What Green Cross Health does

Green Cross Health Limited (NZX: GXH) is a New Zealand-listed primary healthcare group operating two divisions. The Pharmacy Division runs more than 300 community pharmacies under the Unichem and Life Pharmacy brands — with equity interests in 84 of those stores — dispensing over 36 million prescription items annually and providing pharmacist prescribing, vaccinations, blister packing, and health/beauty retail. The Medical Division operates 65 GP, accident and medical centres under The Doctors brand, serving 416,500 enrolled patients, and provides back-office operational services to medical centres. In June 2026 the company agreed to divest the Medical Division to Tend Health, reshaping the group into a pharmacy-led franchise operator. The group also runs PillDrop (online prescription delivery), The Doctors Online (telehealth), and the Living Rewards cross-brand loyalty programme, supported by an in-house training infrastructure called Green Cross Health Academy (TeachMe platform with 8,000+ enrolled users and the NZQA-accredited StellarCare health-coaching programme).

Revenue is generated primarily through pharmacy retail transaction fees (regulated dispensing margins plus OTC and health/beauty retail) and, prior to divestiture, capitation and fee-for-service revenue from enrolled medical patients. Customers are predominantly individual consumers and patients — there is no meaningful enterprise or B2B concentration. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the owned and franchised physical store network plus the PillDrop e-commerce channel; marketing leverages the Living Rewards loyalty ecosystem and community partnerships (notably The Heart Foundation NZ). The board is chaired by Kim Ellis, with significant shareholders Peter Merton (via Cape Healthcare Limited) and Wilton Capital Group.

Name

Green Cross Health

Legal name

Green Cross Health Limited

Website

https://greencrosshealth.co.nz

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Green Cross Health is a New Zealand-listed primary healthcare group operating 300+ Unichem and Life Pharmacy community pharmacies dispensing 36 million scripts annually, with a Medical Division (65 centres, 416,500 enrolled patients) being divested to Tend Health in 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Healthcare Services

NAICS

Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (456110), Offices of Physicians (6211), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Community Pharmacies (Chain/Independent) (HLAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retail & Walk-In Primary Care Clinics (HLAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Community pharmacy services
• Primary healthcare services
• Pharmacy retail networks
• Medical centre operations
• Prescription dispensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmacy Retail: Dispensing prescription medications and selling health and wellness products through Unichem and Life Pharmacy branded community pharmacies. The company holds equity interests in 84 of their 300+ pharmacies.
2. Medical Centre Services: Complete family healthcare services through GP, accident and medical centres operating under The Doctors brand. Provides back office and operational services to medical centres.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Green Cross Health is a New Zealand primary healthcare provider operating a Pharmacy Division of 300+ community pharmacies under the Unichem and Life Pharmacy brands (dispensing 36 million+ script items annually) and a Medical Division of 65 medical centres under The Doctors brand (serving 416,500 enrolled patients). It supplements these with digital health services including PillDrop online pharmacy, The Doctors Online telehealth, the Living Rewards cross-brand loyalty programme, and the Green Cross Health Academy training platform.

Product overview

Green Cross Health is a New Zealand primary healthcare provider operating two main divisions: a Pharmacy Division with over 300 community pharmacies under the Unichem and Life Pharmacy brands (dispensing 36 million script items annually), and a Medical Division with 65 medical centres under The Doctors brand (serving 416,500 enrolled patients). The company also operates digital health services including PillDrop online pharmacy, The Doctors Online telehealth, and Living Rewards loyalty programme. Training and development is delivered through Green Cross Health Academy's TeachMe platform and StellarCare health coaching programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Unichem Pharmacy Network Network of more than 300 community pharmacies across New Zealand offering prescription dispensing (more than 36 million script items annually), pharmacist-prescribing services (Trimethoprim, ECP, Sildenafil, UTI treatments), blister packing, vaccinations, and health, beauty and wellness products to local consumers.
• Life Pharmacy Health, beauty and wellness pharmacy retailer with community-focused services, clinical health hubs, and retail excellence across New Zealand; positioned alongside Unichem within Green Cross Health's Pharmacy Division.
• The Doctors Medical Centres

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 million+ prescription items dispensed annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Tend HealthmajorOthers · 16 June 2026Tend Health plans to acquire Green Cross Health's medical division. This represents a major divestiture where Tend Health will integrate the Medical Division's clinics (The Doctors branded medical centres) into its healthcare platform. Healthcare leaders are raising concerns about this potentially creating a duopoly similar to the supermarket sector.
• The Heart Foundation NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Cross Health is proud to support The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand. The partnership aligns with Green Cross Health's commitment to healthier communities. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in New Zealand, and the Heart Foundation's purpose is to prevent premature deaths and help those with heart disease live full lives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sigma Healthcare: ASX-listed wholesale distributor and franchised pharmacy operator (Amcal, Guardian). Operates a similar banner-and-distribution model to Green Cross across Australia, with overlapping customer and supplier base.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance: US/UK/IR global retail pharmacy giant combining the Walgreens US storefront network with Boots. Reference point for scaled pharmacy retailing, banner brand management and loyalty programmes at scale.
• EBOS Group: Largest Australasian pharmaceutical and medical-product distributor and a wider healthcare conglomerate listed on the ASX. Comparable to Green Cross on NZ/AU primary-care footprint and Peter Merton sits on its board, signalling close sector overlap.
• CVS Health: US-listed integrated healthcare and pharmacy retailer combining retail drugstores, PBM and clinic services. Comparable franchise-and-clinical-services template though vastly larger and broader scope.
• Loblaw Companies (Shoppers Drug Mart): Canadian retailer whose Shoppers Drug Mart division is the dominant national pharmacy chain with attached loyalty (PC Optimum). Useful international comp for banner pharmacy+loyalty economics.

Others

• McKesson: Global pharmaceutical wholesaler and pharmacy services provider. Comparable not as a direct retailer but as the upstream supplier and contract-services ecosystem that frames NZ community-pharmacy economics alongside EBOS.

Direct peers

• Chemist Warehouse: Australian-founded discount retail pharmacy chain with a substantial New Zealand store footprint. Directly competes with Green Cross's Unichem and Life Pharmacy banners on price, convenience and beauty/OTC assortment, and is the primary share-stealer in NZ community pharmacy.
• TerryWhite Chemmart: Australia's largest franchised community pharmacy network. Closest international analogue to Green Cross's franchise/equity model of banner pharmacies, including clinical services and retail beauty mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greencrosshealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Green Cross Health