Adapt or die, Alphega tells independents

HAHAHAHHA.....Not another group, for heavens sake! Take £99 per month and why don't you take the shirt off our backs as well! Scaremongering is futile. We are well educated individuals and we have been running businesses for years, we don't need you to tell us the risks. I am sure astute contractors are ahead of the game already.

The biggest question on the table is how is Alphega going to help independents fight the buying power of their parent, Boots? I'd rather spend £99 per month giving out free stock to my customers so as to build my customer base.

Sue is 100% correct, we must adapt or die.
Here are some of my suggestions
1. Spend as little as possible with wholesalers owned by your competitors
2. Recommend and make sales is good policy but try to do it with products not available from multiple outlets , so that we they next go to the supermarket they do not buy their repeat purchase there.
3. Use your local independent wholesaler as much as possible.
4. Networking with providers may be good for some but make certain any extra income does not come out of the global sum or else you do extra work for no return
5. Always have a special offer to bring in extra custom. Your "captive audience" is ephemeral.
Best of luck in these difficult times

When will these people stop using phrases like "just handing over prescriptions". Does Ms Moore realise each prescription has to be assembled, Labelled, checked for accuracy, clinically checked using Patients dispensing history, interactions and contraindications considered and then advice handed out when "handing over the prescription". During this process we have to ring around for stock because of shortages, remember which supplier to use because of DTP arrangements, contact GPs (if we can get past receptionists) to raise issues and STOP prescribing errors countless times per day. All of this whilst we are performing MURs or NMS (which we may or not get paid for). HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE DO FOR LESS AND LESS? People take medicines safely everyday because of everything we do in the process of "just handing over prescriptions". Keep taking money out of supply and wait for the increased risk to patient safety due to untold pressures on pharmacists.

Totally Agree with you Harnek.

Thanks. I'm glad C&D have had the foresight to provide a platform for opinions. I just wish all of our voices were heard somewhere in the corridors of power. We really cannot have people from within our profession and industry disregarding the hard work and excellence we as pharmacists have provided our patients to date and suggest we can only expect to earn a living from enhanced services. NMS great idea, terrible execution! Need I say more.

Retail is one part of the mix to support pharmacies. Just applying a one size fits all approach for what to include in the retail offering is a mistake, however. A pharmacy needs to understand the demographics of their patients and also simply where they are located. Being located next to a GP practice is one thing, near a larger shopping district is another, and on the high street of a smaller village presents other opportunities and challenges.

Pharmacies do need to look at diversifying their revenue streams due to the continuing pressure being placed on their core prescription business.