Ayala healthcare unit to expand drugstore chain, family clinics

MANILA, Philippines – Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. is embarking on an aggressive expansion program for its drugstores and clinics as it seeks to extend the reach of affordable and accessible healthcare to various communities in the country.

AyalaHealth chief executive officer Paolo Borromeo said Generika Drugstore, now 50-percent owned by the company, is looking to open 100 to 120 new stores this year, 10 percent will be company-owned while the remaining 90 percent will be franchised.

In terms of location, he said 30 percent of these new Generika stores will be in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“Right now, our exposure to VisMin is still limited so most of our expansion in the coming  years will probably be there. In Luzon, majority will be outside the National Capital Region. We feel strongly about the need to provide more affordable medicine to all Filipinos,” he said.

Ayala Health,  together with the Ferrer Group, looks to expand the Generika network to 1,000 by 2020.

As of the first half of the year, its chain of stores has reached 614 nationwide.

Aside from Generika, Ayala Health is also putting up four new FamilyDOC clinics by the fourth quarter, bringing its total outlets to six by year-end.

The new clinics will be located in Dasmariñas, Imus and Bacoor in Cavite, and Las Piñas in Metro Manila.

Borromeo said the four new FamilyDOC branches  will entail an investment of at least P25 million.

“FamilyDOC will continue to increase its presence in the south, and eventually to  other parts of the country, exploring other middle class communities as potential sites for expansion,” he said.

FamilyDOC is a primary care facility offering the services of a clinic, diagnostic facility and pharmacy.