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36 FIRST AID As primary healthcare providers, pharmacies have long been at the frontline of Australia’s healthcare system. Now, figures published by the Pharmacy Guild show pharmacies are also our most accessible healthcare destinations. To all our readers working in community pharmacies, congratulations! This accessibility is the result of various factors, including Australia’s 5822 community pharmacies being distributed so effectively that 97 per cent of consumers in capital cities are no further than 2.5km from a pharmacy (65 per cent in rural areas). Other factors, such as the vast majority of pharmacies being open after hours, including at weekends, make it easy to understand the steady year-on-year increase in the number of visits patients make to their community pharmacy each year. This increased accessibility is leading many pharmacies to expand their business model, adding much-needed professional services, such as first aid and wound care, to their core medicines advice and dispensing activities. In this feature we explore first aid and wound care and their potential as professional services pharmacies. We outline the opportunity and the benefits and share some of the latest advances in products used today. A clear cut decision. All Australia’s 5822 community pharmacies carry a varied selection of first aid products, including wound strips, bandages and dressings, while similar items are usually also available in the local supermarket. Some pharmacies aim to compete by offering a more comprehensive and professional selection, but simply stocking a range of first aid products for sale isn’t enough. Those pharmacies that have made a clear-cut decision to offer a professional first aid and wound care service are successfully differentiating their store from competitors, while in the process building new revenue stream in a growing category. The growth in first aid and wound care professional services is due to the accessibility of community pharmacies, as it makes them a viable alternative treatment destination. Those with injuries requiring more than ‘water and a wound strip’ home-style first aid, are often put off by the thought of booking, queuing and paying a gap at a GP’s surgery. They are also keen to avoid emergency departments where low- priority patients often wait for hours. For patients with an injury requiring frontline healthcare, a community pharmacy with a professional first aid service is an attractive alternative when compared with GP surgeries and emergency departments. The patients RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • MAR 2021 Join the latest GRAZE By Peter Howard.