'Pharmacy not sustainable without embracing technology'

By Ashley Kilgas, chief commercial officer, Centred Solutions

With growing pressures on healthcare services and rising patient expectations, pharmacies are expected to do more while navigating financial constraints. Embracing technology is crucial to overcome these changes and thrive in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.

Automation enhances team efficiency, improves patient safety, and creates more time for clinical care.

Clinical services are now a central part of the pharmacist's role. However, on top of this pharmacies are still expected to dispense increasing volumes of medication without a corresponding increase in workforce. This is neither sustainable nor realistic.

A recent Pharmacist Defence Association survey revealed most frontline pharmacists believe current staffing levels are inadequate for delivering services like Pharmacy First. They suggested that two or more pharmacists per pharmacy are necessary to manage workloads effectively.

While increasing staff is a common solution to workload issues, it's not always the most efficient one. Pharmacy technology has advanced considerably in the last decade, offering a wide array of software and automation tools designed to optimise workflows and free up staff time for patient care. Despite this, adoption within the sector remains slow due to factors like limited awareness, insufficient funding, and resistance to change.

Though the uptake of electronic prescriptions marks some progress, many other transformative technologies remain underutilised. These include systems that automate time consuming tasks which are prone to error. Integrating these solutions can significantly streamline operations, improve accuracy, reduce errors, and create capacity within the pharmacy.

However, technology must not be viewed in isolation. It should be considered as part of a broader effort to modernise outdated pharmacy workflows. End-to-end automation of the dispensing process, including offsite centralised dispensing, can provide essential branch capacity and safety nets.

The long-term benefits, lower operational costs and greater capacity for revenue generating NHS or private services can far outweigh the capital expense.

By automating dispensing processes, pharmacy staff can focus more on patient interaction and high-quality care. Embracing modern pharmacy technology is key to making the current model sustainable.