PROSPECTIVE buyers of community pharmacies expect that prices will increase over the next 12 months, the latest edition of the Attain Pharmacy Market Sentiment Survey reveals.
Attain Director, Natalie Sirianni, said the survey, which tracks pharmacy business sales market trends, found more than 60% of respondents - including current and aspiring owners - were looking to purchase "a or another pharmacy".
The latest survey conducted in Mar, found 37% of pharmacy owners said they expected to sell their pharmacy within the next five years, up from 31% in Dec 2020.
The proportion of owners who said they planned to bring in a junior partner instead of selling remained at 10% in Mar, having dropped by 14% in the Jul 2020 survey.
Over the course of the first three editions of the survey, increasing numbers of pharmacists have expressed the view that pharmacy business prices will increase in the next 12 months - with the latest report finding 59.3% believe they will rise, compared with 44% in Jul 2020.
"The results from the Mar 2021 Pharmacy Market Sentiment Survey show that the pharmacy business sales market continues to be quite strong and indicates that this will likely continue," Sirianni said.
"The results show very strong buyer demand and that supply of pharmacies on the market is likely to increase within the next six months.
"Overall, these results show positive market sentiment for the pharmacy business sales market from both buyers and sellers."
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 19 Apr 21
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 19 Apr 21