In the October issue of Retail Pharmacy Assistants e-magazine, we spoke with Glenn Cochran, CEO at PharmaCare Laboratories to learn more about the company and about one of the brands.
Tell us about your background and how you came to work at PharmaCare Laboratories. What does your role entail? 
As the Chief Executive Officer at PharmaCare Laboratories, I’m responsible for the creation and execution of the company’s strategic roadmap, designed with a clear ambition to bring to market healthcare products that enrich people’s lives through improved health and wellness.
I have more than 25 years of experience in the commercial healthcare sector and enjoy combining my passion for health and wellbeing with a desire for professional development and aspirational leadership.
Having worked in many roles across the healthcare industry, including regional director ANZ with Reckitt Benckiser Health, I’ve found that the health and wellness industry is a powerful force for good and I’m inspired by the people, ideas and solutions in this space. At PharmaCare, I’m dedicated to harnessing this momentum to enhance people’s health and wellbeing with the highest quality, safest and innovative products.
How and when did PharmaCare Laboratories come about? What gap in the market was the company responding to?
PharmaCare is an Australian born and built success story dedicated to enriching people’s lives through health and wellness. Over its 30-year history, PharmaCare has built an agile and thriving business that understands and serves the health needs of its many customers worldwide. Established in 1985 on the northern beaches [of Sydney] our founder, Toby Browne, began selling his products directly to local pharmacies after recognising the demand for complementary health products that supported their consumers’ general wellbeing.
We now manufacture some of the best and most efficacious products under trusted, household names, such as Wart-Off, Sambucol, Nature’s Way, Bioglan, Medi+, Ease-a-Cold, Skin Doctors, KP24, Brut and many others. PharmaCare products are found in over 5200 pharmacies and 3000 supermarkets, department and variety stores throughout Australia, Asia, America and Europe.
On the website, PharmaCare promotes its values of “honesty, hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit”. Tell us more about these business values. How can pharmacy assistants incorporate these values into the work they do every day?
Core to the many successes at PharmaCare is a business built on a relentless pursuit of possibility, a healthy competitive spirit to succeed and a desire to be the best – with a lot of fun along the way. And while our products are in high demand globally, our soul is Australian, our quality is Australian and our spirit of honesty, hard work and entrepreneurial drive is Australian.
Our philosophy of enriching people’s lives through health and wellness extends beyond our products. At PharmaCare, we believe that, first and foremost, our team needs to take care of their own health and wellness to care for their family. Only then can the team take care of the business so we thrive together.
This philosophy further extends to the community in which PharmaCare operates, regularly donating resources, time and money to those in need through our philanthropic ventures and extensive charity partnerships.
Sustainability is a big issue currently. According to the website, PharmaCare is “continually looking for environmentally responsible solutions to our everyday business practices”. Tell us more about this and how PharmaCare works to support sustainability.
The company continues to focus on building a sustainable future and is already making a positive impact across its products, the planet and its people, cementing PharmaCare as a resilient business for years to come.
As a major marketer of fish oils, we ensure that our fish is sourced only from eco-friendly fisheries. We’ve also implemented sustainable packaging across a range of our brands and are a fully compliant signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable manufacture, use and recovery of packaging.
It’s critical that companies reflect the values of their customers. That’s why PharmaCare continues to assess and evaluate the journey towards environmentally responsible solutions for all our products and daily operations.
Wart-Off
One of the brands that PharmaCare works with is Wart-Off. Can you tell us about this brand? Who is the product targeted at?
Wart-Off is a key brand in PharmaCare’s product portfolio and treats warts in an effective and efficient manner. Available nationally from pharmacists and retailers, Wart-Off is an ideal treatment for Aussies over the age of four who experience common or plantar warts on their hands or feet. Its easy application and range of formats makes it particularly popular among families with young children.
What makes Wart-Off stand out from other similar brands on the market? What is its point of difference?
One of the key reasons for Wart-Off’s success is its diverse range of easy-to-use products. Consumers have the convenience of choosing a format that suits their lifestyle (spray, pen or paint) while experiencing fast, effective and safe treatment.
What are the key facts pharmacy assistants need to know about Wart-Off to best promote this product within their retail pharmacies?
Wart-Off is a product that is proudly Australian and is a key example of PharmaCare’s commitment to enriching lives through health and wellness. Pharmacy assistants can be confident that it’s a safe, fast and effective product that comes in a variety of application formats, making it particularly popular with young families. We encourage pharmacy assistants to familiarise themselves with the specifications and recommended usage of each product in the range so they can inform and educate customers. Our PharmaCare field force are also available to support with product information and use.
What strategies do you employ to promote Wart-Off and other brands with retailers and consumers?
With a long-established history and reputation as a fast and effective product, it’s no surprise that Wart-Off is a staple in Aussie households. Through continued innovation and commitment to producing the best products, our customers are confident in recommending our products to their friends and families. We amplify this word-of-mouth endorsement through social and digital advertising and in-store point of sale.
Do you have any upcoming additions in the NPD pipeline for the Wart-Off brand that you would be able to share with us? What’s next for Wart-Off and for PharmaCare?
Health and wellness are pillars of Australian life and core principles of life at PharmaCare. We strive to be different, innovative and surprising, and to always make a positive difference to people’s lives, every day.
We’re passionate about continuing to improve and expand our product offering and are excited to share this with consumers soon.
Where can pharmacy assistants/pharmacists/retailers find out more about PharmaCare and Wart-Off? Who can they reach out to if they would like to stock Wart-Off within their pharmacies?
Interested pharmacists and retailers can visit pharmacare.com.au/contact to inquire about our broad portfolio of products. Existing PharmaCare stockists can speak with their assigned territory manager should they have any queries.
For more and to read the interview as it appears in the October issue of the e-magazine, visit:rpassistants.com.au/magazines/retail-pharmacy-assistants-october-2021/
