AmerisourceBergen Announces Intent to Change Name to Cencora

Unified corporate identity reflects the organization’s global reach, impact, and purpose

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. (January 24, 2023) – AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC) today announced its intent to change its name to better reflect its bold vision and purpose-driven approach to creating healthier futures. AmerisourceBergen intends to become Cencora. The new name represents a unified presence that will continue to fuel the company’s ongoing growth strategy and advance its impact across healthcare.

“Over time, we have established ourselves as a trusted industry partner that prioritizes innovation, advocates for patient access and advances strategic partnerships across the global pharmaceutical supply chain. To further bolster our position, we must continue to adapt and evolve within our dynamic industry as we pursue the goal of enhancing health outcomes. Building a unified brand is fundamental to our identity as a global healthcare company. We believe our new name better reflects who we are today and our impact across pharmaceutical care,” said Steven H. Collis, Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer of AmerisourceBergen.

The name Cencora is inspired by customers and team members around the world. In addition, a shared identity will create a more inclusive experience for employees as well as a stronger employer brand to attract talent and increase employee loyalty, retention, and performance. The name tells a compelling story, boldly differentiates the company, and was created with a future-oriented mindset. AmerisourceBergen intends to begin operating as Cencora in the second half of calendar year 2023.

Marie Evans, Managing Director, Alliance Healthcare in the UK said: “Since Alliance Healthcare joined AmerisourceBergen, we have been able to expand, evolve, and innovate on each other’s best-in-class expertise and capabilities across the pharmaceutical supply chain. Aligning under a new brand experience will further enable us to build new services, support healthcare advancements around the world, and deliver quality service for customers even more effectively as one, united organisation. Together, our teams are working with a collective determination to create a meaningful impact across healthcare.”

The change to Cencora is aligned with the organization’s growth strategy and continued emphasis on innovation. AmerisourceBergen has focused on supporting pharmaceutical advancement and access for patients, manufacturers, and providers across the global healthcare supply chain. 

Operating as Cencora, a unified and internationally inclusive name and brand, the company will continue to invest in and focus on its core pharmaceutical distribution business, while also growing its platform of pharma and biopharma services to support pharmaceutical innovation and access.

For more information, visit: www.cencora.com/uk

It’s been just over a year since we made our sustainability pledge

At Alliance Healthcare, we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures.

On 1 December 2021, we announced our pledge to become Net Carbon Zero by 2030 (scope 1 and 2). We recognise that there is still much more to do, but a lot of work has been done already across the business in this time to bring us closer to achieving our commitment. 

Our ambition is to be the largest independent sustainable pharmaceutical wholesaler in the UK by 2030. Take a look at our sustainability video to see how far we have come on our journey so far…

Gary’s Our Man of the Month

In an age when most people want fame and fortune, Chessington Service Centre delivery driver, Gary Foreman, is a rare exception. Gary’s been serving his pharmacy customers since 1992 and that’s probably why he’s been recognised in the January edition of Training Matters magazine in a Staff in the Spotlight article.

“I’ve got customers who are pharmacists now that I met when they were seven or eight years old” reminisces Gary. “They’re the sons and daughters of the original owners who grew up and went to university and have come back and taken over!” 
Gary joined Alliance Healthcare in 1992. “I’ve been here nearly 31 years and I’ve done the same route for the last 26,” he says. “I started as a porter and then applied to be a van driver. Best job I’ve ever done!”

Over the last 30 years, new technology has made the job easier. A key innovation for Gary is the Smartpod which logs his route, the products for each drop and driver performance. “When I first started, they literally wrote everything on a bit of paper. This is so much easier.”

Gary enjoys the customer contact the most. “Customers make the job easy for me. I have a good chat with them, they have a good chat with me and I like being out and about driving. I wouldn’t swap it for anything,” he says. And we’re sure his customers wouldn’t swop him either. Well done Gary.

Read the full article:

Gary Foreman – Staff in the Spotlight

Raj joins podcast to celebrate pharmacy counter staff

Recognising the best in Pharmacy is at the heart of Alliance Healthcare – that’s why our Alphega Pharmacy brand sponsors the Recognition of Excellence (RoE) Awards, by Training Matters Magazine, that champions pharmacy counter staff team members.

Monica West, and Millie Browning from the publications led a special podcast recently featuring our very own Recognition of Excellence judge Raj Nutan, Healthcare strategy and Services Director, Alliance Healthcare and Alphega Pharmacy. Raj is passionate about being a judge and shared the story of Nicole Tolkin, Pharmacy Manager.

Nicole was the Spotlight Award Winner in 2022 and really stood out to Raj when he was reading all the nominations. Raj says about being a judge that it’s fantastic to see and hear about all the excellent work that is going on in community pharmacies and would encourage pharmacy colleagues to get involved and nominate team members.

What are the RoE Awards?

Every year Training Matters holds the fabulous RoE Awards focused on the great work of community pharmacy teams in the UK. They are the only awards that take place to recognise the incredible work pharmacy teams do, from delivery drivers to counter assistants. Next year’s event will take place in June 2023, date tbc.
 
Listen to Raj and Nicole talking about their experience for yourself on the podcast:

Training Matters Podcast: RoE Special

Skills in Healthcare and HRA Pharma UK win Best OTC Pharmacy Training and Learning Award

On Monday 28 November, at the OTC Marketing Awards in London, Alliance Healthcare enjoyed an evening of celebration. Our Skills in Healthcare Team, alongside our client HRA Pharma UK won the Best OTC Pharmacy Training and Learning Award for their product, Hana.

Paul Fowler, Head of Skills in Healthcare said: “I’m so proud of our Pharmacy training team and their win yesterday evening. It’s fantastic recognition of the great work they all do to support the success of our manufacturer client’s brands in pharmacy, and of the support they provide to instore teams within our retail pharmacy partners by delivering high quality, face to face, in pharmacy training that supports customer care excellence and expert recommendation. Congratulations to everyone involved!“

Alliance Healthcare and Alphega Pharmacy are proud support World Antimicrobial Awareness Week

Alliance Healthcare and Alphega Pharmacy are proud to be supporting World Antimicrobial Awareness Week which runs from the 18 to the 25 November. The week aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices for using antimicrobials, in order to avoid further emergence of and the spread of drug-resistant infections.

Marie Evans, Managing Director, Alliance Healthcare said: “I am proud that we are supporting AMR week to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices for using antimicrobials. It is important to share awareness of this and pledge our support along with the NHS.”

‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ is the UK-wide campaign, which supports the government’s continued efforts to reduce inappropriate prescriptions for antibiotics. The campaign warns people that taking antibiotics when they are not needed puts them at risk of a more severe or longer infection and urges people to take their doctor’s advice on antibiotics.

To help pharmacy teams spread awareness of the campaign within their pharmacies, we have created a website to share the NHS digital resources available via the NHS, which include:

1. > Posters
2. > Digital Screens
3. > Leaflets

We are encouraging our customers to get on board and support the campaign. In addition, the Alphega Pharmacy team are offering additional guidance on the Pharmacy Quality Scheme (details below), and Business Mentor level support.

PQS E-learning requirement

As part of the PQS E-learning, pharmacy contractors in England who chose to access the PQS renumeration criteria via the PSNC website can complete their *PQS Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) to assess their practice and complete e-learning assessments which must be completed by the end of March 2023.

Alphega Members

As part of their membership fee, Alphega members are being offered support to complete the *PQS AMS for AMR (antimicrobial stewardship) as well as a comprehensive PQS toolkit for all their PQS requirements.

Support us and the NHS during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week

Alliance Healthcare has pledged to become an Antibiotic Guardian and are proud to support this campaign. Find out more here.

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Alliance Healthcare Raise Over £40,000 for Health and Wellbeing of Children

Alliance Healthcare teams cycle more than 1,000km across the UK to raise more than £40,000 for charity.
 

During the sweltering heat, and blistering northern winds, two teams of cyclists completed Alliance Healthcare’s annual charity Tour D’Alliance cycle challenge. The teams, departing from Coatbridge, Scotland, and Exeter, Devon, set off across the UK towards the Alliance Healthcare Leigh Service Centre, Greater Manchester, for a finish line event on Saturday 18 June. In addition, 16 colleagues competed in a virtual challenge across 7 days, collectively covering an additional 1,000km.

Read more...

Supply Optimisation now on the myahportal

Over the past few months, we have heard that you want us to make the process of requesting additional items of product that is subject to Restricted Supply simpler for you, so we are delighted to announce the launch of a new innovative and customer friendly functionality on the Alliance Healthcare portal.

What change is taking place?

In addition to the online Prescription Validation Service, this new Supply Optimisation innovation will allow you to submit a product supply request for a product that is confirmed as being subject to Restricted Supply at the time of your standard order process rather than having to call customer services.

You can now place an order request  24/7 via the myahportal and track the progress of your request more easily and efficiently using the new supply optimisation tool.

This new functionality is available to all users, however administrators can remove access to users as required through the user admin functions.

What are the benefits for me?

• -             Making it easier to do business with us
• -             Simplifies the request for supply when an item is subject to Restricted Supply, and when you need more product than you would order in a typical month
• -             Provides order progress updates so you can track your order via the myahportal
• -             Provides you with your required stock quicker – due to this advanced technology
• -             Modernises the process – no need to call or email us
• -             Brings efficiencies to your business – another feature in our one stop shop offering provided by myahportal

When is this change taking place?

This new functionality is now live on the myahportal.

Here to Help

You can access the Supply Optimisation functions on the portal by:

• -             Selecting the Supply Optimisation tile from your myahportal dashboard
• -             Inputting the pip code and quantity you require and following the on-screen instructions

The status of all pending orders will be available in the order history section of the Supply Optimisation area.

To help assist you with this new service, please watch this short video on how to use the new portal functionality here.

If you experience any difficulties and require support, please contact the Customer Portal Team on 0330 100 0448 – option 8 or email CustomerPortal@alliance-healthcare.co.uk with ‘Supply Optimisation’ in the title of your email.

Alliance Healthcare marks £100k raised for Vitamin Angels UK

Alliance Healthcare marks £100,000 raised for Vitamin Angels UK to support its purpose in improving access to essential nutrition for mothers and children in the UK and around the world.

Yesterday, team members across Alliance Healthcare joined a virtual event called “Around the World” to celebrate the amazing £100,000 fundraising milestone. Marie Evans, Managing Director congratulated the teams who have completed cycle challenges, organised football matches and multiple fundraising events in aid of the charity.

Vitamin Angels UK provided an interactive virtual tour of the villages across the world where funds raised have helped create healthier futures. Over the last four years of the partnership, Alliance Healthcare and Vitamin Angels have reached the lives of over 468,600 children.

Sam Unsworth, CSR Champion for Alliance Healthcare closed the event and said: “We should be really proud of our fundraising efforts to support our charity partnership with Vitamin Angels. Today, was a moment to reflect on our achievement and hear more from the charity. This has really spurred us on to create even more impactful fundraising events. Together we will continue to make a meaningful difference for those that need it most.”

Prince Charles praises pharmacy sector’s ‘dedication and professionalism’ during Covid-19 pandemic

Prince Charles has praised the “dedication and professionalism of pharmacy staff” at an event held in London to celebrate the work of community pharmacists during the Covid-19 pandemic.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales hosted a special event this week at St. James’s Palace State Apartments to celebrate Community Pharmacists.

200 community pharmacy members and other honoured guests, including Our Managing Director, Marie Evans had the privilege of attending.

Speaking about the event, Marie said: “Community pharmacy deserve this recognition, they continued to support UK patients at every moment of the pandemic – and beyond. Their unwavering dedication is something to be admired and celebrated. This has been a very fitting celebration for our remarkable community pharmacists and their teams.”

Read more about the event in the below link:

Prince Charles praises pharmacy sector’s ‘dedication and professionalism’ during Covid-19 pandemic - Latest Pharmacy News | Business | Magazine - Pharmacy Business