Many doctors are looking to move into purpose designed new premises with adequate parking. It makes sense for a pharmacy to be located nearby or inside if possible.
Apart from very small schemes, the development of a new health centre will normally be undertaken by a property developer, on behalf of the GPs. Despite the certainty of the long term rent from the GP tenants, such development schemes often still hinge financially upon whether a pharmacy can be included, as the pharmacy tenant can be charged an initial up-front premium for being allowed into the building (key money) and a rent that is usually higher per square metre than the GPs pay for the occupation of their part of the premises. Most property developers use specialist consultants to help them maximise their income from including a pharmacy. So far, no new news for most readers!
The challenge for pharmacists wishing to get into such a development is how much to bid for key money and rent and at the same time how to get a pharmacy contract for the site.
Whilst it might seem that the highest bidder for the pharmacy space will always win, that may not always prove to be the case. I know of a situation where the successful applicant was one who was willing to sign to take the pharmacy space, without having at that point definitely secured a pharmacy contract. This is a high risk strategy indeed and not one that I would recommend any customer of mine to emulate, as the sums of money and the long term commitment of the pharmacy space rental are very large indeed. In addition as the pharmacy control of entry regulations can change at relatively short notice, and in 2011 are overdue revision, that risk is further heightened.
As the developers mostly use special consultants to deal with the pharmacy aspects of their health centre developments, it makes sense for pharmacists to also take professional advice from truly independent consultants at an early stage, when considering involvement in such schemes.
Pharmacists should also be aware that some GPs are becoming interested in owning a pharmacy themselves and that the local GPs themselves may be a pharmacy competitor. Another competitor is often likely to be one or more of the large pharmacy chains hoping to secure the opportunity of a potentially busy and profitable pharmacy. I have also seen a large chain pharmacy offering to share ownership of a new health centre pharmacy with the GPs, and indeed some chains already have several such shared ownership pharmacies.