Is pharmacy still a sustainable business in 2025? What does the new NHS contract mean for independent contractors, and how can we survive, adapt, and thrive?

In this powerful guest episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, host Solomon Abuede is joined by Ashley Cohen, a seasoned pharmacy contractor and board member of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and Chair of Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire (CPWY). Together, they unpack the real impact of the new contract, what independent pharmacies must do to stay competitive, and the evolving role of pharmacies in UK healthcare.

Expect honest conversation, hard-won lessons, and practical insights you won’t hear anywhere else.

In this episode:

• Ashley’s journey as a multi-branch pharmacy owner
• What the new NHS contract means for independents
• How to future-proof your pharmacy business
• The growing importance of clinical services & prescribing
• Advice for new and seasoned contractors alike

This episode is a must-listen for pharmacy professionals, owners, and anyone curious about the future of the sector.

👉 Subscribe, share, and follow @_BTCPodcast on all platforms.

In Part 2 of our deep dive into The Pharmacy Numbers Game, we go beyond the NHS contract and get real about what’s actually draining your pharmacy’s profit, and how to stop it.

This episode covers the full breakdown of the silent margin killers hiding in plain sight, from unpaid deliveries to the hidden cost of NOMAD trays, under-claimed services, and rising staff costs.

Pharmacy isn’t broken, but you need to play smart. In this raw and practical episode, I share personal insights, practical fixes, and lessons learned after 14 years of pharmacy ownership.

If you’re tired of working harder and earning less… this one is for you.

🎧 Hit follow, subscribe, and share, and if you haven’t heard Part 1, go back and listen now!

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I working so hard and still not seeing the money?” — this episode is for you.

In Part 1 of The Pharmacy Numbers Game, I pull back the curtain on the financial realities of being a pharmacy contractor in the UK. From Category M and clawbacks to the Drug Tariff and PPD statements, you’ll learn why understanding your numbers isn’t just helpful — it’s survival.

Using real stories, including lessons, I explain how the NHS contract works (and why it’s often misunderstood), why Average Item Value is a trap, and how to avoid building your business on false forecasts.

This is the episode I wish someone had given me in year one. If you’re serious about building a profitable pharmacy, press play — and get ready to see your business through a new lens.

📢 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and follow @_BTCPodcast on social for updates.

What if survival in pharmacy wasn’t just about chasing NHS prescriptions?

In today’s episode, I’m sharing the real story of how we moved beyond NHS dependency and built a sustainable income stream through private services, changing not only our cash flow but our entire business model.

You’ll hear the honest lessons we learned: the mindset shifts, the early mistakes, the patient success stories, and how private services reshaped the future of our pharmacy.

If you’re feeling the pressure of tighter margins, delayed payments, and growing costs, this episode will show you why private services aren’t just extra income — they can be a lifeline.

🎧 Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.💬 Connect with me on social media at @_BTCPodcast — I’d love to hear your thoughts!

What happens when doing it all starts doing you in?

In this episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, I’m sharing one of the hardest and most important lessons I’ve learned in business: letting go.

I open up about the real cost of trying to control everything, from burnout and bottlenecks to missed opportunities and strained relationships. You’ll hear how we went from micromanaging chaos to building a leadership team that helped our pharmacies thrive — and the mindset shifts it took to get there.

Whether you’re a pharmacy owner, entrepreneur, or just someone who struggles to delegate, this episode is packed with real stories, honest lessons, and practical tips on how to build a business that doesn’t revolve around you — and why that’s the best thing you can do for your growth.

🗝️ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why trying to do everything yourself is dangerous for growth
• How to build a strong, accountable leadership team
• Why delegation isn’t abdication — it’s empowerment
• Practical steps to start letting go (without losing control)
• How I finally got my life back and scaled my business sustainably

🎧 Tune in now and discover how letting go might just be the thing that takes your business to the next level.

Scaling a pharmacy business sounds like the dream — until it starts to feel like a nightmare.

In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of what really happened when we expanded beyond our first community pharmacy. From the excitement of opening a second branch to the chaos that followed — team resignations, broken systems, profitability issues, and long weeks away from family — this is the honest story of how rapid growth nearly broke us.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

✅ The early red flags when scaling a pharmacy

✅ The challenges we didn’t see coming — and how we responded

✅ The tough lessons from acquiring two more branches in Scarborough

✅ How we regained control through systems, structure, and strategy

✅ Why investing in yourself is critical if you want your pharmacy to grow

Whether you’re an independent pharmacy owner or planning to scale your healthcare business, this episode is packed with real insight to help you avoid the pitfalls of growth and build a business that can thrive — not just survive.

💊 If you’re growing your pharmacy or thinking about it — listen to this first.

🔔 Don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.

📲 Connect with us on social media: @_BTCPodcast

Want to grow your business but not sure where to start? The secret isn’t just in the numbers—it’s in customer trust.

In this episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, I share the real story of how I scaled my pharmacy business from one small branch to six thriving locations. Spoiler: it wasn’t through flashy ads or corporate budgets—it was through building trust, delivering personal service, and leveraging word-of-mouth marketing.

Whether you’re running a pharmacy, starting a small business, or planning to scale, this episode is packed with practical lessons for sustainable business growth.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How I built unshakable customer trust from day one

• The power of personal service (and why it beats the big chains every time)

• Why word-of-mouth marketing is still your best growth strategy—and how to make it work

• The biggest scaling mistakes I made and what I’d do differently

• My step-by-step blueprint for sustainable business expansion

🎧 Listen now to learn how to grow your business through trust, not tricks—whether you’re just starting out or ready to scale.

📣 Join the conversation:

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while growing your business? Share your experience in the comments or DM me on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook @_BTCPodcast.

✅ Don’t forget to:

👍 Follow for business insights

🔁 Share this episode with an entrepreneur you admire

⭐ Leave a review—it helps others discover the show!

📌 #PharmacyBusiness #BusinessGrowth #CustomerTrust #Entrepreneurship #ScalingUp #IndependentPharmacy #BehindTheCounterPodcast

We all see the highlight reels of business success—big wins, major milestones, and the dream of freedom that comes with entrepreneurship.

But what about the hard truths? The long nights, emotional stress, financial pressure, and personal sacrifices that rarely get talked about?

In this episode of Behind the Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, I share the real, unfiltered story of what it’s truly like to run a business—specifically a pharmacy business in the UK—and the lessons I learned the hard way.

🎙️ In this episode, I open up about:

• The freedom I expected vs. the reality of business ownership

• The financial, emotional, and mental costs of keeping my business alive

• The mistakes I’d avoid if I could start again

• Practical advice for anyone starting a business or scaling an existing one

If you’re a pharmacy contractor, entrepreneur, or small business owner, this episode is for you. Whether you’re in the trenches or planning your next move, you’ll walk away with real insight, raw truth, and lessons that can save you time, money, and stress.

🎧 Tune in now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Amazon Music.

💬 Question for you: If you had to describe business ownership in one word, what would it be? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear your perspective.

🔁 Follow, share, and leave a review—your support helps this podcast reach more business owners like you.

#BehindTheCounterPodcast #PharmacyBusiness #BusinessReality #EntrepreneurLessons #StartUpJourney #PharmacyOwner #SmallBusinessTruths #PodcastForEntrepreneurs