Important update on operations in Eastern Europe

AmerisourceBergen - 15 March 2022

Leaders at AmerisourceBergen continue to monitor the international response and reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

All operations in Ukraine remain suspended to ensure the safety of our team members, partners and customers. AmerisourceBergen will cease new business initiatives in Russia and Belarus while completing support of existing clinical trials and continuing distribution of oncology therapies and other pharmaceutical products.

We will continue to share more information as soon as it is available. Please keep checking this page for further updates. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to your local World Courier representative.

For more information about AmerisourceBergen’s current operations in Eastern Europe, please read this statement from Robert Mauch, Executive Vice President and Group President of AmerisourceBergen.

AmerisourceBergen and Alliance Healthcare - March 7, 2022

An Alliance Healthcare spokesperson said:

“Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people whose resilience and fortitude is truly remarkable and inspirational to us all.  As the conflict in Ukraine continues, our priority has been – and will remain – to put the health of all team members and patients first.

Across all businesses within AmerisourceBergen, our team members are working with governments, associations and partners across Europe to understand and respond to the needs identified by Ukrainian authorities and humanitarian organisations, such as the World Health Organisation.

The safety and wellbeing of our eleven Word Courier colleagues in Ukraine is a priority and we provide all necessary support to them. They will remain in our thoughts in the days and weeks ahead.  

In alignment with AmerisourceBergen Foundation’s mission a commitment of $100,000 in grant donations have been deployed to support organizations on the ground in Ukraine to provide care and relief to those impacted by this conflict, including Direct Relief to support their emergency response in and around Ukraine.

The Foundation is also matching employee donations on a 2:1 basis to Direct Relief, International Committee of the Red Cross and the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund at GlobalGiving. i.e. for every Euro donated by a colleague, the Foundation will donate two. The AB Foundation is committed to support relief efforts surrounding the Ukraine crisis over the long term. This donation is an initial step in these efforts.

Other support from our country businesses include:

• > Romania has initiated projects with Save the Children including providing support for mother and children refugees and a donation of infant formula and baby food along with giving 15,000 euros to hospitals in Ukraine on Romanian border and a further 15,000 euros to assist Ukrainian refugees in Romania.
• > Alloga in the Czech Republic is working with the Ministry of Health and providing vital logistical expertise transporting medical products to the Ukraine.
• > In Lithuania, the team have already worked with the Government to supply vital medicines to Ukraine; and after collaboration with the Lithuanian Ministry of Health and a third party organisation, it is now supplying vital medicines directly to the Lviv Children’s hospital in Ukraine.
• > Norway is making a significant financial donation of over 450,000 NOK ($50,000) to the Red Cross.
• > In Turkey as part of the company’s membership of the American Chamber of Commerce, our team is investigating how it can support with both humanitarian and medical requirements.  
• > Even in markets further away in geographical terms, colleagues, Alphega member pharmacies and partners are collaborating to plan additional support including further product donations.  
• > We take our responsibility to protect the international supply chain, serve our customers and patients, and make timely decisions seriously. As a business we remain 100% committed to ensuring continued supply and access to medicines and essential healthcare products to the communities across our network.

A perspective from Steve Collis, CEO of AmerisourceBergen can be found at: (8) Finding Solace in Insecurity – Reflecting on the Invasion of Ukraine | LinkedIn

Alliance Healthcare celebrates Thank You Day

Today (4 March) is being celebrated as Thank You Day at Alliance Healthcare and is about appreciating all our colleagues, (front line and beyond) as we stop and say thanks for all their hard work every day and especially during the pandemic. 

The event is taking place across all Alliance Healthcare countries, in support of World Appreciation Day, as recognised by our AmerisourceBergen colleagues. Celebratory events will be taking place across the business to get as many colleagues involved as possible.

Marie Evans, Managing Director, Alliance Healthcare is excited to be involved and told us:

“I am extremely grateful to all our committed team members across our entire organisation, from operations that pick and pack the medicines to fulfil customer orders, to our support services and sales teams across every site and function, those in the supply chain, product sourcing and to our 1,000+ driver colleagues who deliver these medicines to healthcare professionals across the UK. Today is about celebrating and recognising all that our team members do, for that I am truly grateful.”

Latest news from UKHSA: Lateral flow device (LFD) test kit distribution

England only:

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 21st February 2022 and the publication of the Government policy document – COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19 – free COVID-19 mass testing will end from 1st April 2022.

This means the last day on which the Pharmacy Collect service will operate will be 31st March 2022.

PSNC, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England and NHS Improvement are working together on the final plans for the end of the service.

Whilst over the last few days contractors have seen an unsurprising increase in requests for test kits and that has also increased the number of orders being placed with Alliance Healthcare, resulting in temporary out of stocks in some distribution centres, UKHSA has confirmed that they continue to have good stock levels.

To ensure an even distribution of lateral flow tests across the country, UKHSA are planning future deliveries across all test distribution channels. Alliance Healthcare’s last delivery of tests from the UKHSA warehouse will be on 18th March 2022. Pharmacies will be able to order for a short period of time after that date.

UKHSA ask that all orders for kits placed by contractors with Alliance Healthcare should be based on the current need, driven by demand from citizens, rather than trying to cover future demand.

Further details about the service end, including information on final payment claims, will be provided to contractors as soon as those details have been finalised.

Working together to support the patient

In the week following the introduction of the Living with Covid plan from government including the end to self- isolation regulations and an announcement on the end of free tests from 1st April, Alliance Healthcare and our pharmacy contractors have done a great job of meeting demand.

In England, Alliance Healthcare will have distributed over 6 million tests this week, meeting all orders from pharmacies.

There has been good availability of lateral flow device (LFD) test kits, and any temporary out of stock occurrence have been resolved on the same day. Indeed, UKHSA distributed over 7.5 million tests to Alliance Healthcare this week.

Information from Alliance Healthcare:

UK & NI:
Alliance Healthcare continue to work with the UKHSA on the distribution of lateral flow tests to support the Pharmacy Collect scheme.

For latest PIP codes please visit myahportal.co.uk

Latest news from UKHSA: Living with Covid announcement

England only:

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on 21 February that free mass testing will end from 1 April, this means that the Pharmacy Collect service will end on 31 March. UKHSA will work with its distributors, NHSEI and the PSNC on a smooth transition to the end of the service.

UKHSA continues to have good stock levels and will manage these to provide flexibility in future. Ahead of the end of free universal testing in England, it will be necessary for UKHSA to cap the number of tests distributed each day to manage demand. Given that advice to test has and continues to reduce, the Government urges people only to order what they need.

We will be in touch with pharmacy contractors with details such as final claims, test kits and orders.

Information from Alliance Healthcare:

UK & NI:
Alliance Healthcare continue to work with the UKHSA on the distribution of lateral flow tests to support the Pharmacy Collect scheme.

For latest PIP codes please visit myahportal.co.uk

Prescription Validation Service now available on the myahportal

Alliance Healthcare is delighted to announce the launch of a new innovative and customer friendly functionality on the Alliance Healthcare portal, www.myahportal.co.uk as of 21 February 2022

This new functionality allows our customers to submit their Prescription Validation orders more efficiently, and allows them to check the status of their order via the portal. This functionality will be available for customers to place and check orders 24/7.

This new innovation provides pharmacies with an alternative way to send an anonymised Prescription to Alliance Healthcare for validation and supply of any item subject to Prescription Validation (PVS).

Taking advantage of this new service means our accounts will benefit through                                             

- A simplified supply optimisation process for PVS - making it easier to do business with us

- Access to order progress updates so they can track the order via the myahportal

- Receipt of the required stock quicker - due to this advanced technology

- Modernisation of the process - no need to rely on fax technology

- Efficiencies to their business – another feature in our one stop shop offering provided by myahportal  

To help assist our accounts with this new service, we have produced a short video on how to use the new portal functionality which can be accessed here

For further information or assistance with this new functionality, please contact the Customer Portal Team on 0330 100 0448 – option 8 or email CustomerPortal@alliance-healthcare.co.uk with ‘PVS’ in the title of your email.

Message from Marie Evans following Storm Eunice

Earlier today (18 February 2022), one of our vans in the Croydon area was hit by a falling tree as a result of Storm Eunice. You may have seen this incident feature on news broadcasts and social media recently. We wanted to share the news that thankfully our driver is unharmed and is home safely.
 
Please click here to read a message from Marie Evans, Managing Director.

AmerisourceBergen launches its new ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) microsite and FY21 report

Caring for our people, planet and the communities we serve is extremely important to our business.

This week, AmerisourceBergen launched its new ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) report and microsite.

As part of AmerisourceBergen, we are delighted to be part of the global effort to create healthier futures.

Discover highlights here from Alliance Healthcare UK in this year's report and learn more about: Getting Drastic with Plastic, supporting the EORTC, Alloga Investors in People and supporting International Health Partners.

Our Health & Beauty team launch the improved H&B Portal including new Knowledge Zone feature

This exciting new service expands the functionality of the portal, providing pharmacies with a range of content to help them grow and deliver a first-class customer experience. 

The Knowledge Zone was developed to provide Healthcare Professional’s with educational materials including ailment driven knowledge, links to training, new product developments and category insights. It provides guidance based on practical knowledge, empowering Healthcare Professionals to understand, identify and manage the most common conditions seen daily in pharmacies, including product recommendations for treatment.

Sachiv Patel, Category Director, is extremely proud of the new feature, saying: “The Knowledge Zone is a fantastic development on the Health & Beauty portal, increasing the support offered to Healthcare Professionals and expanding their knowledge, in order to better serve their customers. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in its creation.” 

The site is now available to all independent and key accounts.

This is another great development on the myahportal and we strive to have many more in the future, improving the functionality for our customers and making their lives easier!

Introducing Alliance Healthcare's dedicated pharmacy newsletter – Independent Pulse!

Without a doubt, the last 18-24 months have been relentlessly tough and challenging for everyone, not least pharmacy teams and healthcare professionals. Community pharmacy has once again been asked to step-up and support the UK COVID-19 vaccination efforts and the team at Alliance Healthcare are doing everything we can to support their efforts.

Alliance Healthcare is proud to launch Independent Pulse - our dedicated newsletter for community pharmacy, packed full of all the latest news and service information from Alliance Healthcare to support community pharmacy.

This issue provides important information on:

• – Christmas/New Year bank holiday opening hours

• – Lateral flow test kits distribution

• – Marie Evans' appointment as Managing Director

• – Delivery of pre-ordered flu vaccines and preparing for 2022 Flu Season

• – Operational readiness

• – Health & beauty promotional offers

• – A reminder of our COVID-19 vaccination distribution video

• – Our sustainability pledge campaign

• – Plus a festive message to all of our downstream customers

Read our Independent Pulse here or visit our Winter Readiness page.

We hope you enjoy reading and look forward to any feedback you may have.