AC Health opens first St. Joseph Drug store in Metro Manila

AYALA HEALTHCARE Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) opened the first St. Joseph Drug branch at Healthway FEU-NRMF Medical Center in Quezon City, marking the chain’s entry into Metro Manila.

“For us at AC Health, this reflects how synergy across our ecosystem comes to life. By working together across our ecosystem, we turn integration into real, everyday impact as we continue to Transform Health for Every Filipino,” AC Health President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Paolo Maximo F. Borromeo said in a statement on Tuesday.

St. Joseph Drug operates nearly 130 stores across Northern Luzon and has been in the retail pharmacy business for 67 years. Its new outlet is the chain’s first store in the capital region and its initial attempt at an outpatient store format.

“Our mission has always been clear: to serve every community — whether big or small, urban or rural — and to make healthcare accessible to all,” St. Joseph Drug Chief Strategy & Innovations Officer Paolo C. Bernal said.

“This partnership with Healthway FEU-NRMF Medical Center is more than just a collaboration; it is a stepping stone toward AC Health Group’s shared vision of transforming health for every Filipino,” he added.

AC Health is the healthcare subsidiary of listed conglomerate Ayala Corp. Its portfolio includes generic retail pharmacy chain Generika Drugstore; pharmaceutical importer and distributor IE Medica and MedEthix; Healthway Medical Network, which operates multi-specialty clinics, ambulatory centers, and full-service hospitals; and retail pharmacy chain St. Joseph Drug.

Ayala Corp. shares rose 0.4% to close at P504 apiece on Tuesday. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno