Hospital-chain-owned Al Razi Pharmacy Company is NewIcon’s new distributor in the United Arab Emirates

NewIcon and UAE-based Al Razi Pharmacy Company have signed a distribution agreement. Well-known for its experience in the distribution of medicines and medical devices, Al Razi will carry the entire product portfolio of NewIcon’s pharmacy automation systems.

It is the aim of NewIcon to start piloting the first pharmacy automation systems with local hospitals and pharmacies as soon as possible.

“The market in the UAE has potential, but the market changes fast. This requires active experimentation and good references. Working with Al Razi, we have a real chance, thanks to their good network and reputation as a distributor of medicines and medical devices. Their operations are well organised, and they have assigned designated salespeople to our products,” says Jori-Matti Savolainen, Marketing Director at NewIcon.

Al Razi is owned by a hospital chain

Expectations for the new market area are high at NewIcon. Al Razi was established in 1974 and the company has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and health care sector. Their merge in 2018 with the New Medical Clinic hospital chain further deepened their thorough knowledge of the market area. The chain comprises more than 100 hospitals.

In the United Arab Emirates, Al Razi is a pioneer in introducing innovative products and state-of-the-art technologies to the care sector.

”Once again, we are launching a new era in pharmacy automation. Our partnership with NewIcon will pave the way for introducing the latest pharmacy automation technology to pharmacies and hospitals and provide significant support professionals working in health care,” says Al Razi’s General Manager Vedantha Jagannathan.

Having previously worked for the international pharmaceutical company Baxter, Jagannathan has long experience in the sale of compounding systems for intravenous antibiotics and of intravenous medicines.

New technology for new hospitals

Enormous hospital complexes are currently being built in the UAE, and the demand for cutting-edge technology is high. The projects are modelled on hospitals in the US and Europe.

“In terms of equipment, NewIcon is introducing new options to the UAE market. Our technological solutions in pharmacy automation are different from the devices currently in use there. We focus on a user-friendly approach. Rather than making hospital staff work longer and do more, we make the work easier while improving performance,” Savolainen explains.

NewIcon first explored the market potential in the United Arab Emirates back in 2013 at the Arab Health event in Dubai.

“At the event, we found that there is a demand for our pharmacy automation systems in the UAE. After the event, we investigated potential partners and customers, but we only felt that the time to enter the market was now. We found a good partner, and our company has evolved to manage international growth. Together with Al Razi, we have visited local hospitals, and there seems to be demand for our entire product portfolio,” Savolainen says, summing up.