As an independent pharmacist, one of the most important ways you can expand to stay in business and serve your customers well is to begin to offer pharmacy clinical services if you don't already.
Seven million and growing
Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, more than seven million Americans have enrolled. This has meant that many more people have healthcare access than was previously true – but it also means that there is a greater need for clinical services than ever.Why implementing pharmacy clinical services is so important to your business – and to your patients
- The traditional healthcare system is not set up for patients with non-urgent medical care needs
Patients with non-urgent medical needs may visit the emergency room, taking away valuable resources from patients with truly dire circumstances. Or, they may visit urgent care, which is still a higher level of care than required; it is also not available to everyone.
Or, patients may visit primary care physicians, a model that has worked well in the past. However, primary care physicians are increasingly overloaded and can only spend minimal time with patients, who still will not get the care they need.
- Traditional service venues are inconvenient and costly
Patients with non-urgent medical needs must wait for care in favor of sicker patients, and pay more for it. When you provide pharmacy clinical services for non-urgent care, you can focus on patient convenience, one-on-one care, and cost effectiveness.
Pharmacy clinical services are staffed not by medical doctors, but by nurse practitioners who can fulfill most primary care physician duties. Their focus is on individualized patient care. Patients can simply come in, get their non-urgent healthcare needs met, and leave – quickly, conveniently, and effectively.
Provide a clean, quiet, private space for patients to receive non-urgent medical care
It depends on your particular set up, but there are several ways you can construct or create access to a separate clinical pharmacy space for your patients.
- Create a private entrance to a separate clinical pharmacy area
To completely separate your private clinical pharmacy area from the main pharmacy, you may want to give that area its own access. Waiting and examination areas should be completely separate from the rest of the pharmacy, with walkthrough access to the pharmacy counter for prescription filling as needed.
- Partition off the clinical pharmacy area by erecting a solid wall
You almost certainly want to keep your clinical pharmacy area and your regular pharmacy separate – even when examination areas are completely private. If you are going to use part of your existing pharmacy floor space as the clinic area, it should be completely separate from the rest of your pharmacy.
- Build a pharmacy clinic area onto the existing pharmacy building
As an alternative to creating a separate space for your clinical pharmacy from your existing floor space, you could add new construction for your clinic area, and build onto the existing pharmacy structure.
- Move to larger quarters or establish a satellite location for your clinical pharmacy
If you can't simply incorporate a clinical pharmacy space into your existing store either by devoting part of your existing floor space to it or building onto it, consider moving to a larger location that will give you the needed space. Alternatively, you could establish a smaller "satellite" location just for clinical pharmacy, with that location devoted to the clinic and related pharmacy services.
As an independent pharmacist, you have a unique opportunity to expand your services into clinical pharmacy. You will help your patients take care of their non-urgent healthcare needs and improve your own profits at the same time.
