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Two Scottish pharmacy companies have entered administration as plans are implemented to rescue their branches as going concerns.

Scotpharm (MNA) Limited is the holding company for Barrie Dear Limited, which comprises 12 pharmacies and suffered a £3.1m loss in the year to October 30, 2024, while MLSNA Healthcare Limited is the holding company for LP North Sixteen Limited and LP North Eighteen Limited, which comprise four and six branches of Dears Pharmacy respectively.

The companies, which collectively employ around 420 people, were placed into administration on September 7 by James Stephen, Danny Dartnaill and Benjamin Peterson of business advisory firm BDO.

A spokesperson for the administrators said:  “The two groups employ around 420 employees within their central functions in Glenrothes and Lochgelly and the pharmacies, which are located across east central Scotland.

“None of the subsidiary companies have been placed into administration and these are continuing to operate as normal with the assistance of senior management.

“The joint administrators have secured funding lines to support the continued trading and suppliers will continue to be paid as normal.

“The joint administrators will now seek to implement a strategy to sell the pharmacies as going concerns. Interested parties are invited to register their interest with the joint administrators as soon as possible.”

The news comes after the appointment of administrators in May to Amiry & Gilbride Healthcare Limited, which operated 18 branches.

While the company, brought about through a merger of two operators in 2023, is expected to be rescued as a going concern, administrators reported in July that 17 employees had been made redundant.