Slade Pharmacy celebrating 60 Years of Excellence in Healthcare

A legacy of growth and experience

Slade Pharmacy began as a small community pharmacy with the opening of the first Slade Pharmacy in Mount Waverley, Victoria. It has grown to employ more than 1,100 professionals across Australia and New Zealand, including pharmacists, technicians, and support staff. Its expansion reflects the Slade family’s dedication to delivering innovative medicine management and specialised compounded medication services across hospital and oncology sectors.

Customer-focused service has been the foundation of Slade’s success

Slade’s dedication to customer service is evident in its tailored support for hospitals nationwide. Through services such as dispensing, counselling, clinical pharmacy services and imprest management Slade ensures each hospital’s unique needs are met – enhancing patient care and overall customer satisfaction.

Strategic acquisitions have fuelled this growth.

In 2012, David Slade founded Slade Health, a TGA licensed compounding business and in 2015 Slade acquired Fresenius Kabi Australia’s oncology business, expanding its network of compounding facilities across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. David Slade then acquired the Epic Pharmacy group in 2021 to become a truly national hospital pharmacy provider across Australia.

Commitment to integrity and quality

Whether compounding or dispensing – Slade has an unrelenting focus on all aspects of quality always ensuring patients receive the safest and most effective care, aligning with national accreditation and clinical care standards.

Pioneering spirit, driving innovation

Innovation has been a driving force for Slade – Slade was the first in Australia to introduce a robotic automated dispensing machine and the first hospital pharmacy to be part of a fully digital private hospital. In addition, Slade became the first TGA licensed paperless compounder, saving more than five tonnes of paper annually while also enhancing service quality and efficiency. Slade was the first TGA compounder to establish the only in-house drug stability and research laboratory in Australia enabling Slade to extend the shelf life of the medicines it compounds and deliver more services to remote and regional patients.

Slade opened its first international compounding facility in Auckland in 2022 and now delivers 40% of New Zealand’s chemotherapy.

In 2023, the opening of the state-of-the-art facility in Woodville, South Australia, enabled the delivery of over 300,000 chemotherapy infusions yearly, improving access to critical treatments and contributing to South Australia’s investment in locally-led healthcare.

In 2024, David Slade was a key part of the team that enabled Icon Group’s acquisition of the Pharmaxo Group extending the group’s compounding capabilities into the  United Kingdom.

“I think the secret to our enduring success is staying true to our core values – looking after our customers and our people and always prioritising exceptional patient care.

“As we celebrate this anniversary, we remain dedicated to advancing healthcare services and making a real difference in the lives of patients in Australia, New Zealand and now the United Kingdom.”

Acting CEO of Pharmacy and Compounding, Russell Hill expands on the future of Slade.

“We must remain patient focused and continue to be at the forefront of innovations that makes us a preferred hospital provider,” said Russell.

“My vision for the future is for Slade to be the undisputed market leader and remain true to always delivering the highest quality service.”

As Slade celebrate this diamond anniversary, the team reaffirms its commitment to excellence, continuing to make a meaningful impact on healthcare around the world.

Follow our social media channels and news as we celebrate this milestone throughout the year across our Slade Pharmacy and Slade Health locations.

60 Years of excellence

Swipe right below to view 60 years of Slade history.