A local pharmacy group in Scotland has bought the only pharmacy in the Aberdeenshire village of Balmedie.

JMF Healthcare Limited, which is run by John Fowlie and his wife Kirsty, purchased Balmedie Pharmacy which dispenses an average of 5,255 items a month and is situated around eight miles north of Aberdeen City Centre.

Christie and Co who brokered the deal said the pharmacy’s previous owner Brian Arris decided to sell “to pursue other pharmacy business opportunities.”

Christie and Co also said JMF will benefit from housing development projects in the area, including 300 new homes in Balmedie, approved plans for up to 500 in Trump Menie Estate and 284 planned homes in Blackdog Village.

“We are delighted to add Balmedie Pharmacy to our group. As a company, we always aim to give our patients a first-class pharmacy service and I am sure this will be the case in Balmedie,” said John Fowlie.

Karl Clezy, director-medical at Christie and Co who handled the sale, said: “The sale of Balmedie Pharmacy attracted interest from existing pharmacy owners in the Aberdeenshire area due to the important role it plays in the Balmedie community and given that the closest pharmacies are many miles away in Aberdeen. 

“There has been an unprecedented number of pharmacies on the market recently, mainly corporate disposals, however, we are finding buyers are still looking for good quality independent pharmacies that offer a reliable service to their patients.”