SHELF OBSESSED

New Technologies in Pharmacy Shelving Can Improve Squeezed Profit Margins

Posted by Robert Walthall on Tue, Apr, 07, 2015 @ 08:00 AM

shutterstock_245558071Are your profit margins not as generous as they should be? Fortunately, new technologies (features, functionality, materials, and designs) in pharmacy shelving can help.

They can help you organize the inventory in your stockroom

You can use pharmacy shelving technologies in your stockroom to make the best use of space and keep products organized. Modular shelving allows you to mix-and-match different storage components, change configurations on-the-fly, and keeps you from having to reconfigure or reorganize your stock room from scratch once you set it up. Bins, trays and pegs help you contain and keep track of smaller items, while standard pharmacy shelving can hold larger items neatly so that you can see them at a glance.

Other technologies like mobile shelving allow you to place shelving units very close together to increase workable floor space. You can put them on tracks or on wheels for easy mobility. When you need something from a particular shelving unit, move it, retrieve what you need, and then move it back to its original place.

They can protect items from theft

You have particular challenges related to theft risk because you must store and dispense controlled substances that thieves, unfortunately, find very valuable. You need to keep drugs out of inappropriate hands, make sure that you do have the right supply on hand for the customers who need them, and to make sure you and your staff are safe, too.

Because of that, you'll need to invest in pharmacy shelving and fixtures that lock controlled substances away, behind the counter. When you're not an easy mark for thieves, you won't put yourself, your customers, or yourself in harm's way and can instead be safe and secure.

They can help you make sure you're in compliance with all regulations

Even if profit margins are tight, it's imperative that you stay in compliance with recently updated HIPAA privacy regulations, new as of September 2013. These regulations require that patients have full access to their health information, and that any breaches in security must now be reported to Health And Human Services. Make sure your pharmacy technologies include the ability to lock portable information-access devices like laptops and tablets away when not in use.

They can make it easy for you to construct attractive displays

Today's new pharmacy shelving technologies don't just "house" your merchandise so that customers can find it. Instead, you can utilize a variety of shelving and fixtures to create truly eye-catching and attractive displays that will catch customers' attention and entice them to buy. Choose from modern, classic, high-end, homey, et cetera, or do a mix-and-match of different materials for the shelving and fixtures you buy to create a unique look.

They can help you organize your store so that it's easier for customers to shop

Change your pharmacy layout so that it fosters customers' desire to shop. It's not hard to do this; simply use "mainstays" like gondola shelving and end caps to create a specific layout. This layout should ideally go counterclockwise through your store. This way, customers can see every department as they walk through.

If profit margins are tighter than you'd like them to be, up-to-date pharmacy shelving and technologies can help. They can protect you from loss and theft, present merchandise attractively to customers and make it easier to see and reach, and can help you organize your inventory so that you always know what you've got in stock. Further, they can also help you ensure that you're in compliance with the September 2013 HIPAA privacy regulations, so that you have no worries.

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