Creating an efficient dispensary
August 30, 2010
At the hub of any pharmacy is the
dispensary, generating approximately
70% of a pharmacy’s revenue; roughly
30% of revenue is derived through
sales from front of shop.
However, when thinking about a
pharmacy refit, a substantial amount
of time is often spent on the redesign
of the front of shop and paradoxically
little time and thought is given to
how to create an efficient dispensary.
So, if you’re thinking about
redesigning your pharmacy, I
recommend focusing on your core
business and investing time and effort
towards creating the optimal
workflow, layout and design for your
dispensary area.
An analysis of your current workflow
is usually the ideal way to start.
Key questions to ask are:
Workflow/Design:
•How is my current dispensary set up?
• What works well in my dispensary?
What doesn’t?
• Where are the bottlenecks? Why do
they occur?
• What do I want to achieve in my
dispensary in the future?
Storage requirements:
• What are my top moving lines?
• What are my slow moving lines? •
How can I reduce stock and improve
cash flow?
• Is medication quickly and easily
accessible to my pharmacists?
• Where does clutter and wastage result?
• As dispensary inventory is
expensive, how much have I spent to
ensure quality storage today?
• How and where do I want to store
high cost medication in the future?
Consulting with an expert in the
field of dispensary design will further
help you identify your situation by
analysing your current medication
portfolio, stock turns, space and
storage requirements.
Willach is the
Australian market
leader in pharmacy
dispensing solutions,
offering state-ofthe-
art robotic
dispensers, drawer
and shelving
solutions, and
dispensary designs
tailored for any
size, type or budget.
This
week’s contributor isMark
Warburton, Managing Director,
Willach’s Australian Operations.
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