Time out with... Tara Dew

In Interviews

Follow this topic

Bookmark

Record learning outcomes

Being in charge of your own OTC healthcare brands sounds like a brilliant job. What do you enjoy most about it and why?

What I enjoy most about leading Alliance Healthcare’s OTC healthcare brands within the UK business is the opportunity to make a real impact on both pharmacy customers and the patients they serve.

Own brand products sit at the intersection of healthcare, innovation and the business strategy. One day I might be reviewing market trends and identifying opportunities for a new product launch, and the next I could be working with all sorts of people, from suppliers to regulators to colleagues across the business. The variety is what makes the role so rewarding.

I particularly enjoy building long-term brand strategies for Alvita and Almus OTC and turning those strategies into visible results. Whether it‘s launching new products, improving value for pharmacies, or ensuring we have the right products available when patients need them, there is a real sense of ownership and achievement.

Another aspect I find especially rewarding is the collaborative nature of the role. Success relies on bringing together expertise from across the business and our external partners, uniting everyone behind a common goal of providing support pharmacies with quality, affordable healthcare.

Ultimately, what motivates me most is knowing that the decisions we make within the UK business can help improve access to trusted healthcare products for communities across the UK. Combining commercial growth with a genuine contribution to patient care is what makes the role so fulfilling.

Are there any downsides?

One of the biggest challenges is that you’re effectively managing the entire lifecycle of a product, from identifying an opportunity and finding the right manufacturing partner through to getting it approved, into supply and actually selling well. The breadth of responsibility is what makes the role exciting, but it also means there are a lot of moving parts to coordinate and very little that sits outside your sphere of influence.

The healthcare market is also constantly evolving. Consumer needs change, regulations develop, costs fluctuate, and supply chains can be unpredictable. Balancing all of those factors while ensuring products remain available, competitive, and commercially viable requires a lot of collaboration and careful decision-making.

Another challenge is that innovation takes time. Bringing a new OTC product to market involves extensive planning, stakeholder alignment, supplier engagement, and ensuring all technical and regulatory requirements are met. There’s rarely an overnight success story, so patience and resilience are important. 

That said, I genuinely see those challenges as part of the appeal of the role. When you successfully launch a new product, improve availability, or help pharmacies offer patients a high-quality and affordable healthcare solution, the sense of achievement makes the hard work worthwhile.

What would we find you doing on an average day?

There probably isn‘t such a thing as an average day, and that’s one of the reasons I enjoy the role so much I could be reviewing the sales performance of our Alvita and Almus OTC ranges, discussing future product opportunities with manufacturers, or reviewing plans for new product launches. A significant part of my role is also spent collaborating with colleagues across sales, marketing, finance, procurement to make sure we’re all working towards the same objectives.

I spend a lot of time looking at market trends and customer insights, understanding how consumer healthcare needs are evolving and identifying opportunities to strengthen our brands. That might involve developing a long-term strategy, evaluating new product concepts, or building promotional plans that help pharmacies grow their OTC business.

People are also a big part of the role. I lead a talented team, so supporting their development, helping them overcome challenges and celebrating successes is incredibly important to me. I also work closely with suppliers and external partners, building relationships that enable us to bring high-quality products to market.

Ultimately, my day is about balancing strategy with execution. It’s one thing to have a vision for where you want your brands to be in three years’ time, but it’s equally important to make sure the right decisions are being taken today to achieve that vision. 

Launching a new product must be exciting. Can you tell us a bit about the process?

Absolutely. Launching a new own brand product is one of the most rewarding parts of the job because you get to see an idea develop all the way from concept to a product that pharmacists and patients can actually use.

The process usually starts with understanding customer needs and market trends. We’re constantly speaking to customers, analysing market data and looking for gaps or opportunities where we can offer something different, whether that’s better value, improved quality, greater convenience or a product that addresses an emerging healthcare need.

Once we’ve identified an opportunity, we work closely with manufacturing partners to develop the product. That involves evaluating formulations, packaging, quality standards and commercial viability, as well as ensuring all regulatory and technical requirements are met. It’s a highly collaborative process involving teams across procurement, regulatory affairs, supply chain, marketing, sales and finance – both centrally and locally.

From there, we forecast demand and plan supply, since availability is just as important as the product itself.

Alongside product development, we build the commercial and marketing strategy, looking at pricing, promotional activity, customer communications and positioning, with the aim of ensuring it delivers genuine value for pharmacies and supports long-term growth.

The best moment is seeing the product on shelf for the first time, knowing the planning and collaboration behind it has helped bring a new healthcare solution to market that makes a difference for pharmacies and patients.

How long does this process take and how many people would typically be involved?

The timeline can vary significantly depending on the type of product being developed. For a non-licensed OTC product, the process will typically take between six and 12 months from initial concept through to launch. For licensed medicines, the timeline is usually much longer, often between 12 and 24 months, due to the additional regulatory requirements, approvals and technical processes involved.

What often surprises people is how many individuals contribute to a successful launch. While there is usually a core project team leading the initiative, bringing a product to market is a genuinely cross-functional effort. Depending on the scale and complexity of the launch, it’s not unusual for 20 or more people to be involved at various stages.

The launch itself is really the culmination of months, and sometimes years, of collaboration. By the time a new product reaches the shelf, a huge amount of work has gone into everything from identifying the opportunity and developing the proposition, through to forecasting demand, securing supply, creating packaging, agreeing pricing, and planning promotional activity. While a new product may appear quite straightforward when it reaches the shelf, behind the scenes it represents the combined expertise and commitment of a large number of people all working towards the same goal.

What has been the quickest product you’ve launched and which has taken the longest?

The quickest product I’ve brought to market was a hand gel, which took less than six months from concept to launch. The category was well established, the regulatory requirements were straightforward, and there was a clear customer need, which allowed us to move quickly through supplier selection, packaging and launch planning.

At the other end of the spectrum, the longest project I’ve worked on was a licensed cough medicine, which took approximately three years to bring to market. Licensed medicines require a much higher level of regulatory scrutiny, with extensive documentation, testing, approvals and compliance checks throughout the process.

Those two examples really demonstrate the breadth of own brand development. Some products can move from idea to shelf relatively quickly when the route to market is clear, while others require years of planning, collaboration and perseverance. In both cases, the key is maintaining focus on delivering a product that meets customer needs and provides confidence for pharmacists and patients alike.

From a community pharmacy point of view, what would you say are the benefits of stocking Almus and Alvita products?

I believe the key benefit of stocking Alvita and Almus OTC products is the combination of quality, value and trust.

Community pharmacies play a vital role in supporting patients’ everyday healthcare needs, and it’s important that they can offer products that deliver reliable quality whilst remaining affordable. Both Alvita and Almus OTC are developed with that goal in mind, helping pharmacies provide trusted healthcare solutions across a wide range of categories.

Another benefit is consistency. We work hard to ensure our products meet high quality standards and are supported by robust supply planning, so pharmacies can have confidence in the products they stock and recommend. Product availability is particularly important in today’s market, where patients expect pharmacies to have the products they need when they need them.

For pharmacy owners, own brand products can also provide an attractive commercial opportunity. By offering high-quality alternatives to well-known brands, pharmacies can deliver value to patients while supporting their own business objectives. It’s about giving pharmacists choice and flexibility within their range. We are also continuously developing new products to meet evolving consumer and patient needs and make it easy for pharmacies to deliver.

Ultimately, our aim is to be a trusted partner to community pharmacy. We want pharmacists to feel confident that when they stock Alvita and Almus OTC products, they’re offering patients quality healthcare solutions backed by a team that understands both the commercial and clinical needs of the pharmacy sector.

And from a consumer point of view, historically own brand products were sometimes viewed as lesser quality than brands. Do you think this is changing and why?

I do think perceptions have changed significantly over the last decade, particularly in healthcare. Consumers today are far more informed and value-conscious than they were in the past. They’re increasingly looking beyond the logo on the pack and focusing on factors such as quality, efficacy, trust and value for money.

In healthcare, quality standards are non-negotiable, whether a product is an own brand or a well-known brand. Consumers are becoming much more aware of this, particularly as pharmacies and healthcare professionals continue to recommend products based on their suitability and effectiveness rather than simply their brand recognition.

The cost-of-living pressures we’ve seen in recent years have also encouraged consumers to try own brand alternatives. In many cases, they’ve discovered that they can receive the same benefits, quality and reassurance they expect, but at a more accessible price point. Once consumers have a positive experience with an own brand product, they’re often much more willing to consider other products within that range.

Another factor is the investment that companies are making in own brands today. Modern own brand products are no longer seen as a basic alternative. Significant effort goes into product development, quality assurance, packaging design, innovation and consumer insight to ensure they meet customer expectations and stand confidently alongside branded competitors.

I also think community pharmacy has played an important role in this shift. Pharmacists are highly trusted healthcare professionals, and when they recommend an own brand product, that gives consumers confidence. As a result, we’ve seen growing acceptance that a product’s quality is determined by the standards behind it, not simply by whether it’s a household name.

Ultimately, I think consumers have become much more sophisticated in their purchasing decisions. They recognise that own brand products can offer an excellent combination of quality, trust and value. 

Which products in your Almus and Alvita ranges are you most proud of and why?

That’s always a difficult question because I’m proud of the portfolio as a whole rather than any one individual product.

What gives me the greatest satisfaction is seeing the breadth of support that our Alvita and Almus OTC ranges provide across so many different areas of health and wellbeing. We have products that help people manage everyday healthcare needs and provide solutions for everything from first aid and family planning through to vitamins and pharmacy medicines.

Rather than focusing on a single product, I’m most proud of the categories where we’ve been able to build comprehensive ranges. Success in own brand isn’t just about having a bestselling product; it’s about creating a trusted portfolio that pharmacists can confidently recommend and that consumers can rely upon across many aspects of their healthcare journey.

I’m particularly proud of the work that goes into ensuring our products combine quality, accessibility and value. Whether it’s a pharmacy medicine, a first aid solution, a self-diagnostic product or an everyday healthcare essential, our focus is always on delivering products that meet high standards and provide real benefits to both pharmacies and consumers.

Ultimately, the products I’m most proud of are the ones that make a positive difference to patients’ lives. If a pharmacist feels confident recommending one of our products and a patient leaves with a solution that meets their needs, that’s a success in my view. Knowing that our ranges support thousands of those interactions every day is something I’m incredibly proud of.

Are there any new products in development that our readers should look out for?

We’re always looking at future opportunities. The OTC market is highly competitive, and a lot of effort goes into researching and building a robust innovation pipeline. We are continually assessing emerging healthcare trends, changing consumer needs and opportunities to support community pharmacy with products that offer both clinical relevance and commercial value. Innovation remains a key focus for us, and we have an exciting pipeline of opportunities under review.

Looking at recent launches, we’ve introduced a number of new products over the past year across several important healthcare categories, including allergy relief, digestive health, pain relief, cough and cold, women’s health and emergency contraception. These launches have been driven by a combination of consumer demand, pharmacy needs and our desire to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare solutions at competitive price points. From a pharmacy perspective, products such as our recent additions in allergy relief, IBS management, cough relief and women's health are particularly important because they address common conditions that pharmacists are regularly asked about.

More broadly, our approach is always to focus on products that can help pharmacies meet patient needs while offering strong quality, value and availability. When we evaluate potential new launches, we don’t just ask whether there is consumer demand; we also consider whether the product will support pharmacies in delivering advice, improving patient outcomes and maintaining a commercially sustainable OTC offering.

Ultimately, the products I get most excited about are those that solve genuine healthcare needs. Whether that’s helping a patient manage seasonal allergies, digestive health concerns, minor ailments or everyday healthcare needs, our aim is to develop products that pharmacists can confidently recommend and consumers can trust. That’s the principle that guides both our recent launches and the innovations we’re exploring for the future.