Qmed

What Qmed does

Qmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd is a UK-based pharmaceutical services company founded in 2015, headquartered in Stratford, London, with additional operational sites in Harlow and Seven Kings, Essex. The company supplies overlabelled medicines, unlicensed and imported pharmaceuticals, clinical trial medicines, and contract packaging services to NHS hospitals, ambulance services, independent clinics, walk-in clinics, out-of-hours providers, and private healthcare organisations across the UK. Its core operational offering is overlabelling — NHS-audited facilities producing 200,000+ packs per month with unique barcodes compatible with robotic dispensers — alongside access to a global network of 2,000+ imported medicines.

The company holds a Wholesale Distribution Authorisation (MHRA), Controlled Drug License (Home Office), MS License for non-EU importation, and operates NHS-audited facilities. Supporting infrastructure includes the Qlive customer portal, which provides live stock visibility, electronic order submission, instant invoice generation, and dispatch tracking. Established GTM is sales-led via dedicated account managers, NHS tender participation, and inside sales with same-day account approval; multi-year contracts underpin customer relationships. Qmed also offers a Business Development Partnership service enabling pharmaceutical manufacturers to access the NHS customer base through its daily hospital and clinic delivery network.

The customer base spans 100+ organisations, with named relationships including NHS Foundation Trusts (Southeast London, West Midlands, Northamptonshire) and pharmaceutical and healthcare enterprises such as MSD, Pfizer, Bupa, Sanofi, Sandoz, AAH Pharmaceuticals, and Virgin Care. Reported operational metrics include 2 million+ packs supplied to the NHS annually, 48-hour delivery on orders, 24-hour delivery for NHS orders, and 7-day turnaround for new overlabelled products. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, ownership changes, or external investors in the available data.

Name

Qmed

Legal name

Qmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Website

https://qmedpharma.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Qmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd is a UK-based pharmaceutical services company, founded in 2015, that supplies overlabelled medicines, unlicensed imported pharmaceuticals, clinical trial medicines, and contract packaging to NHS hospitals, private healthcare organisations, and pharmaceutical manufacturers across the United Kingdom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Services

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (4242)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Government & Public-Sector Pharmaceutical Supply (Tender/Prime Vendor) (HLAIAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medication Inventory, Procurement & Supply Chain (Pharmacy) (HLACAKAI), Hospital & Health-System Pharmacies (Inpatient/Outpatient) (HLAFALAB), Specialty Pharma & Biologics Distribution (GDP-compliant) (HLAGAMAD)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical services
• Overlabelling services
• Unlicensed medicines supply
• Clinical trial logistics
• Contract packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Sale of unlicensed medicines, overlabelled pharmaceuticals, and imported medicines to NHS and private healthcare organisations. Revenue generated from product supply with next-day shipping capability.
2. Contract Services: Fee-for-service offerings including clinical trial logistics, contract packaging/repackaging, and business development partnership services for pharmaceutical companies.
3. Overlabelling Services: Specialised overlabelling service for imported medicines with translation and custom labelling for NHS and private healthcare organisations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Qmed Pharmaceuticals is a UK-based pharmaceutical services provider that supplies unlicensed medicines (with access to 2,000+ imported medicines), bespoke overlabelling of pharmaceuticals (NHS-audited facilities producing over 200,000 packs per month), clinical trial medicine logistics, and contract packaging/repackaging. The company serves NHS hospital trusts and private healthcare organisations across the UK via daily direct deliveries, a sales-led approach with dedicated account managers, and the Qlive e-procurement portal.

Product overview

Qmed is a pharmaceutical services provider offering a unified portfolio of healthcare sector solutions. The core offerings include unlicensed medicine sourcing (access to 2,000+ imported medicines), overlabelling services (NHS-audited facilities producing 200,000+ packs monthly), clinical trials support, contract packaging, and business development partnerships for NHS market access. All services are supported by a customer portal (Qlive) for inventory visibility and e-procurement, with a shared emphasis on next-day delivery, 7-day turnaround times, and monthly reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unlicensed Medicine Service Sourcing and importing unlicensed medicines from a global network of approved manufacturers and suppliers, providing access to over 2,000 imported medicines. Includes a medicine shortage service, translation and overlabelling, and product support team. Targeted at NHS and private healthcare organisations facing medicine shortages or drug discontinuations.
• Overlabelling Service Bespoke overlabelling solutions for NHS and private healthcare organisations, executed in NHS-audited facilities capable of producing over 200,000 overlabelled packs per month. Includes bespoke label design, 7-day turnaround for new products, e-procurement capability, and robot-compatible packaging with unique barcodes.
• Clinical Trials Service Manages logistical and regulatory requirements for sourcing and supplying clinical trial medicines, leveraging Wholesale Distribution Authorisation, Controlled Drug License, and MS License for importation from outside the EU. Targeted at pharmaceutical sponsors and clinical trial organisers.
• Contract Packaging Service Repackaging and relabelling services for pharmaceutical products, including updates due to revised regulations, new SKUs, or marketing strategies. Includes replacement of inserts and cartons. Targeted at pharmaceutical manufacturers requiring updated labelling or repackaging.
• Business Development Partnership Strategic distribution partnership enabling pharmaceutical companies to access the UK NHS customer base through Qmed's daily deliveries to hospitals and clinics throughout the UK. Targeted at pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking NHS market access.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 million+ packs supplied to NHS yearly
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clinigen Group: Global pharmaceutical services company specialising in unlicensed/specials medicines supply, clinical trial supply, and pharma partnerships — the most direct UK/international analogue to Qmed's service mix.
• Mawdsleys: UK pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor serving NHS trusts with unlicensed medicines, clinical trial supply, and specials — closely comparable in customer base and product mix to Qmed.
• BCM Specials: UK-based manufacturer of unlicensed 'specials' medicines supplying NHS hospitals; overlaps directly with Qmed's unlicensed medicine and overlabelling offerings.
• Quantum Pharmaceutical (Torbay Pharmaceuticals): UK manufacturer and supplier of unlicensed/special-order medicines to NHS hospitals; directly comparable in product category and NHS customer focus.
• Smartway Pharmaceuticals: UK pharmaceutical distributor and wholesaler offering unlicensed and hard-to-source medicines to NHS and private healthcare; comparable in scale and customer segment to Qmed.

Broad incumbents

• Phoenix Group (Phoenix Healthcare Distribution): Major European pharmaceutical wholesaler with significant UK presence; competes broadly with Qmed for NHS and pharmacy distribution contracts at far greater scale.
• McKesson UK: UK arm of global pharmaceutical distributor McKesson, providing broad wholesale, distribution, and pharmacy services; relevant incumbent competitor for NHS contracts.
• AAH Pharmaceuticals: One of the UK's largest pharmaceutical wholesalers, distributing to pharmacies, hospitals, and dispensing doctors; broader portfolio than Qmed, but competes for NHS supply contracts and is named as one of Qmed's customers.
• Alliance Healthcare: UK pharmaceutical distributor and wholesaler (part of Walgreens Boots Alliance); broad-line competitor serving pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics with substantially larger scale than Qmed.

Emerging players

• Movianto (Owens & Minor): European pharmaceutical logistics and distribution specialist with UK operations; partial overlap with Qmed's contract distribution and clinical trial supply services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Qmed