When starting a pharmacy there are, what may seem like, endless details to handle. None, however, are more fundamental to having an effective, accurate back-end prescription-filling operation than your established workflow. Workflow, defined simply, is the process of a prescription order entering the pharmacy, being logged in, traveling through the filling and verification steps and finally landing in the hands of the ordering customer.
Common Pharmacy Workflow Mistakes
One of the top workflow mistakes committed when starting a pharmacy is neglecting the need to create a clear, articulated workflow system that is written down and presented to staff members as your pharmacy's standard operating procedures (SOP). The size of your operation and the number of scripts typically filled will determine how detailed the SOP needs to be. Operations can quickly become chaotic with dozens of employees trying to work together cohesively as one efficient unit without step-by-step procedures being written out in detailed form and each employee knowing their exact role in the process. A prescription-filling operation consisting of just one pharmacist and a single pharmacy technician will be much easier to control, but a written workflow plan is still needed in order to remain effective and accurate.
Once your operating procedures have been created, codified, distributed to staff and implemented, they should be revisited at least annually and made available and explained to any newly-hired employee.
Outfitting Your Back End for Efficiency and Productivity
Those starting a pharmacy are dealing with two specific areas within the store, each of which will require its own types of shelves and other fixtures. In the front-end merchandising area, you'll want to create an appealing shopping environment designed to encourage customers to buy. There are many different merchandising techniques that can help create an effective retail area ideal for this purpose.
In the back-end prescription-filling area, your shelving and fixtures serve a different purpose. A mistake new drugstore owners sometimes make is not realizing the importance of modern workstations, up-to-date storage and inventory setups and the implementation of automation in the workflow process. Consider the following:
- Workstations for pharmacists and pharmacy techs should be comfortable, well lit, ergonomically designed and supplied with all regularly used supplies to curtail the need to constantly travel back and forth to get needed items. Extra steps mean extra time spent needlessly, and this lowers productivity.
- Organized storage areas and efficient inventory practices will allow you to find what you need when it's needed. The process should be quick and easy and should help prevent the problems associated with being overstocked with some items while out of stock with others. Both of these problems will cost you money, and being out of stock on needed medications will decrease your customer service level.
- While robots and other automated equipment require a capital investment, they eventually pay for themselves in increased production. They also remove the tedium of performing menial tasks like counting out pills, increase efficiency by decreasing average fill times, and lower the risk of filling errors being made.
What Keeps You Competitive
As a small, independent pharmacy in competition with the much larger and better-funded chain store and big-box pharmacies, you have a few advantages that can help give you an edge. Whereas they may have slightly lower prices due to their volume buying, you can provide something customers have been shown to prefer—excellent service in a warm, friendly buying environment.
An efficient workflow will give your customers the service they desire. Learn from mistakes others too often make when starting a pharmacy, and reap the success you deserve.
