Pharmacy Shopfitting and Refurbishments
When planning the layout of a new pharmacy or the refurbishment of an existing pharmacy the careful selection of shopfittings is essential for a successful operation. Providing consultation areas, improving retail areas and maintaining efficient working areas behind the counter and in the dispensary has increased the pressure on pharmacists. It is important in the planning stages to consider the whole of the pharmacy as opposed to just the consultation area, retail area or dispensary.
A secure consultation area where customers feel comfortable to speak to the pharmacist is imperative if the promised, improved pharmacy service is to be delivered. A chair behind a curtain will no longer suffice and whilst a larger area would at first appear to be the answer it should be remembered that the amount of time that the consultation area is used in a typical week is relatively small and valuable retail or dispensary space should not be easily compromised. Sometimes the best consultation areas are those that can offer an alternative use such as an office or stockroom. Cabinets with interior roller shutters or doors can hide many an unsightly background.
The retail area is becoming an increasingly important contribution to profits and pharmacists must think like a retailer to maximise the sales from the area available. There is very little point in cramming the area full of stock if there is not enough space for customers to move easily and conversely an over spacious area will not produce a high enough return in sales. Good lighting and point of sale material is not only welcoming to the customer but it sends out a message that the Pharmacy is well organised and efficient, somewhere that customers can feel that they are to be well cared for.
The core and foundation of any pharmacy is it’s dispensary and in planning this area, efficiency and cleanliness are paramount factors. Whilst it is imperative that the pharmacist and their staff need to be able to move around easily, the distances they walk between the storage facility and the dispensing table and the dispensary and the sales or collection counter, should be kept to a minimum. Pharmacy shelving like “Pharmashelve” offers a flexible storage solution that allows increased stock densities so that more stock is stored in a smaller area. The sliding angled shelves also offer improved stock control as the pharmacist can see immediately how many units there are remaining at any one time. The segregated areas within the shelf also ensure that the first stock in is the first stock out. Easy to clean and manufactured in steel Pharmashelve is very durable. Installation is also a simple operation requiring only average DIY skills.
If a pharmacist is to have an efficient pharmacy he or she must have complete control over the stock in both the dispensary and the retail area. Keeping the clutter to a minimum is very important so that what remains can be better organised. Creating standard operations, which puts everything in its place, does take time but it is very value added in the long term. Storage solutions like Pharmashelve saves time in the organisation leaving Pharmacists and their staff more time for dispensing and selling to their customers.