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An independent online pharmacy, The Family Chemist, which currently has a turnover approaching £50 million is aiming to double that to £100 million during 2027. 

The business attributes its rapid growth largely to demand for GLP1-s which account for around 70% of its turnover, which was £30 million in 2024.

Clinical director, Sunny Dhain, claims the soaring demand for GLP-1 weight-loss treatments is changing far more than the way obesity is treated. He believes it is fundamentally reshaping the role of pharmacists and the services they provide, and that the launch of Foundayo, soon after the Wegovy pill, is set to accelerate that shift.

The Nottingham-based business, which currently employs 40 people, plans to recruit a further 20 staff by the end of the year. The company is also searching for larger premises and says its continued expansion is expected to create further skilled jobs across pharmacy, healthcare, technology, logistics and business support functions over the coming year.

Having now served more than one million customers across its services and built a customer base of more than 500,000 patients, The Family Chemist says it is evolving from a traditional online pharmacy into a large-scale digital healthcare provider, investing heavily in clinical systems, automation, warehousing and patient support to prepare for its next phase of growth.

Speaking about the company’s growth, Dhain added: "We've experienced extraordinary growth over the past few years, but our focus has always been on building a safe, clinically-led healthcare business rather than simply processing more prescriptions.

"Every stage of our growth has required investment in people, technology and patient care. We've moved premises four times already and are now looking for a larger site that will support the next chapter of the business while maintaining the high standards our patients expect."

He added: “We are now actively looking for another premises or warehouse that can support the next stage of our growth. The new facility will need to accommodate substantially higher dispensing volumes, additional staff, greater stockholding and more sophisticated fulfilment and logistics operations.

“The biggest change has been moving from operating as a traditional online pharmacy to building a large-scale digital healthcare business. We are now investing heavily in clinical systems, automation, technology, warehousing and patient support so the business can grow without compromising safety or service quality.”