AWARD WINNER
“THE WHOLE PROJECT HAS TRANSFORMED OUR BUSINESS. NOT ONLY HAVE WE GIVEN OURSELVES THE BIGGER PREMISES WE NEEDED BUT THE BETTER LOCATION ON THE HIGH STREET AND OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN HAS INSTANTLY TREBLED OUR OTC SALES”
premises were seemingly inadequate for the level of business they were doing, preventing them from providing new services they wished to introduce.
In January 2014 Richard and his team made the decision that the only way we could achieve their future goals was to relocate to a larger premises.
“We looked at various empty units that were close to us and came to the conclusion that in order to make it successful we had to purchase the new unit rather than lease it. We spoke to our relationship manager in RBS to discuss funding and identify the best unit that would be accepted
by the health board for relocation. The unit identifi ed was only up for lease, however after negotiation we agreed to a purchase, subject to health board approval which was duly granted.
“We then submitted a business plan to RBS to secure funding to fi x and repair what was a deteriorating building and refi t to a modern high spec pharmacy which would meet the specifi cation of the “Prescription For Excellence” and new GPC inspections. All this needing completed by October 2014 to meet our minor relocation deadline from the health board and required signifi cant investment.”
SCOTTISH PHARMACIST - 31
Staff were kept informed of the plans and thus existing costumers knew what the team were doing. Once it was fi nalised, leafl ets were printed to deliver and hand out to existing customers to make the move as smooth as possible.
The original building is vast, covering two fl oors. The fi rst fl oor is 2540 square feet and 1st fl oor 2550 square feet. The plan was to work initially on the ground fl oor and transform it to a modern pharmacy with large dispensary and front shop to meet the aforementioned growth and provide ample space to offer new services. The 1st fl oor would be a future project that would be converted to treatment rooms to rent thus providing a “one stop” health shop.
“We consulted Terry Cuthill of Refi t Design Consultants who we had worked with before,” continues Richard. “The fi rst challenge was bring the ground fl oor to one level as it was on a series of graduated fl oors making disabled access a problem. We worked with Falkirk council and decided the best course of action was to raise the fl oor at the front of the shop so it was uniform throughout. This meant it was accessed by about seven steps and we installed a wheelchair lift for physically impaired patients.
“We then set about designing our pharmacy so that we had an adequate dispensary and facilities to meet current and future growth and also give us the protection to meet future changes in the pharmacy contract.”
The dispensary is now one of the largest with a dedicated MDS area having capacity for over 500 boxes. A large middle section exists for repeat prescriptions and fi nally a front dispensary for walk in prescriptions and advice. Each area has its on PCR. There are two large consultation rooms which have been fi tted with computers with access to PCRs to allow the team to provide core services with privacy for patients.
“We updated our website and have introduced a repeat prescription service. This allows a registered patient to order their medication electronically from their computer. They then receive an email alerting them when we have received the order and then another one a few days later telling them it’s ready to pick up. For regular medication they receive an email about a week before their next Rx is due reminding them to reorder their tablets.
“Once the shop was fi tted out we worked with a company called Eden Consultants to work on a brand identity for the pharmacy and help market it for the relocation. They designed us a new logo. Then we set about using this logo over various mediums to help promote the relocation and grand opening.
“The whole project has transformed our business. Not only have we given ourselves the bigger premises we needed but the better location on the High Street and our marketing campaign has instantly trebled our OTC sales. We have registered hundreds of new patients who had never used us before on the back of the move. Some didn’t know we had ever existed. In the short space of time since we have moved we’ve had to hire a new dispenser and a full time ACT for the fi rst time.”
In December 2014 Richard recorded their busiest ever month for dispensing and they fully expect this trend to continue for quite some time to come.
“Once the costs of the move have been absorbed we plan to start work in transforming the fi rst fl oor to treatment rooms which can be rented to allied healthcare professionals such as chiropractors, physiotherapists and so on – further expanding our mission to provide an all-round service to our customers and further strengthen our presence on Falkirk High Street,” he concludes. •
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