Pharmacy Daily | Sigma focused on rebuilding trust

DELIVERING consistency and restoring consumer trust will be critical to pharmaceutical wholesaler Sigma Healthcare's success, the company's new CEO, Vikesh Ramsunder, says.

Speaking with Pharmacy Daily, Ramsunder said that over the last six months the business has transformed its operational performance.

"I have to believe it's just going to get better every single month, as we improve," he said.

"The big job for me is not necessarily focusing on the delivery, it's winning back the trust and confidence with customers that I can continue delivering - that takes time.

"I'll be the first to admit there's certainly been some confidence lost in our ability over the last year.

"You can't talk that up, you have to deliver it.

"[And] as you consistently deliver good execution on operational performance customers then feel confident to return, but you've got to prove to them that you've sorted your issues out and that's really what I'm busy with at the moment."

Ramsunder said that Sigma was taking a long-term approach to expanding its pharmacy franchise network, noting that building confidence in the wholersaler's ability to deliver would be key.

"[Once] they trust your service delivery and then as your brand strategies start to come to fruition, and you are able to talk to your customer in a more relevant way, then your franchise members become your greatest spokespeople and you can attract more brand members," he said.

"It's a long-term play, you're not going to get massive change overnight, but if you do all the right things and you do it well, you have to believe over the long-term you're going to win."

With Sigma unveiling plans to consolidate its pharmacy brands under the Amcal and Discount Drug Store banners last month, Ramsunder confirmed that 50% of Guardian Pharmacy franchisees have committed to transitioning their stores to Amcal (PD 27 Sep).

Ramsunder told Pharmacy Daily that the company will convert its first Guardian store to Amcal next week, as it seeks to disband the brand by the end of 2023.