Distica is an important link in the healthcare system in Iceland and numerous patients, health institutions and pharmacies rely on their services every day. Distica’s role is to ensure that supplies of medicinal products and medical devices are available in Iceland. Their role has been extended following some housing changes within Stoð and Distica will take over operations of their warehouse, formerly located in Hafnarfjörður. There will be a certain synergy following the changes and it is hoped that the changed way of working will improve efficiency.

„There is a certain challenge that comes with having a warehouse in three locations, both in terms of staff flow and routing. We have one warehouse for medicines, one warehouse for medical devices and one warehouse for other health related products. We are working on bringing in suppliers who have certain synergies with us in distribution. There are, for example, certain wholesalers who use our services. Perhaps the biggest challenge for us in the future is to find the best way to distribute from these three warehouses or even look at more permanent solutions for the future to consolidate into one warehouse." says Oddný Sófusdóttir, Warehouse Manager, Distica.

Stoð has since its inception cared for social responsibility and is a crucial link in the health care system’s supply chain for individuals requiring support devices. The key aspect when catering for that important population is to understand and analyse our customers needs, and ensure a close and fruitful cooperation between the public sector and private players like Stoð. “Our goal is clear: To warrant an individuals right to accessibility and participation in our society, thereby promoting a better quality of life. Stoð takes this responsibility very seriously and thereby has a constructive impact in our society“, says Ólafía Ása Jóhannesdóttir, General Manager, Stoð.

Vistor is the Icelandic partner for a number of international pharmaceutical companies and provides regulatory, sales and marketing, and clinical operations services. Vistor also brokers import and distribution of medicinal products. It is a crucial social responsibility factor in the operations to ensure the safe import of medicinal products to Iceland, and thereby the country's access to proprietary medicinal products. Our focus is on compliance with international laws, and we operate in accordance with a strict code of conduct. It is important that our business is as transparent as possible, and consistent with the best governance practices and commercial reliability. Vistor does not partake in businesses which might be detrimental to our reputation or impair the credibility of our operations. Vistor does business exclusively with reputable suppliers who adhere to the most strict requirements, and require the same from Vistor as a customer and their representative in the Icelandic market place. The same applies to Veritas’ other subsidiaries.

„During the past year, we have worked to reduce the number of air shipments in consultation with our suppliers. We have managed to change the shipping method in the orders that we manage ourselves, and there has been a significant decrease in the number of flights. The suppliers are generally positive about changes and want to support the path the group is on with regard to environmental considerations. However, there are many things to consider when transporting products as sensitive as medicines, and the main thing is to ensure quality and safe delivery. That work is ongoing and today there is an active dialogue between Vistor and the eight suppliers whose cooperation causes the greatest carbon emissions." segir Arnar Þórðarson, framkvæmdastjóri Vistor.

Artasan is licensed and accredited by the Garðabær Town Public Health Authority to import and market health products. Before any import is authorized, a verification is conducted to determine whether ingredients are included in the list of approved substances, and that the amount of vitamins and minerals in daily defined doses recommended on a product's packaging is under the upper safety limits for vitamins and minerals. It is also determined whether the products contain any ingredients classified as drugs, and, in case of doubt, respective products are submitted to classification by the competent regulatory authority. Before marketing can be started, it is necessary to verify whether product labeling and any marketing statements are compliant with applicable standards.

Novel legislation on medical devices came into effect in 2020 (Icelandic Act No. 132/2020) which impacts the operations of Veritas‘ group of companies. A task force composed of represenatives from Veritas and each subsidiary oversaw the introduction of the required changes to both procedures and systems aiming to meet the increased level of requirements for marketing medical devices. Requirements regarding marketing and labelling are established by law and relevant regulations, including a regulation on user instructions which follow medical devices for the general public (Icelandic Act No. 789/2021). The Icelandic Medicines Agency is mandated to regulate and supervise medical devices and has already conducted an audit of the marketing of medical devices by MEDOR and Vistor.

"The year was very busy as the scale of operations is increasing and the company is expanding. During the year, it was decided to add a full-time position in human resources and sustainability at the company in order to meet the increased emphasis in the issue categories. " says Pétur Veigar Pétursson, Human Resources Director of Veritas.

"During the year, we went through 40 recruitment processes, but behind each recruitment there is a long process, advertisements, application screening, interviews and calls. With the expansion of the department, space will be created to deal with other important human resources issues even better. At the company's sustainability workshops, the management's clear desire to strengthen both the company's human resources and sustainability departments was expressed. " says Peter.

Last year, work was done on equal pay certification for Distica, Veritas, Vistor and Stoð, and that work was completed at the beginning of 2023. A part of the process of going through the equal pay certification was formulating a new equality and equal pay policy. The goals of the equality and equal pay policy of Veritas and its subsidiaries are that within the group there is equality and that all employees enjoy fairness and equal opportunities regardless of sex, age, religion, political opinion, nationality, race, sexuality, color, economy, ancestry, family ties, disability or status in other respects.

The equality policy of Veritas and its subsidiaries covers the staff of all the companies within the group. The equality policy is prepared by taking into account the law on equal status and equal rights of women and men 10/2008 and the law 80/2019 on gender autonomy.

The equality policy can be read in its entirety here.

The goal of the Veritas group is to employ only the best staff available at any given time, and job satisfaction is one of the most important aspects in any workplace. Comprehensive analyses of several factors related to employee satisfaction, corporate governance, and other important aspects of our workplace environment are regularly conducted. All of Veritas’ companies took part in VR’s Company of The Year survey.

„The survey showed some indications that we could do better. Veritas' overall score decreased slightly compared to previous years. We are experiencing a certain downturn and fatigue after COVID-19 among our staff, just like other companies are also experiencing, and therefore we need to monitor,"says Peter.

Veritas' service journey can be traced back several years and the project is roughly divided into the preparation and commissioning of the project along with definition. Analytical work was carried out and external and internal service processes were reviewed with the aim of streamlining, shortening communication channels and making them more efficient.

After that, a service policy and goals were formulated, main lines of improvement were designed, and improvement projects were prioritized. Well-defined service values, one team, good experience and smart solutions were presented.

During the implementation of improvement projects, a steering group was appointed which, together with the working groups, came up with ideas for improvements and actions. The service project was the main focus of Management Day 2021, where a 30-person management team worked in groups to identify service improvements. Numerous projects have resulted in improvements in procedures and technical solutions, e.g. online store and a new CRM system.

The formal implementation of the service policy took place last year with a presentation and various events. Service stories were collected and staff sent compliments to colleagues for good service, etc. The final point was a harvest festival where the „Service Nugget“ was introduced to the game. The Service Nugget is a golden stone that is handed out during Friday meetings to the employee who provides service that exceeds expectations.