Page 15 - Demo

at the population density of the area. Then we look at the products that are being sold in that entire catchment area, excluding your store. “From that analysis, we can identify, for example, there’s a new skin range available and it’s selling really well but it isn’t something you carry. Objective self-assessment Having identified your performance against the benchmark of your local competitors and considered your local demographics, it’s time to look more closely at your own pharmacy using a range of metrics. Mr Da Gama says a key metric pharmacies should use in the analysis of their store is sales per square metre of floor space. “It’s a metric used by most major retailers and although it’s been around for years, the majority of pharmacies don’t use it,” he said. “One of the main benefits is knowing if you’re using your space efficiently, because if you have very low sales per square meter, there are a number of things you can do. “These include talking to companies offering retail layout consultations that can lead to the addition of a counselling room inside your pharmacy.” Of course, adding a consulting room is only one solution and it pays to consider a range of metrics to gain a complete picture. For example, understanding customer behaviour using footfall data and observing if your pharmacy’s customer flow creates opportunities for browsing can reveal opportunities for change. If customers are fast-tracking straight to scripts and leaving just as quickly, as a pharmacy assistant, you can break the flow by engaging with those customers, checking they found what they wanted and then making relevant suggestions about complimentary products that often lead to additional purchases and increased profitability. Align with current trends Retail Pharmacy Assistants spoke with instigo Director Andrew Pattinson to learn more about how the current pharmacy landscape might impact the pharmacy owner’s future business decisions. “With the 7CPA signed and locked in place, I believe the time for investment in future business models is now,” he said. “The government looks to have a stated intent of aligning pharmacy and future pharmacy outcomes with a 10-year national health plan and that suggests this isn’t a fad but will be a trend. “We’ll see pharmacy program support continue, certainly through 7CPA and 8CPA, so now, when you’re looking at your five- and 10-year business plan, it’s about asking, ‘What does the model for healthcare look like in the future?’ Mr Pattinson continued: “If you’re a dispensary, and you know that that process of dispensing medicines is locked in, safe and secure for the next phase of the business cycle, the question is, ‘What else are you going to do to improve patient engagement and increase basket size?’. It’s simple economics to know if there are less people coming in, you need to provide them more services.” For a pharmacy assistant, this is great news as many of the professional services will create opportunities for their role to expand. This might include talking to customers and identifying opportunities to provide health services, managing consulting room bookings, or – with the right training – pharmacy assistants can become actively involved in some services, such as checking blood pressure, weight and BMI measurement, and helping customers with smoking cessation, or more specialised services such as wound care. INDUSTRY EDUCATION 13 FINDING A WAY THROUGH The independently owned Forestville Pharmacy on Sydney’s north shore has two discount pharmacies nearby, so competing on price was never an option. Instead, owners Peter and Isabella Hawthorne, focus on differentiation through service in their business model. “We knew professional services was something we wanted to pursue,” Ms Hawthorne said. “We were vaccinating pharmacists, we wanted to be a source of information to our community, and I wanted to develop my interest in wound care, so it was clear we needed a proper space to offer those services professionally. “We have a long, narrow store of 170 square feet \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\[15.8sqm\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\] and finding a way to add a clinic room was a challenge. “At the time, we’d been here over 20 years, so we knew our market and wanted to help people. We saw fee-for-service things happening, recognised potential growth in that area, and decided to go with our heart and find a way to add a room. “We played around with some different designs as it was important to make effective use of our limited space, and eventually decided to go with a walk-through model that works really well. “By having vinyl concertina doors at both ends, we were able to meet the space requirements imposed for pharmacy clinic rooms. That design means it doesn’t interfere with customers or workflow when not in use, although we’re still able to walk around the space when it’s in use. Ms Hawthorne says there was no loss of retail shelf space because the new structure merely moved the side wall into the middle of the store, so the shelving simply moved with it, meaning there was no downside at all. “When you look at the cost/benefit analysis, it has worked really well,” she said. “It’s used every day and when it’s flu vaccination season we often wish we had two rooms. “Perhaps, more importantly, the clinic room allows us to do what we love: connect with our patients at a far deeper level.” For the Hawthornes, the addition of a clinic room simply felt right. Moving to a professional services model enabled them to be fully independent and after more than 22 years in pharmacy they still thoroughly enjoy what they do. “The question is, ‘What else are you going to do to improve patient engagement and increase basket size?’. It’s simple economics to know if there are less people coming in, you need to provide them more services.” RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • AUG 2020