Pharmacies that deliver a stellar customer experience all have one thing in common. They all maintain an adequate staff of skilled pharmacists to provide one-on-one care to customers.
While staffing shortages and budget concerns prevent most pharmacies from hiring a ton of new employees, there are some simple technological fixes that can free up time for current staff members. Read on to find out about four of the best of them.
Step One: Leverage Modern Technologies
Robotic Dispensing Automation has allowed pharmacies to increase prescription volumes without hiring new staff or sacrificing customer care. These automated medication dispensers also eliminate human error, which can further improve customer satisfaction. When pharmacists have access to automated dispensing solutions, they can focus more of their time on what's important: value-added customer interactions.
Automated medication dispensers are just the most impressive of technological interventions. Pharmacists can also take advantage of software solutions designed to streamline prescription pickups, simplify the pharmacy workflow, and even identify interventions for patients who are at high risk of medication interactions or non-compliance.
Step Two: Offer Prescription Deliveries
Offering prescription delivery is a great way to make life easier for customers while minimizing busy work for pharmacists. The idea has been around for quite some time, but it's only recently that it has become a mainstream practice. These days, pharmacies can take advantage of home prescription delivery partners to provide this value-added service without adding extra work for their existing staff.
Home prescription delivery comes with another hidden benefit. It doesn't just increase customer satisfaction but also reduces medication non-adherence. Instead of getting returned to stock as a result of people not picking up their pills, essential medications always get where they need to go, making it easier for patients to avoid skipping doses should something come up.
Step Three: Implement Telepharmacy Solutions
In remote areas, telepharmacy services can increase patient access and improve customer satisfaction. Telepharmacy solutions allow technicians to complete the verification process, provide patient counseling, and get customers the medications they need from a remote location. In addition to expanding accessibility, it can also provide a convenient option for extending hours at low-volume pharmacies, leading to an even better customer experience.
Step Four: Consider Central Fill Operations
Central fill pharmacy operations can lower operating expenses, reduce waste, and increase patient safety. It's not the best solution for all pharmacies, but where appropriate, automated central fill is a great solution for improving customer satisfaction. It allows on-site pharmacists to spend more time with each customer and focus more attention on accessory services like vaccinations and medication counseling.
The problem is, highly automated central fill pharmacies tend to work with big-name chains. Smaller, local pharmacies may not have enough volume to justify seeking out a medication fulfillment center. They're usually better off implementing on-site solutions like automated dispensers.
Focus On What's Important
Modern pharmacists have access to a far wider range of equipment and software than ever before. They can leverage these innovative solutions to improve medication adherence, reduce human error in prescription delivery, and free up time for pharmacists so the staff can focus less on busy work and more on providing excellent customer care. For most pharmacies, the best solution is to choose multiple strategies for improving customer care and implement them as soon as possible.