At United Drug, our mission is to help pharmacies and healthcare professionals across Ireland to improve the quality of care and service they deliver to their patients and customers. This year, that commitment has been recognised with three prestigious award nominations, celebrating our ability to innovate, adapt, and deliver meaningful results across the pharmacy sector.

United Drug Wholesale shortlisted for Patient Education Project of the Year (Pharmaceutical)
Irish Healthcare Awards 2025

Our Pharmacy Communication Strategy has been recognised for its outstanding role in improving patient education and supporting pharmacists in delivering evidence-based care.
Over the past year, United Drug Wholesale has implemented a multi-channel programme that bridges the gap between pharmaceutical suppliers and front-line pharmacy teams, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes.

This achievement has been delivered through:
•    Supplier marketing campaigns that raise awareness of new treatments and provide pharmacists with patient-focused materials.
•    UD Talks podcast, offering bite-sized clinical insights on critical topics like overdose awareness, HPV prevention, and sepsis — designed for pharmacists’ busy schedules.
•    CPD-accredited webinars covering topics such as ostomy and urology care, HPV vaccination guidelines, and long COVID management, giving pharmacy teams both knowledge and practical consultation tips.
•    Data-led insights that highlight patient trends, enabling pharmacies to anticipate demand and tailor advice.
•    Coordinated social media campaigns to extend the reach of key messages and encourage engagement with educational content.

With a 56% market share, a network of 1,800 pharmacies, and strong engagement metrics — from open rates exceeding industry benchmarks to social media engagement growing by 79% year-on-year — this strategy has had measurable impact. Pharmacists report feeling more confident and informed, better able to guide patients, and more engaged with supplier materials.

By combining strategic communication with practical education, we have strengthened the role of community pharmacy as a trusted healthcare provider, enabling more effective patient conversations and better-informed treatment decisions across Ireland.

Pharmax.ie shortlisted for B2B eCommerce Website of the Year
Irish eCommerce Awards 2025

Pharmax.ie has set a new benchmark for what a pharmacy-focused eCommerce platform can achieve. Over the past year, it has cemented itself as a vital commercial lifeline for independent pharmacies in an increasingly competitive and consolidated market.

Its success lies in combining intelligent technology with pharmacy-specific logic — automatically sourcing the right products at the best price, offering flexibility in ordering, and showing instant rebate savings to drive profitability.

In 2024, we launched Profitlines, expanding the product range, delivering sharper pricing, and integrating seamlessly with other commercial tools to create a genuine one-stop shop. Adoption rates, daily usage, and high customer satisfaction scores demonstrate that Pharmax is not just a good idea — it’s a platform that pharmacies actively depend on.

Pharmax has also contributed to wider healthcare goals, helping to stabilise medicine supply by consolidating orders and directing demand through preferred channels, while promoting generic medicine uptake to reduce costs for both pharmacies and the state. Coupled with targeted marketing campaigns, trade press features, and regular on-platform promotions, Pharmax has proven itself as a best-in-class digital solution that drives measurable business and healthcare outcomes.

UDW.ie shortlisted for B2B eCommerce Website of the Year
Irish eCommerce Awards 2025

UDW.ie has become an essential daily resource for thousands of healthcare professionals across Ireland. More than an ordering platform, it functions as a fully integrated customer portal, providing both the practical tools to run a pharmacy efficiently and the educational content to support professional development.

UDW.ie has become an indispensable tool for community pharmacies, giving them 24/7 access to over 14,000 pharmaceutical and retail products in a fast-paced, highly regulated market. This achievement means pharmacies can confidently check live stock availability, place and track orders, access invoices and statements instantly, and save time through features like saved baskets and wishlists for repeat ordering. Supported by United Drug’s nationwide logistics network, delivering up to 11 times a week from Dublin, Limerick, and Ballina, UDW.ie has streamlined the supply process, ensuring pharmacies get what they need, when they need it, to serve their patients without interruption.

Our multi-channel engagement strategy combining targeted emails, on-site messaging, organic social media, trade PR, and in-person training from our sales teams, has ensured that UDW.ie remains relevant, trusted, and constantly evolving in response to customer feedback. The platform’s blend of self-service efficiency and personal, human support has strengthened customer loyalty and made it a central part of pharmacy operations nationwide.

A Shared Success

These nominations are more than industry recognition, they are a celebration of the people, partnerships, and innovation that make United Drug a leader in pharmacy support. From delivering smarter digital platforms to empowering pharmacists with the knowledge and tools they need, we are proud of the tangible difference these achievements make every day.

As awards night approaches, we’re proud to recognise not only the nominations themselves, but the meaningful outcomes they represent for our customers and their patients.