Alliance Healthcare has been appointed the exclusive wholesaler for products manufactured by Merck & Co (MSD) across the UK.

The wholesaler, which was acquired earlier this year by AmerisourceBergen, said the deal with MSD was completed after a “competitive and thorough tender process".

Alliance Healthcare said the agreement was struck “to ensure that MSD continually meets the needs of patients and those who care for them by ensuring timely distribution of products to hospitals, pharmacies and GP surgeries and clinics.”

Alloga, which is a part of Alliance Healthcare and describes itself as “a multi-channel pre-wholesale and contracts logistics business,” was also appointed a distribution partner for MSD and will manage warehousing and logistics from early next year.

“We are truly delighted to be working with MSD again and to be their sole distributor to all customers in the UK and Northern Ireland,” said Owen Cooper, the client services director at Alliance Healthcare.

“Partnership and patient focus is the foundation of everything we do here at Alliance Healthcare, so being able to build upon this strong relationship with MSD to provide an efficient and flexible ‘pallet to patient’ supply chain will deliver value and benefit for all.”

Alloga managing director Chris Williams said: “We are incredibly proud of how our business has responded throughout the recent challenging years, our motivated teams adapting to these changes to enable the very best patient outcomes.

“That this has been recognised by MSD is one of our greatest achievements of 2021 and we are honoured to be working with them going forward.”