Page 42 - Retail Pharmacy November/Decemeber 2020

40 ANNUAL REPORT still ensuring medicines reached their patients securely. The pharmacy sector has evolved quickly in a crisis, fast-tracking developments that should now remain a permanent feature of our community pharmacy network, including the rollout of e-scripts and increased home delivery of medicines. We’ve also seen Uniting independents in extraordinary times Simon Reynolds, Managing Director, Pharmacy Alliance Despite the significant challenges brought by 2020, Pharmacy Alliance has stayed on its mission to be the largest truly independent pharmacy group. In early 2021, the independent pharmacy group will reach another milestone of 800 member pharmacies, with 200 members branded as Alliance Pharmacy. When we launched our tagline ‘Better together’ in 2019 to reflect Pharmacy Alliance’s commitment to collaborating with industry partners, and supporting independent pharmacies to create healthier communities, I didn’t think it would be put to the test so soon. The start of 2020 was anything but usual. The ferocious bushfires at the NSW and Victoria border that destroyed homes, livelihoods and hectares of native fauna and flora in January not only placed some of our member pharmacies in the path of the devastation, but saw them and surrounding pharmacies support emergency services crews and the families who were displaced from their homes. The Pharmacy Alliance team worked around the clock to support Accentuating the positives in an horrific year Duncan Phillips, CEO, TerryWhite Chemmart As the gravity of Covid-19 emerged, it wasn’t a time for toilet roll shortages! Thankfully, in TWC, and pharmacy more broadly, an acceleration in the preparedness of the community to adopt new ways in managing their health, including the accessibility of telehealth services such as Doctors on Demand. As we move into a more ‘normal’ Covid-19 world, where there are still likely to be challenges to overcome, clearly there is a critical role for pharmacies and these pharmacies – from working with supplier partners and wholesalers to deliver stock to inaccessible areas, to organising generators and finding pharmacists and staff to replace the usual staff who couldn’t get to their pharmacies or were dealing with the impact of the fires on their own homes. During February, we ran the Alliance Pharmacy Bushfire Relief Appeal to support the pharmacies and communities directly impacted by the bushfires. We were overwhelmed by the support of our members and supplier partners, who helped us raise $175,000. Like the rest of Australia, and the world, we had to navigate an unprecedented pandemic in March. This was our opportunity to demonstrate to our members how we truly are better together. While others in the industry pulled their people off the road, we did the opposite. It was clear that we had to get out there and support our members and be in the ’trenches’ with them. Our field team travelled to members where possible to provide whatever assistance was required: implementing Covid-19 measures, restocking shelves and serving customers. In May we celebrated our pharmacies’ efforts with our ‘Covid-19 Superheroes’ campaign. This recognition gave our members, who were tired and stressed, a much-needed boost to continue when the going got tough, the tough got going: the pharmacy community stood up when it mattered most, and for that Australians will be forever grateful. And while it’s been an horrific year in so many ways, there are positives that we can glean: the public consciousness for health and wellbeing and their appreciation and respect for the role that pharmacies play in their communities will be significant for ongoing progress. This is a virtuous circle and now is the time to ensure that community pharmacy wholesalers to continue to work together to support community health needs and ultimately to be part of the solution in the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available. This year has again proven the incredible ability of this industry to unite and rise above any challenges to support the health of the community. on what seemed at the time to be a long journey ahead. Despite multiple states of emergency, we’ve been able to grow our network through numerous lockdown measures. Through the support of our supplier partners, such as Sigma, Arrotex, GSK, RB, Metagenics, Blackmores and many others, our wholesale volume increased by more than 10 per cent compared with previous years. With our member support office team working from home, we’ve made significant progress with pharmacy technology through POS partnerships, including Corum, a new pricing platform, and a ticketing partnership with Shopfront Solutions. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made with our retail strategy. In October we launched Healthcare Heroes – a retail and marketing solution – as well as several retail pilot programs in selected pharmacies to improve return on floor space, to ultimately make our members for profit. Most of all, I’m immensely proud of our team at Pharmacy Alliance. Not only have they lived up to our tagline of ‘Better together’, but they’ve done so while dealing with changes, uncertainty and challenges. I’m confident more than ever that our team with the support of our industry partners will find a way to help independent pharmacy adapt to and overcome any new challenges together. leadership is at its most pronounced and that we optimise scope of practice. Vaccination is a good example of this. TWC has always seen that pharmacy can transform this public health service, and as a network we’ve invested heavily in it. It’s an important service point that demonstrates the professionalism of our network and creates valuable interaction with new customers. Having vaccinated more than 550,000 Australians this past flu season, we’re ready and able to support Covid-19 RETAIL PHARMACY • NOV/DEC 2020