More than 200 private doctors gathered earlier this month beneath the chandeliers of The Peninsula London ballroom for an exclusive evening hosted by Pharmacierge, the e-prescription healthtech platform and private pharmacy used by thousands of independent clinicians.
The occasion was, in part, a toast to the launch of the Tatler Doctors Guide, the magazine’s carefully curated directory celebrating leading clinicians across the UK’s private medical landscape.
The guide reflects the remarkable diversity of modern private medicine, celebrating doctors from across the profession – cardiologists; dermatologists; neurologists; oncologists; fertility specialists; psychiatrists and complex surgical disciplines among many others.
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Those featured were chosen for merit, following independent peer nomination – private GPs recommending the specialists they trust most with their patients. The final list was compiled and edited with the support of respected private GP Dr Tim Lebens, drawing on the collective judgement of clinicians working at the heart of independent practice.
This glittering gathering brought many of those same clinicians together in one room. Pharmacierge’s frequent users – consultants, surgeons and private GPs from across the medical spectrum – mingled with colleagues to celebrate the independence, collaboration and quietly accomplished nature of the private medical community.
Through the Pharmacierge platform, this network of doctors can collectively access one of the UK’s most comprehensive ranges of medicines, held at the company’s 5,500 sq ft robotic dispensary in the Harley Street Health District on Wimpole Street. Prescriptions sent electronically via the mPrescribe system are prepared using state-of-the-art automation before being delivered directly to patients, often the very same day.
“I’ve been with Pharmacierge for several years now and it’s made a massive difference to my practice – patient feedback has been universally brilliant and the team are great!,” said Dr Mark Vanderpump, Consultant Endocrinologist.
It was impossible to miss the evening’s most striking visual metaphor. Displayed nearby were several breathtaking 1950s and 1960s Bentleys, a Jaguar XK120 and other iconic vehicles meticulously restored and electrified by Lunaz, the engineering firm based in Silverstone. From the outside the cars retain their original soul and craftsmanship; beneath the bonnet, however, they have been re-engineered with fully electric powertrains and digital telematics.
For many in the room, the analogy with modern private medicine – and with pharmacy – felt almost too perfect. Traditional expertise and personal service remain at the fore, but are quietly powered by the latest technology.
“My patients get a five-star service – I’ve been working with Pharmacierge for so many years and honestly, I can’t fault them at all,” said Dr Elizabeth McCulloch, GP with Special Interest in Menopause and Aesthetic Medicine, Hormone Health and The Montefiore Hospital, Hove.
That philosophy sits at the centre of Pharmacierge itself. Founded a decade ago by brothers Edward and Robert Ungar, the company has built a platform designed specifically for private doctors: secure e-prescribing, rapid dispensing and delivery, alongside a seven-day patient reception nestled between Harley Street and Wimpole Street.
“The best thing about Pharmacierge, frankly, is that the patients love it. Universally patients say, can you use that Pharmacierge thing again for me,” aded Dr Ganan Sritharan, Consultant Surgical and General Physician & Geriatrician, King Edward VII Hospital and The Mayo Clinic.
The event also supported the Goodwood Education Trust, a charity based at the Goodwood Estate, itself the home of classic motoring, that connects children with nature and the countryside through hands-on educational programmes.
As the evening drew to a close, the mood was one of optimism about the future of private medicine – a profession where technology is evolving rapidly, yet is still steeped in the traditional values and personalised care that have long defined it.
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