The Truth About Pharmacy Ownership in Scotland

In this episode, we step into the Reality Stage, where the excitement of pharmacy ownership fades and the real challenges begin.

Our guest, Emmanuel Umezulike, is a pharmacist and pharmacy contractor who has owned pharmacies in Scotland for nearly two years. Having lived, studied, and practiced in Scotland for over 11 years, Emmanuel shares honest insight into pharmacy ownership within the Scottish funding and contract system and how different it is from England.

We discuss:

• How Emmanuel went from never considering ownership to running two pharmacies

• Going into ownership without guidance and learning on the job

• How NHS Scotland funding works, including advance payments and activity-based income

• Why understanding your numbers and adding services matters

• The realities of staffing, operations, and building the right team

• The personal and mental toll of ownership in the first year

• Whether pharmacy ownership is still a good business in Scotland and England

This episode is a real, practical conversation for pharmacists considering ownership, new owners navigating chaos, and anyone curious about the business side of pharmacy.

🎧 Listen now and step into the reality stage of pharmacy ownership.