In additon to contract distribution services for pharma manufacturers, United Drug provides contract distribution, sales & marketing and technical services to Medical & Scientific equipment & consumable manufacturers, with a market leading position in Ireland and an emerging presence in the UK.

United Drug, trading as AshfieldIn2Focus in the UK and Ashfield Healthcare in Ireland, is a leading provider of contract sales outsourcing services to pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Inevitably, the advent of the general medical scheme offering free medicine to 40% of the population in 1971, made a base in Dublin essential from a strategic viewpoint.

The purchase of the Aryton Saunders business in 1972 established United Drug as a truly national distributor and competed on equal terms with its peers for the first time nation-wide.

The pharmacist shareholders accepted an offer from Joshua Watson, a public quoted company in 1973, which later became part of the Brook Watson Group, now better known as BWG.

The pharmacist shareholders accepted an offer from Joshua Watson, a public quoted company in 1973, which later became part of the Brook Watson Group, now better known as BWG.

Expansion into closely related markets followed with the purchase of Ulster Anaesthetics in 1987, a Northern Ireland based supplier of surgical equipment, and the setting up of Pemberton Marketing to promote consumer goods, cosmetics and photographic products to a wider range of customers.

United Drug was listed on the Irish Stock market in 1989. Significant expansion in the medical and scientific equipment sector followed with the setup of Unitech in 1991. In 1992, an ambition to be an all Ireland wholesaler resulted in the merger with Sangers in Northern Ireland. In the same year the distribution and marketing facilities in Dublin were consolidated into a custom built premises in Tallaght, Co. Dublin.

In 1995 Unitech was boosted with the acquisition of Novapath, strengthening its all Ireland business. In 1996 United Drug made its first venture off the island of Ireland with the formation of UniDrug, then a 50:50 joint venture with Unichem, offering a pre-wholesaling service in the UK.

In 1997, Dublin Drug, a pharmacy-owned wholesaler and agency business joined with United Drug, their combined market share making United Drug the leading Irish Wholesaler.

In over 50 years of operation, United Drug’s philosophy of service to its customers, shareholders and suppliers, has made it uniquely successful in Ireland and strategically well placed to continue growing.