6 February 2026
PHX Ireland
At Synergy Learning, we believe digital learning should go beyond delivering content; it should drive performance, unify culture and create space for innovation. In PHX Ireland, we found a partner deeply committed to transforming how learning fuels their workforce, operations and patient experience.
PHX Ireland, formed through the merger of United Drug, TCP Homecare and the newly unified McCabes Pharmacy (formerly Lloyds Pharmacy), is Ireland’s largest healthcare provider. With over 2,000 colleagues across pharmacy, distribution and home care, they serve communities nationwide.
Why transformation was needed
Prior to our engagement in 2023, PHX Ireland’s L&D team was working across multiple legacy systems:
- ✳️ Lovelearning (elearning)
- ✳️ RAPID (synchronous booking)
- ✳️ Bookboon (library)
- ✳️ eLearn (used by United Drug)
These platforms were difficult to scale with the business, and manual processes were consuming both time and resources. Learners struggled with access and usability, and reporting was inconsistent. As PHX Ireland merged two of Ireland’s largest pharmacy brands, the need for a unified, digital-first learning platform became business-critical.
Our approach: partnering for scalable impact
We worked closely with PHX Ireland’s L&D and HR teams to implement Totara Learn: a flexible, open-source LMS that could deliver on three strategic goals:
- Unify learning across all business units
- Automate and decentralise administration and reporting
- Enable meaningful, user-centric learning at scale
This would involve a full-scale redesign of how learning supports onboarding, compliance, cultural alignment and professional development across thousands of learners – from pharmacists and retail staff, to logistics teams and corporate offices.
Throughout the project, we took a co-creative, iterative approach with PHX Ireland, designing solutions that directly solved longstanding challenges. These included:
Digital induction design
Previously, live induction via MS Teams took place once a month, creating bottlenecks. We helped create five custom e-learning modules with internal stakeholders and grouped them into LMS programmes. All new starters can now access induction from day one, which reduces time-to-productivity and enables self-paced onboarding.
Manual handling automation
Before, all exams were scheduled manually, which caused problems with coordination. With the LMS, colleagues can now book and reschedule exam slots directly, which significantly reduces admin effort and reduces no-shows.
Over-the-counter (OTC) training digitisation
Previously, 8-hour live sessions impacted store operations and created backlogs. We rebuilt OTC training into three interactive modules with automated assignment and reporting. This reduced training time from 8 hours to 1.5 hours, and made it accessible anytime, anywhere. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive from learners.
Bronze-Silver-Gold training pathway
After the merger, there were different legacy approaches across acquired brands. We worked with PHX to create a unified structure, built 12 new modules, rebranded 10 others, and implemented digital badging and progressive enrolments. This resulted in 65 Gold, 34 Silver and 14 Gold completions in the first three months. Learners requested further content in this format, praising its value.
“The McCabes Way” cultural integration
Post-merger, there was no scalable way to onboard colleagues into the new culture. As part of the rebranding, in-person workshops on “The McCabes Way” were held to onboard Lloyds colleagues into a new way of working. This was digitised into two e-learning programmes (one for pharmacists and one for all other colleagues), translating key content from the workshops into flexible digital learning. The result was a shared customer service framework with all teams aligned. 97% of participants rated the course as engaging.
DEI and sustainability through the LMS
Beyond compliance and onboarding, the Totara LMS became a tool for long-term cultural change. In 2025, PHX Ireland launched their first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Charter, and we helped it build a digital ‘Introduction to DEI’ programme hosted on the LMS. Role-based permissions allowed for precise tracking, ensuring hiring managers must complete DEI training before interviewing.
Further to this, we are supporting PHX Ireland in a major sustainability initiative, digitising 200+ standard operating procedures (SOPs) for United Drug’s Quality team. This will:
- ✅ Eliminate paper-based processes
- ✅ Enable localised LMS control
- ✅ Improve sustainability and user experience
Results and lasting impact
Key results are as follows:
Business performance
✳️ Cost savings through system consolidation and reduced external facilitation
✳️ Time savings across HR and L&D through automation and decentralised tracking
✳️ Faster onboarding and reduced time to competency
Culture and experience
✳️ A consistent, accessible platform across all locations and business units
✳️ Enhanced learning experience and feedback
✳️ Inclusion of all colleagues through accessible, asynchronous learning opportunities
Team capability and growth
✳️ The creation of new internal roles, including Digital Learning Specialist
✳️ The development of internal LMS and e-learning design expertise
✳️ An L&D team empowered to focus on strategic projects rather than admin
Together, Synergy Learning and PHX Ireland have shifted the organisation from transactional training to strategic learning design, and what was once a fragmented learning landscape is now a scalable, future-ready ecosystem.
