Pharmacists are being asked to provide more and more additional services in place of the traditional supply role, and this is likely to continue indefinitely. With the multiples gaining more pharmacies each year, the smaller independents facing tougher trading competition and the erosion of both margins and sectors, IT is without doubt the greatest asset a business has to embrace the prevailing culture. It also raises the question of how to obtain more revenue from all parts of your business. On the basis that it costs less to retain existing customers than it does to acquire new ones, many businesses are now designing core competencies and strategies to concentrate on developing successful customer relationships. So it is increasingly important to profile your customers carefully to ensure that you are intelligently providing them with products and services that fit their specific needs.

In some respects the new competition to the traditional pharmacy is the large high street food and non-food multiples that are experienced in analysing customer buying behaviour and will anticipate customers’ next purchases before they have realised it themselves. Small independent pharmacies need to catch up with this approach and ensure they have the tools in place to collate, scrutinise and then make effective use of their available customer data. After all, consumers have only a finite amount of funds to spend and you must be at the forefront of their minds with your products and services when they decide to make a transaction. Remember the old adage – the right product (or service) at the right time at the right place.

It is commonly reported that the most important aspect of a business system is the integration of customer data. Recording your patient information, what over-the-counter (OTC) products you sold to them and with which services you supported them, will help you to sell to them again. This objective is achieved by developing a database with a wealth of information so you can advise patients about the correct medication. Excellent customer service is about being aware of customer needs and reacting to them effectively, helping you to manage your customers better while understanding, anticipating and responding to their needs in a consistent way. Making the process simple and effortless enables you to sell more and take better care of your patients.

Stay one step ahead

With the tougher climate in the pharmacy marketplace, effective differentiation is vital to ensure that your business stays one step ahead of the competition. To achieve this, good use of a comprehensive IT system makes it easier for your staff to realise the benefits that your pharmacy can provide within the overall business strategy. IT systems are now easy to use and provide a wide range of features to help you understand your customers, delivering additional products and services to them and returning cost-effective benefits to your business.

Functionality is now built into systems to enable you to provide a better and more personal service while encouraging repeat business. Fully integrated Web-based systems can manage the repeat prescription cycles. When a customer is due for a repeat, the IT system can identify them and automatically send them a reminder message. Ultimately this minimises effort for both you and the customer and helps to build a strong relationship with your patients while increasing your profit margin.

IT software will also aid new contract services and can provide a platform for staff to manage customers in a more professional manner. IT can improve customer service standards and increase the customer’s perception of the business. The fully centralised database ensures that all key customer data is collected in a disciplined way. This data can then be analysed to perform scheduled or emergent marketing campaigns.

While the new contract services you are required to provide are ever more demanding, maximising your dispensary capacity and obtaining more profit per customer are essential tasks in today’s environment. The medicine use review (MUR) is one such area where you can strengthen existing relationships with both regular patients and prescribers, while ensuring that patients get maximum benefit from their medicines. The structured review can provide patients with greater understanding of the medicines they are using and identify any problems and possible solutions. There are many patients who can benefit from this service, especially those who take multiple medications and who may have several concurrent illnesses.

What other retail outlet in the high street offers this sort of professional, caring service? The right use of IT here can help increase your professional image. Greater levels of consistency can be achieved via these automated processes, which can be particularly useful for new members of staff, giving the pharmacist peace of mind that all the basics are covered. In terms of up-selling, the system can help to maximise opportunities by automatically promoting the right goods and services to the customer at the right time. Good IT processes will optimise the productivity of any business. More customers can be covered with fewer staff and work can be allocated on a daily basis.

Also in today’s challenging independent pharmacy sector, OTC sales are declining because the multiples are so effective in their marketing and pricing. Many independents fail to make full use of wholesaler offers, or offer ranges that are outdated or do not fit their customers’ shopping habits. EPOS can greatly assist with this.

In summary, IT is designed to help run a competent and efficient business, providing the customer with the dedicated level of care that we have all come to expect. It is essential to be able to call on these internal system resources to enable staff to make informed decisions.