History

Pharmalab was founded in 1993 as a specialist distributor of pharmaceuticals from overseas manufacturers.

The company saw the need for a formulation and manufacturing facility to develop many of the critical pharmaceuticals being sought by hospitals. These were often products that were not being made available or were being deleted from other company’s product ranges due to their low sales volumes.

In 1998 the company purchased Ophthalmic Laboratories Pty Ltd, a small volume injectables and ophthalmic facility in Brookvale as the basis for its expansion. In 2000, it acquired the TUTA Australian operations of Otsuka Pharmaceuticals of Japan. This business was a medical devices and liquids operation at Lane Cove, Sydney and provided the site for the new plant that was constructed and licenced in 2002. 

Since then, the demand for small volume, critical medicines has continued to increase.

Hospital specialists and pharmacists have turned to Pharmalab to help them with the supply or manufacture of these types of products.

Pharmalab has branched into a variety of critical healthcare areas with many products prepared for use through discussion with medical and pharmacy professionals. Often, simple packaging solutions are a benefit to users, such as changing an injection from a glass ampoule, with its inherent danger of a “sharps” injury, to the safer vial format with a tamper evident top. Other variations may be the production of a theatre pack or unit dose pack to provide greater patient safety.

Pharmalab also in-licenses products from overseas groups to fill key niches and provide innovative solutions.