“Communication and Presence”
In April 2025 the time had come: With the acquisition of a pharmacy in the Serfontana shopping centre in Morbio Inferiore (TI), the number of Amavita pharmacies increased to 200. And a short while later, another Sun Store pharmacy arrived in the small town of Sainte-Croix (VD). The company is successfully implementing its expansion strategy. But what criteria does Galenica use to decide to acquire a company, and what factors are key to a successful acquisition? Nazih Sultan (Head of Expansion W-CH) and Erik Pennacchioli (Pharmacy Field Manager) share their thoughts in this interview.
Galenica also added more pharmacies to its network in the first half of 2025. How successfully is the expansion strategy being implemented?
Nazih: My colleagues and I are well connected in the pharmacy and real estate industry, so we quickly find out when, for example, a pharmacist is retiring, or when a pharmacy is needed in a new neighbourhood. We are also interested in potential locations in underserved regions, as we want to ensure nationwide basic pharmaceutical supply in Switzerland. We are also increasingly working with data-based information to optimise our locations and potential new openings.
What are the biggest challenges when integrating a new pharmacy?
Erik: Our aim is always to retain both the employees and the customers. The key to this is communication. We attach great value to getting to know the in-house teams and the particularities of their pharmacy. We then support them closely with questions about IT, marketing, the product range, etc., and communicate to them the values that make up Galenica’s corporate culture, such as servant leadership, i.e., the employee-oriented management style. As soon as we are ready, we inform customers and ensure that there is no uncertainty.
What are the most important things you have learnt from your work?
Erik: On-site presence is important to set the right priorities together. In a pharmacy, time is always tight, so we make sure not to frustrate the teams by pushing the transformation too fast. They need time to get used to the new situation and being part of a national company.
‘Berner Mandelbärli’ in the Zurich suburbs
Deborah Roth, Manager Amavita Dübendorf (ZH), explains how the takeover of her site went.
“We have been an Amavita pharmacy since 1 July 2024. Before being acquired by Galenica, we were part of a different pharmacy group. When we found out about the sale, it was actually a bit of a shock, and we initially feared that we wouldn’t be able to make any decisions for ourselves in the future. We soon realised that we still have a lot of operational freedom and that our opinions are valued. We noticed that our new colleagues at Galenica are listening to us when they started bringing ‘Berner Mandelbärli’ regularly. Right at the beginning of our journey together, some of us mentioned in passing that we really like this bear-shaped almond pastry here in Dübendorf. By the way, the whole team stayed – and not just because of the ‘Mandelbärli’, of course!”