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Showing the most growth?

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Showing the most growth?

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No natural growth

Prescription volume is increasing, based on improved delivery service and targeting patients requiring compliance aids such as reminder charts. Our retail sales are static, with the pharmacy used more as convenience than for regular shopping. Incontinence sales have increased, as fewer products are available on the NHS, and it is something that people want to be discreet about and not place in the shopping trolley. We have tried offering PGD services, but people appear unwilling to pay for things that are available for free on the NHS. Overall, I would say that I have seen no natural growth in pharmacy, only what I have taken from my competitors.

Gary Jones, Borth Pharmacy, Ceredigion

 

Services are growing

Retail is steady for us; volume is growing fast, but it feels like we are doing more for less money NHS-wise. The biggest growth area for us is services. Our busiest service at the moment is weight management and we get approximately two referrals a week from GPs for our 12-week NHS/Devon Doctors weight management service. Again, it’s same old, same old. We do this for the opportunity to recruit new customers and to build on relationships with GPs – but it’s certainly not worth the money we get paid. If I looked at it in cold, hard financial terms it probably costs me money to run it. Unfortunately, we have been refused domiciliary MURs.

Martyn Lewis, Lewis Pharmacy, Exmouth

 

Prescription growth

We're showing a growth in prescription numbers – particularly for patients who are exempt. Does this suggest that those who pay simply do not come in to get their prescriptions filled or people who get free prescriptions are visiting the doctor more?

Al Patel, Lee Pharmacy, London

 

Flu vaccination is one to watch

We're showing a growth in prescription numbers – particularly for patients who are exempt. Does this suggest that those who pay simply do not come in to get their prescriptions filled or people who get free prescriptions are visiting the doctor more?

Al Patel, Lee Pharmacy, London

 

Waiting for an e-commerce solution

What’s doing well? Here are some thoughts around our business… For us, recent growth is in retail – through the new Alphega Retail Partnership scheme we are up about 8 per cent year-to-date. Prescription volume is always increasing, but in our business gross profit is falling, so we are working harder for less. However, in Cornwall we are lucky to still have good commissioned services. In Newquay all three pharmacies have the opportunity to delivery 20 domiciliary visits at £85 each. That’s £1,700, and if you can do this with existing resources, it’s not a bad amount of money. But, ultimately, what I am really waiting for is a proper e-commerce solution.

Nick Kaye, Nick Kaye’s Pharmacy, Newquay

 

More stress

What’s on the increase? Stress, fatigue, frustration, bureaucracy and the amount of time spent in my pharmacy after we close! It’s been busy.

Sultan ‘Sid’ Dajani, Wainwrights Chemist, Bishopstoke

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