The Company Chemists’ Association chief executive Malcolm Harrison has said it is “very keen” to talk to multiple pharmacy businesses about joining it after Lincolnshire Co-op came on board but insisted it is not pursuing other Independent Pharmacies Association members.

Harrison (pictured) told Independent Community Pharmacist the CCA, who recently added Pharmacy2U as well as Lincolnshire Co-op to its membership, wants to make it clear to multiple businesses who might be interested in joining what CCA membership offers them. 

“The CCA historically may have been perceived as being a closed shop. That’s no longer the case,” he said.

“We are very keen to speak with any business that feel that could work with us and we could work with them – that kind of supportive relationship that you have with a trade body.”

Lincolnshire Co-op, who officially joined the CCA on January 1, owns 43 pharmacies. Harrison said he did not have a list of IPA members he wanted to join and insisted: “IPA membership is not as transparent as perhaps the CCA membership is. It’s very difficult to know who the IPA is speaking on behalf of when they do speak.”

Harrison added: “We are not targeting the IPA. That’s not what we’re trying to do. What we’re trying to do is help everyone understand that the CCA has an offer for members and if people are interested in that, we’re more than happy to have a conversation.

“There’s only so many pharmacy businesses in the market. What we’re not doing is targeting the independent pharmacy owners. We’re the Company Chemists’ Association, we are what we are, and so we are looking at multiple businesses.

“There are a number of multiple business that, if they were interested in having a conversation, I’d be more than happy to talk to them.”

When asked if any IPA companies have contacted him to say they are keen to join the CCA, Harrison said: “It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to talk about any conversations I’m having at the moment.

“But as I said, we are really keen to speak to people who are interested in joining the CCA.”

When asked if he has contacted IPA chief executive Leyla Hannbeck about IPA members potentially joining the CCA, Harrison said: “No. I don’t think we have ever discussed membership and that kind of stuff. Obviously, there’s direct cross-over but it’s not something we’re looking to target in any way.

“So, the answer to the question is no, I haven’t, but that’s not through any kind of design.”

In terms of speaking to other companies interested in joining his organisation, Harrison said: “It’s not just a conversation about ‘do you want to be a member?’ It’s a conversation about what are they up to, what are we doing, how can we support each other as a network to try and stabilise, sustain and build for the future?”

IPA chief: No members other than Lincolnshire Co-op have joined CCA

Hannbeck told ICP the IPA has just had its “renewals” and “no existing IPA members other than Lincolnshire Co-op” has moved to the CCA. She also noted that Lincolnshire Co-op managing director Alison Hands “is a former Boots executive.”

Hannbeck insisted that in relation to the make-up of the IPA’s membership, “we have very strong governance and we have had our membership audited and confirmed by IQVIA.”

“At the same time we audited the membership of CCA,” she added, “and it is based on that data that we continue to raise our concerns that CCA has a voting position on Community Pharmacy England that remains very disproportionate and is unfair to the independents we represent.”

Insisting she was “surprised” by Harrison’s remarks about a lack of transparency around the IPA’s membership, Hannbeck said: “Our identity is very clear and transparent. We are independents and our membership is united and continues to grow.”

She added: “To help (Harrison) with this, it has always been very clear that we represent independently owned pharmacies.

“Over 95 per cent of all independently owned pharmacies with more than 10 branches are members of IPA. Some have more branches than some CCA companies but they wish to be IPA members.

“Most pharmacies with five to 10 branches are also represented by us and in addition, due to demand, we also give membership to those smaller independents with less than five branches who are innovative and proactively wish to be part of our organisation because they see the good work that we do.”