THE PHARMACY GUY · PHARMACY OWNERSHIP · ENGLAND
DSP vs bricks and mortar pharmacy: which should you buy?
A viewer asked which pharmacy they should acquire to improve patient care and build a profitable services business. My starting point is simple: an online pharmacy is not automatically an easier business.
My answer
For the model I describe in my video, I favour bricks and mortar. Local visibility and the ability for patients to visit give you something tangible to build around. A distance selling pharmacy can be a different opportunity, but you need a convincing plan for attracting patients, earning trust and delivering care remotely.
This is my business opinion, not a valuation or a recommendation to buy a particular pharmacy. The right choice depends on the actual business and the services you intend to deliver.
Watch my answer
Watch on TikTok — @pharmacyguy5 ↗ · Read the transcript
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What is the difference between a DSP and a bricks and mortar pharmacy?
In this article, DSP means an NHS distance selling pharmacy in England. It is a specific NHS contracting model. It does not simply mean any pharmacy that has a website or offers delivery.
For an owner, the useful comparison is how each model fits the service you want to build. A physical pharmacy has a location that patients can see and visit. A DSP needs a route through which people discover the service, understand it and feel confident using it at a distance.
| Business question | Bricks and mortar | DSP |
|---|---|---|
| How do patients find you? | A visible local premises can support awareness and visits. | You need a deliberate plan for awareness and remote access. |
| Where does care happen? | In-person services can fit the premises, subject to the relevant requirements. | NHS service delivery is subject to the distance-selling restrictions below. |
| What should the budget test? | Premises, staffing, service capacity and building local demand. | Marketing, remote systems, delivery, staffing and retaining patients. |
| What is my preference? | The model I favour for the approach described in the video. | A model that needs the right skills, resources and service plan. |
This is a planning comparison. It is not a claim that either model always costs less or earns more.
The DSP rules changed: check these before planning services
The former route for new DSP applications closed on 23 June 2025. Applications submitted by 22 June 2025 are considered under the earlier rules. Buying an existing business is a different question from opening a new DSP through that former exemption. Community Pharmacy England explains the market-entry changes.
DSPs cannot provide NHS essential services through face-to-face contact. On-site face-to-face provision of advanced and enhanced services was restricted from 1 October 2025; the temporary flu and COVID vaccination exception ended on 31 March 2026. Remote or off-site options depend on the applicable service requirements. Read the DSP terms-of-service guidance.
For prescribing-based advanced or enhanced services, NHS England says DSP delivery from the listed premises must be remote. Face-to-face delivery elsewhere depends on the service specification and ICB approval. See section 4.2 of NHS England’s commissioning guidance.
Online does not remove the work of building demand
In my recording, I describe a temptation I have felt myself: assuming that online is the easy option. My point is that operating online still requires presence. Patients need a reason to find you, choose you and continue using the service.
With bricks and mortar, you can build visibility in familiar ways: the frontage, signage and local awareness. That does not guarantee patients, but it gives your business a visible place in the community.
A DSP cannot rely on the same walk-in NHS service model. That makes the question of how you will attract patients especially important. A website alone is not the answer. You need to understand marketing, build a recognisable brand and put sustained effort into reaching the people your service is designed to help.
I mention outreach and relationships with organisations in the video. The business lesson is to have a practical route to demand, rather than assuming patients will arrive because the pharmacy exists. Any arrangement still needs appropriate clinical governance, patient choice and compliant service delivery.
Does a DSP have to advertise nationally?
I would separate national reach from where you spend your marketing effort. The DSP requirements include serving people across England; that does not by itself mean every advertising campaign must be nationwide. Local awareness and organisational relationships may form part of a strategy, provided they do not contradict the service’s obligations. Check the distance-selling conditions.
What about the £3,000–£5,000 monthly figure?
In the video, I suggest that a marketing operation could involve a monthly budget in that range. It is my illustrative estimate, not an industry average, statutory minimum or forecast for your pharmacy.
The useful next step is to build your own numbers. What does it cost to attract a patient? What does it cost to deliver the service properly? How much capacity do you have? What happens if demand grows more slowly than planned?
Advertising spend is only one line in the business case. Include staffing, systems, premises, delivery, governance and the work of supporting patients. My guide to marketing a pharmacy or clinic explores the difference between visibility and a credible service.
Five questions I would ask before buying
- Which patients and services is this business for? Name the service and its delivery model before choosing the premises.
- How will patients discover and access it? Set out the actual route, from awareness through to a completed consultation or supply.
- What does the purchase really include? Verify the business, its permissions, costs, liabilities and any required approvals with appropriate advisers.
- Can the team safely deliver the plan? Consider competence, supervision, documentation, referrals and capacity.
- Do the numbers still work if growth is slower? Test a cautious scenario rather than relying on a full diary.
For broader acquisition questions, read what first-time pharmacy buyers should understand and before you invest: follow the money.
Could a DSP and a private pharmacy share a building?
I raised a possible upstairs/downstairs arrangement in the longer recording. Treat that as an idea to investigate, not a ready-made solution. A separate company does not by itself establish that the premises, patient access or services comply with the relevant rules.
I would obtain specific advice on the proposed layout, registrations, contractual conditions and operating arrangements before relying on that model. GPhC guidance makes clear that distance services remain subject to professional standards and legal duties. Read the GPhC distance-services guidance.
Build the skills behind the service
Whether you choose a DSP or bricks and mortar, the service still needs competent people. Through MEDLRN, you can explore clinical CPD in Minor Illness, ADHD, Weight Management, Mental Health and TRT, and enquire about Dermatology training. Ask about mentoring or pharmacy business support if you need help working through your next step.
Explore MEDLRN courses ↗ Ask about training or support ↗
Commercial disclosure: I offer training and support through MEDLRN. CPD does not itself confer prescribing authority, prove competence in every service or grant NHS service approval.
Video transcript
Read my spoken answer
And the question is a DSP versus a bricks and mortar pharmacy. a lot of individuals who try to get into the pharmacy business, including myself, really think that online is easy. Working online is not difficult, but it requires presence. The advantage of a bricks and mortar pharmacy is you can advertise it the good old fashioned way by having boards outside. You could even advertise locally because people come to you. The trouble you have with the distance selling pharmacy is nobody can walk in. So my own thoughts are, you have to have that skill set that you understand how to advertise, you understand how to market, you understand how to build a brand and you have to be absolutely hungry. I mean going into care homes, I mean going into various institutions, putting yourself out there. That's how you're going to make it work. Otherwise, it's really not possible. I don't think it's possible without you being that hungry for it and that requires a budget. So I'm thinking, you know, possibly three, four, five thousand pound a month, just on having that whole entire infrastructure of advertising in place. So, you know, bricks and mortar versus distance selling. I'm still in favour of bricks and mortar. And if you want to develop your clinical skills, get in touch. Have a look at our courses. Always happy to help. Thank you for watching.
Transcript of the shortened edit. On-screen explanatory text is additional editorial context.
Faheem Ahmed
Pharmacist, independent prescriber, educator and The Pharmacy Guy. Teaching, mentoring and consultancy for clinicians and pharmacy teams.
Sources
- My original DSP vs bricks and mortar video on TikTok
- Community Pharmacy England: distance selling pharmacies
- NHS England: commissioning guidance for prescribing-based services, section 4.2
- GPhC: guidance for services at a distance, February 2025
The business views and budget example come from my original “DSP vs Bricks and motor” recording. This article is an edited adaptation with additional sourced context.