The company has confirmed that its new supply and delivery service, announced earlier in 2007, will start on 2 February 2008. From this point AAH Pharmaceuticals Limited and UniChem Limited will act as AstraZenecas agency partners to deliver AstraZeneca medicines directly to customers, and ultimately patients in the UK.
The new commercial arrangements will also start on 2 February, providing straightforward trading terms for AstraZeneca customers. AstraZeneca will be writing to customers with further details as part of ongoing communications around this new service.
We are taking responsibility for ensuring that a modern, simplified supply and delivery service is in place with all our customers, said Chris Brinsmead, AstraZeneca UK company president. The system of medicines distribution has largely been unchanged for many years, and has been based mainly on tradition and convention. A review of how AstraZeneca medicines reach patients in the UK earlier this year highlighted opportunities to simplify and modernise the existing service to help us ensure that our medicines are delivered to those who need them, when they need them. In conjunction with the new direct supply and delivery approach, we have introduced a discount and rebate structure, which for the first time establishes straightforward trading terms for our customers.
Following the publication of the Office of Fair Trading Market Study, Medicines Distribution, last week, AstraZeneca has taken the conclusions and recommendations made in the report into consideration. The OFTs acknowledgement of efficiencies in changing medicines distribution approaches, along with recognition of the freedom of companies to choose the distribution methods they consider to be most efficient, is welcomed. While the report also raised questions regarding potential increased NHS costs and service levels to pharmacists, AstraZeneca maintains that this new direct relationship with customers represents its commitment to a shared agenda with pharmacy customers, the NHS, healthcare professionals, as well as the Government in delivering more effective and efficient healthcare to patients. AstraZeneca is confident that its decision to work with its customers directly in this way is the best route to delivering the right medicine to the right patient every single time.
The new supply and delivery service is only one element of the direct relationship with customers. In addition to updating its supply and delivery service, AstraZeneca is also investing significantly in pharmacy-based patient support programmes. Based on extensive consultation with pharmacy customers and industry bodies, these programmes aim to help patients manage their medications and ultimately positively impact their disease treatment outcomes.
Currently, AstraZeneca is exploring several different patient support initiatives and will aim to involve 250 pharmacists in the initial phase, and 1000 pharmacists in the first year of these programmes. These initiatives look at opportunities such as identifying patients who require support or education about their medicines, and equipping pharmacists with appropriate resources for interventions. A service fee will be available to pharmacists for participating in our patient support programmes.
We know that patients beliefs about their medicines influence their adherence. Community pharmacists can counsel patients appropriately and help address causes of non-adherence to prescribed medicines, said Dr Alan McDougall, head of medical, primary care at AstraZeneca UK. Our patient support programmes will reflect significant investment and will help pharmacy customers in delivering a service which we hope will improve patient care. It is vital to support pharmacists role at the front line of patient care.
AstraZeneca has written to its customers to keep them informed of the changes. If customers have queries regarding the new supply and delivery service or other AstraZeneca initiatives, they should contact AstraZeneca Customer Services on a new freephone number 0800 032 0501 or customer.services@astrazeneca.com.
Further details of our patient support programmes and specific opportunities for pharmacy customers will be available early in 2008.
ends
Notes to Editors:
About patient adherence to prescribed medicines
Additional information on patient compliance with prescribed medications is available in the article A Systematic Review of the Associations Between Dose Regimens and Medication Compliance, published in Clinical Therapeuctics (Clinical Therapeutics/VOL.23, NO.8, 2001) and in Bandolier articles Dosing and Compliance?, (http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band117/b117-8.html), and Patient Compliance with Statins (http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/cardiac/patcomp.html).
About the new supply and delivery service
The new supply and delivery service will become effective on 2 February 2008. Orders placed on Saturday 2 February will be delivered from Monday 4 February. AstraZeneca customers may already have an account with AAH or UniChem. However if a customer is one of the few that does not have one, they will need to open an account with one or the other, or both. The accounts will need to be open in good time so that customers are able to order AstraZeneca medicines once the new supply and delivery service comes into operation. Opening an account with either agency partner is straightforward, customers should simply contact them either by telephone or by email and they will advise of the account opening procedures. The contact details for our agency partners are:
AAH Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Tel: 0844 561 8899
Email: azqueries@aah.co.uk
UniChem Ltd
Tel: 0800 389 3455
Email: sales_customersupport@unichem.co.uk
For NI customers: AAH can provide you with details of how to open an account, or UniChem can provide you with details of how to open an account with its sub-contracted partner Sangers (NI) Ltd
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a major international healthcare business engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines and the supply of healthcare services. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with healthcare sales of $26.47 billion and leading positions in sales of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory, oncology and infection products. AstraZeneca is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (Global) as well as the FTSE4 Good Index.
For more information about AstraZeneca, please visit: www.astrazeneca.co.uk
For media enquiries, please contact:
Simon Moore
Communications Manager
AstraZeneca UK Limited
Direct: 01582 836460
Email: simon.moore@astrazeneca.com
Claire Jacques
Communications Manager
AstraZeneca UK Limited
Tel: 01582 836774
Email: claire.jacques@astrazeneca.com
For customer enquiries, please contact:
AstraZeneca Customer Services
Freephone: 0800 032 0501
Email: customer.services@astrazeneca.com
