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PharmaCare

OVERALL

Owned
AUS
Rating
Criticism, some praise

Pharmaceuticals, personal care and health care product manufacturer

Bought Sambucol in 2009, Redwin in 2007, Cat Media (Naturopathica) in 2006, Rosken & Aquasun from Pfizer in 2005, Brut & Norsca in 2004, and Nature's Way from Roche in 2000.

PharmaCare Laboratories Pty Ltd   AUS     website   email   facebook   twitter

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
PharmaCare Laboratories Pty Ltd
Animals Krill supplements
In 2015 Sea Shepherd Australia targeted this company over its production of krill-based omega-3 health supplements. Krill are a vital part of the Antarctic food chain and giant factory-ships are sucking up huge amounts of krill for the farmed fish and supplements industries. Vast schools of krill not only function as food for whales, penguins, seals and seabirds, but they are also huge carbon sinks that help mitigate global warming. Pharmacare is one of the largest krill supplement manufacturers in Australia.
Source: Sea Shepherd (2015)
Business Ethics Nanoparticles in baby formula
Independent testing commissioned by Friends of the Earth in 2017 found nanoparticles in popular Australian infant formula products that are both illegal in Australia and potentially dangerous, including products by this company. A growing body of scientific research demonstrates that nanoparticles pose threats to human health, raising concerns about their use in food and many other consumer products.
Source: FOE (2017)
Social Breaching advertising codes
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2009/10 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about four ads by this company on the grounds that they breached advertising codes. The ads were subsequently discontinued or modified.
Source: Advertising Standards Bureau (2010)
Social 2017 CHOICE Shonky Award
Named and shamed in the 2017 CHOICE Shonky Awards for claiming its Vitamin Gummies are good for kids teeth. CHOICE points out that even though kids rarely need vitamin supplementation, these products are marketed to kids and are full of sugar.
Source: Choice (2017)
Social 2018 CHOICE Shonky Award
Named and shamed in the 2018 CHOICE Shonky Awards for its Bioglan homeopathic melatonin. While melatonin (currently a prescription-only medicine in Australia) is known to promote sleep and is used to help people suffering jet lag or sleep disorders, there's no reliable evidence that homeopathic melatonin (or homeopathic products in general) has any effect other than as a placebo. Despite this, the company makes the claim that Bioglan Melatonin helps "relieve mild temporary insomnia and symptoms of mild nervous tension".
Source: Choice (2018)
Social Breaching advertising codes
On 26 separate occasions between 2010 and 2014 the Therapeutic Goods Administration's Complaints Resolution Panel upheld complaints about ads by this company on the grounds that they breached advertising codes, more than any other company. The ads were subsequently withdrawn.
Source: TGA Complaints Register (2014)
Social 2012 CHOICE Shonky Award
Named and shamed in the 2012 CHOICE Shonky Awards. Nature's Way Kids Smart Natural Medicine range of homeopathic remedies for various ailments is effectively water with blackcurrant flavour. The harm comes from it doing nothing for your children in the expensive and mistaken belief you're doing something.
Source: Choice (2012)
Environment Organic products
Company retails, manufactures or distributes products that are certified organic under the Australian Certified Organic label.
Source: ACO (2022)
Environment APCO member
Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. Each year, APCO Members are required to submit an APCO Annual Report and Action Plan, which includes an overall performance level from 1 (Getting Started) to 5 (Beyond Best Practice). This company received a packaging performance level of 2 (Good Progress) in its 2022 APCO Annual Report.
Source: APCO (2022)
Animals Monkey-free coconuts
Monkeys in Thailand are kept chained, trained using abusive methods, and forced to climb trees to pick coconuts used for coconut milk, oil, and other products. This company has policies of sourcing from farms where no monkey labour is used.
Source: PETA Asia (2020)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Family-owned private company
Founded 1985
Revenue 288 million AUD (2020)
Employees 580 (2020)
Aus Manufacturing Yes
Subsidiaries Cat Media Pty Ltd 

Health and beauty company

Cat Media is a privately owned company that has operated in Australia since 1996. Cat Media manufactures and distributes a range of health, beauty and natural pharmaceutical products as well as distributing opals and soon footwear. Now owned by Pharmacare.


Natur-all Pty Ltd 

Healthy snack foods maker

100% Australian family-owned company for 30 years, until Pharmacare acquired the business in 2018.


Redwin Industries Pty Ltd 

Personal care products manufacturer


Carotino Australia Pty Ltd (50% owned) 

Cooking oils

Joint venture between Carotino Malaysia and Pharmacare Laboratories. Carotino is part of one of the largest privately held plantation groups (especially palm oil) in Malaysia with acreage of over 100,000 acres.

Contact Details

Address 18 Jubilee Ave, Warriewood, NSW, 2102, Australia
Phone 02 9997 1466
Email customerservice@pharmacare.com.au
Website www.pharmacare.com.au

Products / Brands

PharmaCare
Aquasun Sunscreen
Bioglan Vitamins
Brut Deodorant
Brut Mens Grooming
Ease a Cold Cold & Flu
FatBlaster Weight Loss
GastroHealth Digestive Care
Go Natural Health Bars
Invite Skin Care
Jbronze Tanning Lotions
KP24 Lice Treatment
Medi Antiseptic
Nature's Way Sports Nutrition
Nature's Way Vitamins
Nature's Way Weight Loss
Nature's Way Kombucha
Nature's Way Cold & Flu
Nature's Way Health Foods
Nature's Way Baby Formula
Naturopathica Vitamins
Norsca Deodorant
NutriSlim Weight Loss
Pyrenel Lice Treatment
Reducta Weight Loss
Redwin Skin Care
Redwin Deodorant
Redwin Hand Wash/Sanitiser
Redwin Body Wash
Redwin Shampoo
Rosken Skin Care
Sambucol Cold & Flu
Skin Doctors Skin Care
SlimRight Weight Loss
Wart Off Foot Care


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