and data security during the first half of 2022. The aim of this is to make sure patient data and our IT systems get the best possible protection.
Our sustainable vision
The health, safety and well-being of our customers are at the heart of our business activity. As Switzerland's leading fully integrated healthcare provider, we have an important part to play in ensuring security of supply and the provision of basic care for the people and thus contribute towards Goal 3 («Good Health and Well-being») of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This objective is central to our business activities and is the core of our customer promise to support people at every stage of life on their journey towards health and well-being.
With this in mind, we would like to thank you, our valued shareholders, for placing your trust in us. We would also like to thank our partners who share this vision, as well as our customers who entrust us with their health and well-being every day. And finally, we would like to thank our employees, without whom all of this would not be possible!
Bern, 9 August 2022
Daniela Bosshardt
Chairwoman
Marc Werner
CEO