The team’s objective has been threefold – to create more pharmacist ‘time’ to devote to services and to develop the service portfolio offered at the pharmacy; to promote those services to the local surgeries and gain their support in recommending them to customers; and, finally, to advertise to patients the offerings which are now available to individuals.

In order to fulfill these aspirations, a dispensary team of dispensing assistants, GPhC-registered technicians and an accuracy checking technician has been created, enabling the assembly process to be managed, without pharmacist input, beyond the clinical check stage.

Also notable has been the installation of PharmAssist Solutions ordering software, which selects the most profitable supplier for each product. This has made ordering much quicker and provided a degree of confidence that stock has been obtained at the best price. The team have proven hugely significant in managing the assembly process and maintaining stock.

Throughout, the team have employed their Facebook page to promote to customers new services as they become available, such as the Sore Throat Test and Treat Service. As well as that, the pharmacy were selected to become the second site in the UK, and the first in Wales, to pilot the innovate Golden Tote supply service provided by their main wholesaler, Phoenix Healthcare Distribution.