Daniel Lee: The man who modernised prescriptions

Daniel Lee left the family pharmacy business in 1999 to go it alone selling mail-order medicines. Now, online sales have hit £12m a year, and he has ambitious plans for the future.

Daniel Lee knew he could count on his father's support when he left the family business to go it alone in 1999 after all, they were both pharmacists. But his father "was also rather relieved", reckons 38-year-old Lee. "He was looking to retire and didn't want to risk the capital he'd built up over 40 years," in his chain of chemist shops across East Leeds. "And here was me pushing the boundaries, at one stage trying to buy a chain of 12 when we only had four. So you can understand his concern."

Lee's 'eureka' moment came in 1997. The NHS was looking for better ways to deliver prescriptions to patients. "That's when I came across the internet mail-order model." Established in the US for more than 25 years, mail-order firms such as Medco and Drugstore.com were cleaning up as they moved online, with about 15% of the prescription market. In Britain, the 1968 Medicines Act made it illegal to sell drugs by post. But Lee was convinced the law was outdated.

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Jody Clarke

Jody studied at the University of Limerick and was a senior writer for MoneyWeek. Jody is experienced in interviewing, for example digging into the lives of an ex-M15 agent and quirky business owners who have made millions. Jody’s other areas of expertise include advice on funds, stocks and house prices.