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This week marks 50 years since the first Day Lewis branch opened in Kent, the family-owned chain has said as it thanked colleagues for their “belief in what we do”.

The business, co-founded by brothers Kirit Patel (1949-2016) and JC Patel in 1975 when they bought their first pharmacy in Southborough, is now run by Kirit’s children Jay, Rupa and Sam. 

In a statement, the company said: “From humble beginnings, we’ve reached incredible milestones: expanding to over 240 pharmacies, serving millions of patients, launching innovative healthcare services, and investing in digital transformation to better support our communities. 

“We've nurtured generations of pharmacy professionals and remained proudly independent throughout our journey.

“Today, we mark this incredible 50-year chapter with gratitude in our hearts and hope in our vision for the future.”

In a message recorded with his siblings, company director Jay Patel said: “At our heart we have always been a community pharmacy, committed to providing our patients with accessible and trusted healthcare across the country.

“Our core values have guided everything that we do. We are here to help our patients stay healthy and feel better. 

“That core purpose is as strong today as it was 50 years ago.”

Speaking to P3pharmacy in January, Jay Patel said that despite expanding to over 200 branches the company still sees itself as independent. 

“The difference comes down to relationships,” he said. “My relationship with my colleagues, our relationships as owners with our colleagues and suppliers and extended stakeholders is better. 

“We see that as a core part of doing business – we don’t have a brand. We believe our brand is how we act and how we conduct ourselves.” 

He told P3pharmacy that that despite Day Lewis having merged and sold a number of lower-performing pharmacies in 2023-24 “our patient numbers are growing weekly”.