Dispensaries
Dispensaries is a privately held Canadian compounding pharmacy operating since 1934, serving Edmonton and surrounding communities through 8 retail locations plus a wholesale division, offering prescription services, custom compounding, supplements, and specialty formulations such as BHRT and dermatology preparations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1934
- HeadquartersEdmonton, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Dispensaries does
Dispensaries Ltd (legal entity: Dispensaries (1991) Limited) is a privately held, locally owned Canadian pharmacy group founded in 1934 and headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. The firm operates eight retail pharmacy storefronts across Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, and Spruce Grove, plus a dedicated Compounding Centre and a wholesale division supplying first aid and medical supplies. Owners Darrin Berlin (President) and Kanish Sangani (Secretary) lead the business, supported by a multi-pharmacist team largely trained at the University of Alberta.
The company's core offering is full-service prescription dispensing complemented by specialized compounding services, including bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), dermatology, pain management, pediatric, veterinary, erectile dysfunction, injectables, and low-dose naltrexone formulations. The Compounding Centre is a ~1,400 sq. ft. NAPRA-compliant facility with sterile hazardous and non-sterile compounding rooms, Health Canada License #6-1037, PCCA membership since 1995, and a patented compounding software system that increases accuracy and minimizes errors. Complementary services include vaccinations and flu shots, medication reviews, minor ailments treatment, travel medicine, in-home delivery, a Prescriptions mobile app, and a Shopify storefront for pharmaceutical-grade natural health supplements sourced from brands such as NFH, Sisu, Metagenics, NOW Foods, and Pure Encapsulations.
Revenue is generated through four primary streams: prescription services billed via Alberta provincial health plans and direct patient payments; compounding services for both individual patients and B2B pharmacy clients on a 24-hour-or-less turnaround basis; supplement sales via in-store and Shopify e-commerce; and wholesale first aid and medical supplies to enterprise and government customers including Alberta Health Services, Suncor, PCL Construction, and Canadian Western Bank Group. Distribution spans physical retail, mobile app refills, delivery, B2B compounding channel, e-commerce, and wholesale, while marketing relies on a Health Hub Blog, email newsletter, and local community presence rather than paid acquisition.
Dispensaries firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dispensaries
- Legal name
- Dispensaries (1991) Limited
- Website
- https://dispensariesltd.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1934
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dispensaries is a privately held Canadian compounding pharmacy operating since 1934, serving Edmonton and surrounding communities through 8 retail locations plus a wholesale division, offering prescription services, custom compounding, supplements, and specialty formulations such as BHRT and dermatology preparations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dispensaries industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail pharmacy and compounding services
- NAICS
- Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (45611), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456)
- SIC
- Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912), Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Compounding Pharmacies (Sterile/Non-Sterile) (HLAFALAE)
Keywords
Where Dispensaries is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edmonton
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Dispensaries business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Prescription Services: Standard prescription filling, refills, and transfers for patients. Revenue generated through provincial health plans and direct patient payments.
- Compounding Services: Custom medication compounding for patients and B2B pharmacy clients. Includes BHRT, dermatology, pain management, pediatric, veterinary, and other specialized compounding. 24-hour or less turnaround for pharmacy clients.
- Supplements Sales: Sale of pharmaceutical-grade natural health supplements including vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, and nutraceuticals. Available in-store and via online Shopify store.
- Wholesale Medical Supplies: First aid kits, bandages, splints, gauze, tensor bandages, medical gloves, suture kits, and hard-to-find medical items sold to companies and healthcare organizations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Prescription Services - Standard pricing through provincial health plans |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels3 records
Dispensaries product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dispensaries Ltd operates a chain of community pharmacies in the Edmonton region delivering prescription filling, custom medication compounding, vaccinations, medication reviews, and pharmaceutical-grade natural health supplements. The business is anchored by a dedicated NAPRA-compliant Compounding Centre serving both walk-in patients and other pharmacies with personalized formulations (BHRT, dermatology, pain management, pediatric, injectables, low-dose naltrexone). A Wholesale division supplies first aid kits and medical supplies to corporate and government customers across Alberta.
Product overview
Dispensaries is a locally-owned Canadian compounding pharmacy operating since 1934, serving Edmonton and surrounding communities (St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Spruce Grove). The offering consists of a core prescription services business supplemented by specialized compounding services (BHRT, dermatology, pain management, injectables, pediatric, and more) delivered through a dedicated Compounding Centre facility (~1400 sq. ft., NAPRA-compliant, PCCA member since 1995). A digital Prescriptions App enables prescription management. Additional services include vaccinations, travel medicine, medication reviews, delivery, supplement sales (pharmaceutical-grade vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, nutraceuticals), a Patient Hub for education, and a Wholesale division supplying first aid/medical supplies. A Health Hub Blog provides pharmacist-authored health content. The portfolio is organized around a unified pharmacy service model with compounding as a key differentiator.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Prescription Services Full-service prescription management including new patient intake, prescription refills, and prescription transfers across all eight Dispensaries pharmacy locations in Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, and Spruce Grove.
- Compounding Services Custom medication compounding for patients and B2B pharmacy clients since 1995. Personalizes drug strength, flavors, application methods (creams, capsules, liquids), allergen-free formulations, and multi-medication combinations across BHRT, dermatology, podiatry, erectile dysfunction, injectables, low-dose naltrexone, pain management, and pediatric specialties.
- Compounding Centre Dedicated ~1,400 sq. ft. compounding facility with separate sterile hazardous and non-sterile compounding rooms, state-of-the-art equipment, a patented compounding software system, NAPRA sterile and non-sterile guideline compliance, PCCA membership since 1995, and Health Canada License #6-1037.
- Prescriptions App Mobile application that lets patients upload new prescriptions, request refills, transfer prescriptions, and select a preferred pickup location across the Dispensaries network.
- General Pharmacy Services Standard pharmacy service line covering medication review, minor ailments treatment, skin care, travel medicine, medication disposal, and veterinary prescriptions across the Dispensaries locations.
- Vaccinations and Flu Shots Comprehensive vaccination offering including travel vaccines and seasonal flu shots, supported by a comprehensive vaccine inventory across Dispensaries pharmacies.
- Supplements Pharmaceutical-grade natural health supplements including professional-grade vitamins, minerals, herbal remedies, nutraceuticals, and hormone-support products sourced from trusted brands, available in-store and via the Shopify online store.
- Delivery Prescription and supplement delivery service complementing in-store pickup and supporting home-bound or remote patients in the Edmonton region.
- Wholesale Medical Supplies Wholesale distribution of first aid kits, bandages, splints, gauze, tensor bandages, medical gloves, suture kits, and hard-to-find medical supplies sold to organizations including Alberta Health Services, Suncor, PCL Construction, and Canadian Western Bank Group.
Quantifiable outcome
- 24-hour or less turnaround for compounding orders depending on location
Companies that use Dispensaries
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Dispensaries technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
Dispensaries partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- PCCA - Professional Compounding Centers of AmericacoreProud members since 1995. PCCA provides compounding expertise, quality ingredients, and support for the Compounding Centre operations.
- NFH - Nutritional Fundamentals for HealthminorSupplement brand partner. NFH offers professional-grade nutritional supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- Sisu Nutritional SupplementsminorSupplement brand partner. Sisu offers professional-grade vitamins and supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- MetagenicsminorSupplement brand partner. Metagenics offers professional-grade vitamins and supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- NOW FoodsminorSupplement brand partner. NOW Foods offers vitamins and supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- Cyto-Matrix Vitamins and SupplementsminorSupplement brand partner available at Dispensaries locations.
- Genestra BrandsminorSupplement brand partner. Genestra offers professional-grade supplements and vitamins available at Dispensaries locations.
- AOR - Advanced Orthomolecular ResearchminorSupplement brand partner. AOR Canada offers advanced orthomolecular supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- Designs for HealthminorSupplement brand partner. Designs for Health offers professional-grade natural vitamins and supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- Pure EncapsulationsminorSupplement brand partner. Pure Encapsulations offers hypoallergenic nutritional supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- Douglas LaboratoriesminorSupplement brand partner. Douglas Laboratories offers professional-grade supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- EnerexminorSupplement brand partner. Enerex offers vitamins and supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- Protocol for Life BalanceminorSupplement brand partner. Protocol for Life Balance offers professional-grade supplements available at Dispensaries locations.
- Alberta Health ServicesmajorGovernment healthcare provider receiving first aid and medical supplies from Dispensaries Wholesale.
- SuncormajorEnergy company receiving first aid and medical supplies from Dispensaries Wholesale.
- PCL ConstructionmajorConstruction company receiving first aid and medical supplies from Dispensaries Wholesale.
- Canadian Western Bank GroupmajorFinancial institution receiving first aid and medical supplies from Dispensaries Wholesale.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Dispensaries competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Guardian / I.D.A. Pharmacy (McKesson banner): Canadian independent pharmacy banner networks with locations offering compounding, specialty Rx, and patient-focused care. Directly comparable to Dispensaries' independent-storefront, compounding-enabled pharmacy model.
- Pharmasave: Canadian independent pharmacy network with member-owned stores offering compounding, prescription services, and specialty health products across multiple provinces. Directly comparable to Dispensaries as an independent pharmacy group with a strong compounding and patient-care orientation.
- The Medicine Shoppe Canada: Canada's largest network of independently owned pharmacies, providing prescription services, compounding, medication management, and specialty care. Operates on a similar independent-storefront model with compounding as a key differentiator.
Regional players
- London Drugs: Western Canadian retail pharmacy and health retailer with strong Alberta/BC presence. Comparable as a regional pharmacy competitor serving the same Edmonton-area patient base with retail Rx, front-shop health, and broader general merchandise.
Emerging players
- BioScript Solutions: Canadian specialty pharmacy focused on complex, patient-specific therapies and compounding. Comparable as a compounding-forward specialty pharmacy operating at higher scale and offering broader patient support programs.
Broad incumbents
- Shoppers Drug Mart (Loblaw Companies): Canada's largest retail pharmacy chain, owned by Loblaw. Provides prescription dispensing, vaccinations, and front-shop health products at national scale. Competes directly with Dispensaries on retail Rx and adjacent services, but does not focus on custom compounding.
- McKesson Canada: Canada's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor. Comparable as a wholesale medical-supply counterparty; competes with Dispensaries' wholesale division on scale and breadth of SKUs to enterprise customers.
- Costco Pharmacy: Membership-based retail pharmacy with Edmonton-area locations dispensing at scale. Competes with Dispensaries on retail prescription pricing and convenience, though without custom compounding depth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Dispensaries social profiles
Digital presenceDispensaries financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dispensaries leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Dispensaries funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dispensaries M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dispensaries
What does Dispensaries do?
Dispensaries Ltd operates a chain of community pharmacies in the Edmonton region delivering prescription filling, custom medication compounding, vaccinations, medication reviews, and pharmaceutical-grade natural health supplements. The business is anchored by a dedicated NAPRA-compliant Compounding Centre serving both walk-in patients and other pharmacies with personalized formulations (BHRT, dermatology, pain management, pediatric, injectables, low-dose naltrexone). A Wholesale division supplies first aid kits and medical supplies to corporate and government customers across Alberta.
Is Dispensaries a public or private company?
Dispensaries is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dispensaries founded?
Dispensaries was founded in 1934. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dispensaries based?
Dispensaries is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Dispensaries make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Prescription Services are the primary driver. The others are compounding Services, supplements Sales and wholesale Medical Supplies.
Who are Dispensaries's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Guardian / I.D.A. Pharmacy (McKesson banner), Pharmasave and The Medicine Shoppe Canada. London Drugs is listed as a regional player. BioScript Solutions is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Shoppers Drug Mart (Loblaw Companies), McKesson Canada and Costco Pharmacy.
Does Dispensaries have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dispensaries.
What industry is Dispensaries in?
Dispensaries's product category is Retail pharmacy and compounding services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFALAE, Compounding Pharmacies (Sterile/Non-Sterile). Its NAICS code is 45611 and its SIC code is 5912.