Pharmacist Support launches 2026 Student Bursary Scheme with continued support from Alliance Healthcare

Pharmacist Support, the profession’s independent charity dedicated to championing the wellbeing of pharmacy students, trainees and pharmacists, is proud to announce the launch of its 2026 Student Bursary Scheme, supported by Cencora Alliance Healthcare.

Now in the third year of this valued partnership, Cencora Alliance Healthcare’s continued support ensures that pharmacy students facing unexpected challenges during their MPharm that have impacted them financially can access vital financial help at a critical point in their studies.

The Student Bursary Scheme will open to applications on 2 February 2026 and close on 20 April 2026. It offers awards of £3,000 or £5,000 to MPharm students entering their final year in September 2026 who have experienced an unexpected challenge that has had both a personal and financial impact since starting their degree.

A scheme with lasting impact

For more than a decade, the Student Bursary Scheme has quietly but powerfully changed lives. Since the scheme began in 2014, and up to 2025, 103 bursaries have been awarded, totalling £332,000, helping students stay on their courses, complete their degrees, and move forward into the profession.

Demand for support continues to grow. In the most recent scheme year, all 28 fully accredited pharmacy schools in GB agreed to take part, with 88 applications received from students across 24 universities—a clear reflection of both the need for, and trust in, the scheme.

Behind every application is a student with a story. One of those students, Sofia*, shared how the bursary became a turning point during an incredibly difficult time in her life:

“I was facing a set of circumstances that would have been impossible to overcome without financial assistance. I am a single mother of 2 babies and I lived on one side of this country and my university was on the other side. I had just gotten divorced and following that, I became homeless and was really struggling financially and even emotionally. I had no idea how I was going to make it work financially. This bursary has relieved so much of the burden that I was carrying alone on my shoulders. I don't know how I would have been able to finish my degree without the bursary and therefore I was facing the very real and heartbreaking possibility of being left without the qualifications I needed to become a pharmacist. As far as the impact it has had, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this bursary has altered the trajectory of my future and of course the futures of my 2 toddlers. They will get to see their mother graduate this summer thanks to this bursary. Isn’t that amazing?”

A partnership built on shared values

Pharmacist Support and Cencora Alliance Healthcare share a commitment to supporting the next generation of pharmacy professionals, not just academically, but as people navigating real-life challenges.

Danielle Hunt, Chief Executive of Pharmacist Support, said:

“Students are the future of our profession, and too many face unexpected hardship that puts their studies, wellbeing, and confidence at risk. This bursary scheme is about more than financial support—it’s about belief, reassurance, and helping students stay the course. We are incredibly grateful to Cencora Alliance Healthcare for standing alongside us for a third year and helping us make this life-changing support possible.”

Marie Evans, Managing Director of Cencora Alliance Healthcare UK, said:

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Pharmacist Support and to support the Student Bursary Scheme for a third year. Pharmacy students are facing increasing pressures, and we believe it’s vital to help remove barriers that could prevent talented individuals from completing their training and entering the profession.”

Applications now open

The 2026 Student Bursary Scheme will be open to students at fully accredited pharmacy schools from 2 February to 20 April 2026. Full details, eligibility criteria, and application guidance can be found at: https://pharmacistsupport.org/i-need-help-managing-my/student-experience/bursary-scheme/ 

Cencora Alliance Healthcare Raises Over £30,000 for Charities at annual Sports & Family Fun Day

Cencora Alliance Healthcare has raised over £30,000 for Cancer Research UK, Theodora Children’s Charity and Action Medical Research following its 2025 charity Sports Championship & Family Fun Day event.

Team members, friends and families joined the event located in Manchester and Wimbledon, to compete in competitive 5-a-side football tournaments and a charity netball match versus Theodora Children’s Charity.

Ellen Blessington, Communications Manager and Senior Fundraiser, Theodora Children’s Charity said: “We were delighted to once again be a part of this amazing event and play in the netball competition! Cencora Alliance Healthcare has supported the wellbeing of thousands of children living with illness by helping our Giggle Doctors bring music, magic, silliness and laughter to help improve children's hospital experience by reducing stress and anxiety and creating opportunities for play. Myself, along with Isabel from our Programme Team and Dr Fancy Pants had a fun filled day meeting all of the players, their families, and everyone that took part. Thank you so much for your kind support of our Giggle Doctors, Action Medical Research and Cancer Research UK, as we all work to help create healthier futures!”

Check out our 2025 Championship highlights video below 👇

Cencora Alliance Healthcare stand at The Pharmacy Show (UK)

The Pharmacy Show, the UK's largest trade show and education conference for the community and primary care pharmacy sector, once again brought the industry together in a vibrant celebration of innovation, learning, and collaboration.

Cencora team members proudly secured stand G35 with a vibrant Cencora Alliance Healthcare stand this year. The event saw over 8,500 healthcare and pharmacy professionals in attendance. With 300 exhibitors and more than 150 educational sessions led by over 200 speakers, it was a hub of ideas and insights designed to shape the future of pharmacy.

For Cencora, this year’s Pharmacy Show was particularly special. It marked our first time exhibiting in 12 years and served as the perfect stage to unveil our fresh branding. Our new identity—Cencora—represents our unwavering commitment to keeping the patient at the centre of everything we do, with ‘Cen’ symbolising the centre and ‘cora’ representing the heart. Our stand embodied this evolution, showcasing our expanded services and dedication to empowering pharmacy professionals. 

As part of our return, we proudly sponsored the Pharmacy Owners Forum, a cornerstone of the event that provided invaluable guidance on key topics such as revenue generation, expanding private services, and practical business advice. The forum also explored blueprints for business expansion, administrative and legal essentials, advertising strategies, weight management services, and understanding the rights and obligations of pharmacy owners. These sessions were designed to arm attendees with the tools and knowledge they need to grow their businesses and thrive in an ever-changing industry.

Among the many highlights, Mandeep Mudhar, Head of Alphega Pharmacy (UK) led a session on “The Importance of Creating Efficiencies and Headroom in Your Pharmacy”. His talk resonated deeply with attendees, offering actionable strategies to streamline operations and create space for growth in a demanding healthcare landscape.

Over the course of the two-day event, we engaged with an incredible number of visitors, capturing over 195 pieces of feedback and hot leads. It was inspiring to see so many healthcare professionals stopping by our stand to share how much they enjoy working with us and to discuss how we can continue to support them in delivering exceptional care to their patients. 

The Pharmacy Show was not just an event - it was a moment of transformation, connection, and inspiration. For Cencora, it reaffirmed our mission and strengthened our resolve to be a trusted partner for the pharmacy community. As we look to the future, we are more committed than ever to driving innovation, supporting growth, and keeping the heart of healthcare - our patients -at the centre of all we do.

Cencora Alliance Healthcare – Wholesaler of the Year Award by Pharmacy Business

Pharmacy Business – the voice of community pharmacy, announced Cencora Alliance Healthcare the inaugural winner of the Wholesaler of the Year Award (2025).

The Pharmacy Business Awards, celebrating 25 years of excellence took place on Friday 3 October, at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London. The evening, enjoyed by hundreds of talented healthcare professionals, celebrated the very best in community pharmacy, as well as recognising organisations that support healthcare in the UK.

Paula Sutherland, Sales Director, Cencora Alliance Healthcare took to the stage on behalf of the business to receive the award, presented by Kalpesh and Shailesh Ramniklal Solanki, Group Managing Editor and Executive Editor, Pharmacy Business.

Reflecting on the award, Marie Evans, Managing Director and SVP said: "This is a wonderful recognition of all the teams hard work and commitment. This award from the pharmacy industry demonstrates our progress in listening to our customers to deliver the service that they deserve.”

Paula soon returned to the stage to present the Enterprise Award, sponsored by Cencora Alliance Healthcare, recognising the pharmacy with the most enterprising venture in any area of pharmacy.

The winner was Muhammad Shuaib of Biddulph Pharmacy: Innovation and thinking outside the box are the winner’s forte, which they demonstrated by identifying local healthcare gaps and developing practical, innovative solutions. When the nearby town had no Sunday pharmacy provision despite a minor injuries unit and out-of-hours prescribing, he partnered with a taxi firm to run a free shuttle service.

Congratulations to all the award winners on the night.

Cencora Alliance Healthcare Returns to The Pharmacy Show 2025 as Sponsor of The Pharmacy Owners Forum

We are excited to announce that Cencora Alliance Healthcare will be attending the Pharmacy Show 2025 as the official sponsor of The Pharmacy Owners Forum - a new, dedicated theatre designed to support and empower pharmacy owners. This partnership highlights Cencora Alliance Healthcare’s commitment to shaping the future of pharmacy and providing valuable insights to pharmacies within the sector. 

More Than Just a Wholesaler

Cencora, formerly known as Alliance Healthcare, rebranded in 2025 to adopt the name Cencora Alliance Healthcare, uniting all its healthcare services under one powerful global brand. This new rebrand represents a shift towards greater innovation, and collaboration within the pharmacy landscape. With a commitment to supporting pharmacies and healthcare professionals, Cencora Alliance Healthcare offers tailored healthcare solutions that enhance patient care. Their expansive network reaches over 110,000 points of care across 11 countries, making them an invaluable partner, backed by a wealth of expertise.

Meet Cencora Alliance Healthcare This October

Join us at Stand G35 during the Pharmacy Show 2025, where you can meet the team in person. Take this opportunity to discover how their innovative solutions are helping shape the future of pharmacy and how their rebrand to Cencora marks the next step in delivering impactful healthcare solutions. Don't miss the chance to engage with their experts.

Register Today

Secure your free two-day pass* now and start planning your visit to the Pharmacy Show.

REGISTER YOUR FREE TICKET - CLICK HERE

*Free to attend for UK-registered healthcare professionals.

Cencora Teams Raise £15,000 for Charity in Race the Sun Challenge!

Race the Sun Cheddar Gorge Challenge 2025 ☀️

Teams from Cencora Alliance Healthcare and Cencora Alloga have successfully raised and donated £15,000 for Action Medical Research following the Race the Sun Cheddar Gorge Challenge 2025 involving 30 team members from across the business. 

Participants pushed their limits in a day-long challenge involving:

    - 30 mile cycle (2,000 feet elevation) 🚴

    - 6 mile hike (1,200 feet elevation) 🚶

    - 1.2 mile canoe 🛶

All in the breathtaking surroundings of Cheddar Gorge in Somerset! On an extremely hot day (33.C) – really feeling the sun in the Race the Sun Challenge. All team members completed safely and were determined to reach the finish line to support vital medical research that saves children’s lives.

Action Medical Research is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to funding research to help sick and disabled babies, children and young people. For over 70 years, the charity has played a crucial role in driving medical progress, supporting research into rare and complex conditions that often receive little funding. The charity’s research has helped develop both the polio vaccine and ultrasound scanning in pregnancy, changing lives worldwide. 

Sam Unsworth, Head of Communications and RTS Challenger at Alliance Healthcare, said: “It was amazing to be part of a day filled with such strong team spirit and shared purpose. We’re so proud to be contributing to research that’s making a real difference for children and their families.” 

Lucy Holloway, Corporate Partnership and Event Management Executive, Action Medical Research said: “We are immensely grateful for the continued support of Alliance Healthcare UK. The funds that have been raised will go a long way in facilitating change for these children’s lives through important medical research.” 

The Race the Sun Cheddar Gorge Challenge 2025 showcased not only the physical endurance of the Alliance Healthcare and Alloga team members, but also the unwavering commitment to building a community united in supporting healthier futures through charitable fundraising and collective action. 

Alphega Pharmacy UK Elevate Convention 2025: Leading the Future of Pharmacy Through Innovation, AI, and Patient-Centred Care

Alphega Pharmacy brought together more than 200 independent pharmacy professionals, partners and thought leaders for its annual conference this weekend in Birmingham. The event, hosted at the Hilton Hotel on 22 June, explored the latest in healthcare innovation, operational excellence and patient care, as well as discussions of the changing pharmacy landscape and embracing technological innovation. Attendees shared practical insights and real-world solutions shaping the future of independent pharmacy in the UK.

The conference featured a lineup of notable speakers from Perrigo, Serve First, Reckitt and Kenvue, as well as Dr Zubir Ahmed MP. Alongside this, breakout sessions took place focused on supplier perspectives, from smarter solutions from working, to elevating community pharmacists and helping patients quit smoking. Sessions also included practical case studies from Alphega members and suppliers.

As the role of community pharmacy continues to expand, the Alphega Convention acts as a catalyst for knowledge-sharing and collaboration, helping members stay ahead of clinical, operational and digital changes in primary care. Attendees left with tools and new strategies – from embracing digital solutions to enhancing patient engagement – that provided practical insights to streamline operations and strengthen their role as frontline healthcare providers within their communities.

Mandeep Mudhar, Head of Alphega, said: “This year’s Alphega Pharmacy UK Elevate Convention 2025 showed just how much opportunity exists for pharmacies that embrace innovation and patient-first thinking. It was fantastic to see so many passionate pharmacy professionals come together to share ideas and look ahead to an exciting future.”

Dr Zubir Ahmed, MP for Glasgow South West, said: “Alphega Pharmacy UK Elevate Convention was a strong reflection of the strength of community pharmacy and its vital role in shaping the future of healthcare. Alphega members are instrumental in driving the shift from hospital-based care to more community-focused services. The conference was a landmark event and I was honoured to be the keynote Westminster speaker.”

Alliance Healthcare Teams Complete 300 Mile Cross-Border Charity Cycle Challenge

Eight Alliance Healthcare team members have completed grueling 300 mile cross-border Tour D’Alliance 2025 challenge, raising over £55,000 for Theodora Children’s Charity.

From 13 to 15 June, participants from the UK and France cycled from Chessington, Surrey to Alliance Healthcare France HQ in Paris. The cross-border challenge not only celebrated international teamwork but also raised vital funds to support children who may be living with serious health challenges through Theodora Children’s Charity’s Giggle Doctor programme.

Matt Addison, VP Operations, Alliance Healthcare, who created the Tour D’Alliance series back in 2019 said: “This year we took the challenge international, and the sponsorship and support has been incredible. We were determined to raise as much as possible to help young children and their families during the most difficult times. Over £55,000 raised for Theodora Children’s Charity is an amazing amount and I am proud of the team who knew that with every painful pedal, we were doing our bit to help a very worthy cause.”

Ellen Blessington, Senior Community and Communications Fundraiser said: “We are incredibly grateful to have been supported in this year’s Tour D’Alliance. Being ill and needing medical treatment is difficult at any point in life, but when you are a child, it can be particularly confusing and frightening. Thanks to the cyclists taking on the challenge of 300 miles, over 2,400 children will receive a magical Giggle Doctor visit, helping reduce their stress and anxiety, create opportunities for play and transform their hospital experience. From all of us at Theodora Children’s Charity, including our Giggle Doctors, our heartfelt thanks go to the cyclists, drivers, sponsors and everyone who made this challenge possible!”

Teams across Alliance Healthcare supported the challenge with a teddy bear plush toy photo competition, summer garden buffet and breakfast party send-off at the Chessington site. Tour D’Alliance 2025 showcased the physical strength and spirit of the participants, reflecting Alliance Healthcare’s commitment to creating healthier futures through charitable fundraising and collective action.

Special thanks to all our sponsors and generous supporters, in particular: LCM and Mertrux. Since its origin Tour D’Alliance has now raised over £230,000 for charities.
 

Alliance Healthcare Introduces OptiTote to Drive Efficiencies for Pharmacists

Alliance Healthcare is today announcing the launch of OptiTote, a semi automated repeat dispensing solution, designed to improve efficiency and accuracy in pharmacy operations.

The technology will enable pharmacists to partially automate repeat prescription dispensing, simplifying the dispensing operation and freeing up valuable time. This will enable pharmacists to devote more time to growing their business, including upskilling staff and patient care.

As Pharmacies face increasing pressure to optimise workflows, expand services, and reduce costs, OptiTote’s partial automation removes the need for manual unpacking and shelf picking, allowing pharmacy teams to collate patient orders more accurately using advanced barcode scanning technology. Furthermore, OptiTote's 'just in time' stock fulfilment allows pharmacies to maintain lower inventory levels, thereby reducing the capital tied up in stock.

How does it work?

Managed entirely by in-house dispensing teams, this patient-specific tote system integrates seamlessly with Alliance Healthcare’s ordering systems, offering a more streamlined approach to repeat prescriptions.

Unlike traditional repeat prescription management, OptiTote enables pharmacies to maintain full control over prescriptions while accelerating the dispensing process.

OptiTote is ordered via the OptiTote software, the order is encrypted to protect patient data and is sent through to the Alliance Healthcare service centre, where it is assembled ready for dispatch the following morning. The OptiTote is delivered with the pharmacy’s standard Alliance Healthcare order.

Paula Sutherland, Sales Director at Alliance Healthcare said: "Now more than ever, pharmacies need innovative solutions to simplify processes and enable them to focus more on patient care. As pharmacies adapt to evolving healthcare demands, OptiTote provides a practical solution that simplifies and speeds up repeat prescription dispensing, giving pharmacists more time to spend training their teams, supporting patients or running their business.”

Dr Jackie Lewis - Pharmacist Director of Lewis Pharmacy in Exmouth, Devon said: “As a business owner and superintendent I have more time to devote to governance of the pharmacy and to developing private services and developing my skills as an IP Pathfinder which can be up to 6 half day sessions per week. Through Optitote we have more available staff time which enables us to run technician service clinics 3 mornings a week.”

The standard OptiTote system is available at no cost and is integrated into existing PMR workstations. The OptiTote team at Alliance Healthcare provide a detailed bespoke training plan for each pharmacy to ensure that key pharmacy team members are fully trained and are confident in using the product. The training is conducted in a live environment within the pharmacy with the Alliance OptiTote product technician on hand to support and guide.

Visit our webpage to find out more information including how to enquire about OptiTote.

Pharmacies can also reach out to their Alliance Healthcare account manager if you’d like to sign up to OptiTote. If eligible, our dedicated team will then work with the pharmacy with a mutual date to install the kit and then train and support the pharmacy team.

Alliance Healthcare UK announces changes to its network

Alliance Healthcare UK today announced that it was continuing the transformation of its network by commencing development of a new, multipurpose Central Logistics Centre (CLC) in Birmingham that will become its largest facility and most advanced in Europe.

Set to open in spring 2026, the CLC will create more than 200 jobs and incorporate 95% pick automation alongside an advanced radio frequency identification solution unique to Alliance Healthcare UK. The CLC comprises 300,000 square feet, increasing the company’s total UK warehouse space by 25%.

In creating this capacity, the CLC will absorb a small proportion of production from a handful of neighbouring service centres (SCs). Additionally, Alliance Healthcare UK proposes to close both Hinckley and Nottingham SCs in 2026 and transition slow moving medical lines from South Normanton SC to the CLC.

Representing a significant investment by parent company Cencora, the CLC location is driven by Alliance Healthcare UK’s current service centre estate, proximity to national driving routes and the anticipated needs of the company’s future customer base.

For more information about this announcement, please email pressoffice@alliance-healthcare.co.uk.