Berea Pharmacy, which has built a reputation as the iconic East London pharmacy, has announced that it has been acquired by the Dis-Chem Group.

From June 2023, the store will be known as Dis-Chem Berea and form part of Dis-Chem’s national pharmacy and clinic network, bringing the benefits of the national chain to local shoppers.  The health and wellbeing of Dis-Chem’s community has always been at the heart of its philosophy of caring for customers.

  “Dis-Chem has never lost sight of its origins as a family business, and we place great emphasis on the value of personalised service within the community. This acquisition represents our continued commitment to upholding and enhancing this tradition of excellence in the East London region while giving customers greater value and access to quality healthcare,” says Stan Goestch – Executive Director at Dis-Chem.

Based on its view that quality healthcare should be within everyone’s reach, Dis-Chem provides private day-to-day healthcare via access to a broad range of healthcare options, including its clinic services, video calls to doctors via the Clinic Connect offering, medical insurance and gap cover, catering for the whole family’s everyday health and wellness needs. Furthermore, the store’s dispensary services will provide customers with access to value-add healthcare services such as the convenient PackMyMeds service which prompts shoppers to order and stay adherent to medication - an essential part of any patient’s healthcare journey.

"Our loyal customers, many of whom have been with us for decades, will reap the benefits of a larger organisation with a focus on integrated healthcare.  We are pleased that our cherished staff will continue to offer the personalised service our customers have relied on for years,” says Brian Anderson, who bought Berea Pharmacy in 1970, after it was initially founded in 1934 by Noah Wilken.

“We are filled with immense gratitude for the opportunity to have gotten to know our valued customers and form lasting friendships along the way. My wife Jenny and I will be embarking on our retirements. Still, our son Brett, who has been the majority shareholder and has managed Berea Pharmacy for the past 20 years, will be staying on during the transition period to ensure a seamless handover. Brett’s wife, Wendy, will remain on in our dispensary, ensuring our customers continue to receive the personal service to which they have become accustomed at Berea Pharmacy.”

“We thank our customers for their support and loyalty, and a special note of gratitude goes out to our wonderful staff, past, and present, who have been an integral part of our journey. Your dedication and hard work have been instrumental in our success,” says Brett Anderson.

“We know that Dis-Chem will continue to serve our customers with the same level of commitment and dedication, and we are pleased that our shoppers now have access to a broader healthcare ecosystem,” he concludes.

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