For the family-run Mulligan’s Pharmacy Group it is their 19th pharmacy in Ireland and a first in Dublin. The group has 18 stores across Waterford, Kilkenny and South Tipperary and was first established by Jim and Sheila Mulligan in 1957 when they opened a pharmacy at George’s St in Waterford City. The family group employs 250 people across the region with an additional 15 jobs being created at the Dublin store today.
Welcoming The Pharmacy by Mulligans, Audrey Owens Director of Innovation and Enterprise at Brown Thomas Arnotts said ‘This is a completely new service offering for our customers and one we feel is perfectly timed and will offer both convenience and an elevated retail experience.”
Within Arnotts, ‘The Pharmacy by Mulligans’ will offer a full prescription service, health screening, health advice along with wellness products and a particular emphasis is placed on mind, body and spirit with the best in vitamins, supplements along with Mum and Baby and additional services.
Innovation and technology will form the backbone of the new pharmacy which will be complemented by in-store robotics with Ireland’s first automated Click & Collect service for pharmacy. Customer purchases can be collected following receipt of a QR code via the touch screens located throughout the pharmacy for customer use. Innovation has always been to the fore at Mulligan’s stores, this was seen when Mulligans Pharmacy launched Ireland’s first Drive-Thru Pharmacy in 2014. Now at the Arnotts store, there is a large focus on technology and robotics with an in-store dispensing robot designed to dispense prescriptions more quickly and accurately and allows the pharmacist to spend more time dealing with customer issues and queries.
In addition to the full pharmacy offering, appointments can be made at the pharmacy health desk or online for express Covid-19 PCR and antigen testing, health screenings for Diabetes, and vitamin D testing, plus Flu and Covid-19 vaccination services. Patients can also virtually connect with a pharmacist via the soon to be launched ‘Manage My Prescription’ App for any health queries and information.
The Irish family-run business is led by second-generation of the family Ronan Mulligan and this store will be managed by Ronan’s daughter, pharmacist JeanAnne Mulligan. An emphasis is also placed on supporting Irish health, cosmetic and skincare brands with the designation of a pop-up area within the store to support up and coming entrepreneurs in this area. The new store will offer over 40 skincare, vitamins and supplements brands with Arnotts also delighted to add this range of new brands to its online offering.
Commenting on the opening of the 19th store Ronan says, “We are delighted to open our now 19th pharmacy and a first for us outside of the Southeast. With over 60 years of experience in community pharmacy, we have honed our expertise and our ethos is to deliver convenience, value and expert advice enabling our customers to live longer happier and healthier lives. Our South-east based customers will attest to Mulligans being a health and well-being destination and we are very much looking forward to delivering this service to our Dublin based customers and further building our community. Despite all of the technological developments, the human touchpoint remains at the heart of the communities that Mulligans serve.”
The Pharmacy by Mulligans at Arnotts is located on the lower ground floor and opens to the public tomorrow morning (December 7th, 2021). For further details, see www.arnotts.ie
