How you manage your pharmacy's workflow around the key areas of the dispensary, the stock room area, the consultation area and the sales floor/retail area can mean the difference between running your business at a loss and running it at a profit. Take some time to review how you and your pharmacy team operate in each of these areas €“ even better, get someone else to observe the pharmacy and provide some constructive feedback to you. You can then implement any ideas that may improve your pharmacy's workflow, such as:

• Split generics and brands €“ In this system dispensing staff go to the generics area first
• Store medicines requiring mixing above the sink €“ This decreases the time for dispensing these types of medicines
• Keep fast-moving medicines near the assembly area €“ Choose the medicines that represent around 60 per cent of all the lines you dispense to increase dispensing efficiency.

These recommendations are by no means comprehensive, but by putting some of the above ideas into action there is no doubt you will start thinking of other areas of the business that you could review in your own business.

The next step is to put these ideas into action. Finish by recording your learning outcomes.