At Shelving Design Systems, we take pride in the durable and innovative pharmacy shelving we install. However, our experience (and a healthy dose of common sense) tells us that even the best-designed and best-built pharmacy shelving isn’t intended to last forever. Even if your shelving looks fine and is in good operating condition, it may still be due for replacement. Here’s how to tell when it’s time to get in touch.
Condition
Pharmacy shelving that’s in poor condition should not be neglected. To begin with, anything that’s in a customer-facing area, or that’s in your prep space but visible to the public, could send your customers the wrong impression if it’s worn or damaged. There’s also the matter of your staff’s productivity and well-being, both of which can suffer when they’re working around fixtures that are past their expiration date.
Age
Something that was state-of-the-art in 1987 may not be adequate to today’s pharmacy. Our understanding of pharmacy workflow has evolved over the years, and our shelving should evolve right along with it.
Compliance
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements are stringent, and they impact pharmacy operations in surprising ways. One of these is compliance with security and privacy regulations. Plainly put, older shelving often doesn’t provide the privacy protection demanded by HIPAA.
Poor Design
Good shelving isn’t enough by itself. Shelving design plays its part, too. You may have high-quality shelving that was expertly installed, but if the layout is a poor fit, those pharmacy fixtures could be hurting you more than they help.
Automation
Speaking of design, let’s consider the place of pharmacy fixtures in older pharmacies. The human element should always be paramount in your layout, but these days, humans aren’t the only helping “hands” around your pharmacy. Automated systems save time and labor, but they also require us to rethink the place of our staff in a new system.
Customer Experience
Automation isn’t the only trend influencing pharmacy fixtures. Especially in retail pharmacy settings, we’re constantly reimagining what a pharmacy can be, how it can best serve customers, and even the kinds of services it can deliver.
Money
Paradoxically, when money is tight, that can be the perfect time for new shelving. That’s because wasted space, wasted motion, and missed opportunities all add up to money wasted.
When you strip this down to its essentials, there are two ways to know whether it’s time to replace your pharmacy fixtures. One is to give it your best guess. The other path is a professional shelving design consultation with Shelving Design Systems. We’ve helped countless pharmacies throughout the Southwest optimize their shelving and fixtures for optimal performance and customer results, and look forward to doing the same for yours.
