PHILMED LIMITED

What PHILMED LIMITED does

PHILMED LIMITED is a privately held Kenyan pharmaceutical distribution company headquartered in Nairobi along Kayole Spine Road. The company wholesales pharmaceuticals, non-pharmaceuticals, and controlled drugs registered under the Dangerous Drugs Act to retail pharmacies, hospitals, community hospitals, mission hospitals, and clinics across Kenya. Its portfolio spans three regulatory tiers: General Sales List/OTC products (Maramoja tabs, Panadol, APC, Kaluma lines), Prescription Only Medicines (Carditan, Losartan, Amlozaar), and Controlled Drugs (MTM, Epilim, Tramadol syrup), plus specialty items such as Apetamin, Tegretol, and Betapyn.

The company operates a three-tier distribution model consisting of 24 wholesale branches, 2 semi-wholesale branches (Mihang'o and Rongai), and 4 retail branches (Umoja, Silvergates, No Limit, Mwiki), totaling 28 locations across all major Kenyan regions including Nairobi, the Coast, Rift Valley, Western, Central, Eastern, and North Eastern provinces. Distribution is supported by a fleet of vehicles and motorbikes delivering free of charge to customer doorsteps, with operations running six days per week (Sunday to Friday, 7am to 5pm) from a purpose-built drug-storage warehouse in Nairobi that includes quarantine areas for recalled or faulty goods. All operations personnel operate under the supervision of the company's pharmacist, addressing regulatory handling requirements.

The revenue model is wholesale distribution with transaction-based pricing negotiated per customer or per order. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct sales teams, the 28-branch network, and word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied healthcare customers, with the corporate website serving as the primary marketing channel. The company makes no disclosures regarding revenue, headcount, ownership structure, funding, or management team in publicly available materials, and no parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional investors are identified in the source data.

Name

PHILMED LIMITED

Legal name

Philmed Limited

Website

https://philmedltd.co.ke

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PHILMED LIMITED is a Kenyan pharmaceutical wholesale distributor operating 28 branches nationwide, supplying OTC, prescription, and controlled drugs to retail pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics with free doorstep delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical Distribution

NAICS

Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421), Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (456110)

SIC

Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122), Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAOAHAA

Prescription Pharmaceutical (Rx) Wholesale Distribution

Consumer Products & Retail/Wholesale, Distribution & Category Management/Health, OTC & Pharmacy Wholesale Distribution

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical distribution
• Wholesale pharmacy supply
• Controlled drugs distribution
• Prescription medicine wholesale
• Healthcare logistics services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices30 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Pharmaceutical Distribution: Philmed Limited generates revenue through wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical products, non-pharmaceuticals, and drugs registered under the Dangerous Drugs Act to retail pharmacies, hospitals, and healthcare providers across Kenya. The company operates 28 branches nationwide and delivers products directly to customer doorsteps.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Philmed Limited is a pharmaceutical distribution company that conducts wholesale, semi-wholesale, and retail distribution of GSL/OTC products, Prescription Only Medicines (POM), and Dangerous Drugs Act controlled substances to retail pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics across Kenya. It operates 28 countrywide branches (24 wholesale, 2 semi-wholesale, 4 retail) from a Nairobi headquarters, and provides free doorstep delivery using a large fleet of vehicles and motorbikes, six days a week.

Product overview

Philmed Limited operates as a pharmaceutical distribution company offering a unified wholesale distribution platform across Kenya. The company distributes pharmaceuticals through three product categories: General Sales List (GSL)/OTC products (Maramoja tabs, Action tabs, APC tablets, Sonadol Caplets, Panadol Advance, Panadol Extra, Kaluma products), Prescription Only Medicines/POM (Carditan, Carditan H, Losartan, Losartan H, Amlozaar, Amlozaar H, Loperamide Capsules, Dawastin), and Controlled Drugs under the Dangerous Drugs Act (MTM 100mg, MTM-50mg, Epilim Tablets, Tramadol Syrup). Their portfolio also includes syrup formulations (Apetamin Syrup, Tegretol Syrup, Tramadol Syrup) and specialty products (Betapyn tablets, Deprex, Coscof, Risdone). With 28 branches countrywide, the company serves retail pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics across Kenya, offering free delivery services, competitive pricing, and product variety as core value propositions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wholesale Pharmaceutical Distribution Wholesale distribution of pharmaceuticals, non-pharmaceuticals, and drugs registered under the Dangerous Drugs Act to retail pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics across Kenya via 24 wholesale branches, with free doorstep delivery through a fleet of vehicles and motorbikes. Operations run six days a week (Sunday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
• Semi-Wholesale Pharmaceutical Distribution Semi-wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical products through the Mihang'o and Rongai branches, serving smaller pharmacies and healthcare providers that require smaller-volume wholesale supply.
• Retail Pharmaceutical Sales Direct retail sales of pharmaceutical products to walk-in customers through the Umoja, Silvergates, No Limit, and Mwiki retail branches in Kenya.
• GSL/OTC Product Distribution Portfolio Distribution of General Sales List (GSL)/OTC pharmaceutical products including Maramoja tabs, Action tabs, APC tablets, Sonadol Caplets, Panadol Advance, Panadol Extra, Kaluma Strong, Kaluma Balm, and Kaluma Plus King to pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics.
• Prescription Only Medicine (POM) Distribution Portfolio Wholesale distribution of Prescription Only Medicines including Carditan, Carditan H, Losartan, Losartan H, Loperamide Capsules, Amlozaar, Amlozaar H, and Dawastin to licensed pharmacies and hospitals requiring valid prescriptions for dispensing.
• Controlled Drug Distribution Portfolio Licensed distribution of controlled substances registered under the Dangerous Drugs Act, including MTM 100mg, MTM-50mg, Epilim Tablets, Tramadol Syrup, and Tegretol Syrup, under strict regulatory compliance to licensed pharmacies and hospitals.
• Specialty and Branded Pharmaceutical Distribution Distribution of specialty and branded pharmaceutical formulations including Apetamin Syrup, Betapyn tablets, Deprex, Coscof, and Risdone through Philmed Limited's wholesale network to pharmacies and hospitals across Kenya.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 branches nationwide covering wholesale, semi-wholesale, and retail operations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Phillips Pharmaceuticals (Tanzania): East African pharmaceutical manufacturer and distributor with presence in Tanzania and neighboring markets. Comparable to Philmed on distribution-led business model and broad product portfolio, though more weighted to manufacturing.

Direct peers

• Surgipharm (Kenya): Established Kenyan pharmaceutical distributor supplying retail pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics. Direct comparable to Philmed on customer mix and product range within the Kenyan pharmaceutical wholesale market.
• Medisel Kenya: Kenyan pharmaceutical distributor serving pharmacies and hospitals with a broad formulary. Direct comparable to Philmed at the SME/wholesale tier of the Kenyan pharmaceutical supply chain.
• Laborex Kenya: Pharmaceutical wholesaler operating in Kenya as part of a wider African pharma distribution network. Comparable to Philmed as a wholesale distributor of branded and generic medicines to Kenyan pharmacies and institutions.
• Imperial Health Sciences: One of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe), serving manufacturers, pharmacies, and hospitals. Directly comparable to Philmed as a multi-country pharma wholesaler with hospital and pharmacy channels, but at substantially greater scale.
• Dawa Life Sciences: Kenyan pharmaceutical company with manufacturing and distribution operations serving local and regional markets. Comparable because it combines pharmaceutical distribution with broad hospital and pharmacy supply in Kenya, overlapping with Philmed's customer base.
• Cosmos Pharmaceutical Limited: Kenya-based pharmaceutical distributor with nationwide reach serving retail pharmacies and healthcare providers. Closest direct peer to Philmed — same product continuum (OTC, POM, controlled), same Kenyan geography, same B2B channel focus.

Broad incumbents

• Sinopharm Group: One of the world's largest pharmaceutical distributors, with growing presence across emerging markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose scale and sourcing power set the upper-bound benchmark against which African wholesalers like Philmed compete.
• McKesson Corporation: Global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution leader. Comparable as a broad incumbent in pharmaceutical distribution, though at vastly greater scale and geographic reach than Philmed.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 PHILMED LIMITED