Page 44 - Retail Pharmacy November/Decemeber 2020

42 ANNUAL REPORT shopping experience. We want our customers to have a choice in how they interact with us, in a way that suits them both now and into the future. DDS and Chemist King continue to perform strongly, although Covid-19 has thrown many curveballs our way. In fact, I’m proud to say DDS has received five stars in the recent Canstar Blue pharmacy ratings for customer satisfaction over services and advice provided, pharmacist availability, prescription availability and speed of dispensing. This is fantastic acknowledgment for Crisis lessons learned from the frontline Emmanuel Vavoulas, Head of Retail, Blooms The Chemist Covid-19 has undoubtedly shifted the way retail and customer service operates. Retail staff in pharmacies have a unique experience as the unofficial frontline workers of this new global pandemic, given a pharmacy is the first place a person will go for treatment when flu-like symptoms start to appear. At Blooms The Chemist, our stores recorded a staggering increase of one million customers in March, which brought new challenges such as medicine shortages, enforcing social distancing and pivoting quickly to new models of operations. Here are three key lessons we’ve learned from the pandemic so far. Team and customer safety always the top priority As one of the most accessible points of health contact in a community, retail pharmacy stores became the first port of call for customers showing signs of symptoms. Naturally, there were major concerns that a team member might contract Covid-19 while at work. Implementing social distancing presented some challenges, as stores typically have a small footprint and customers generally want to stay in-store rather than outside to collect their prescription. Introducing safety equipment into our pharmacies was paramount to protect staff, such as sneeze guards and accessible hand sanitiser. Masks our dedicated teams and recognition of the exemplary service our stores provide to customers every day. Our teams are the reason our sales performance across the network remains strong. With plenty of lessons under our belt, we move into the next year stronger and more prepared than ever to adapt to our communities’ healthcare needs. We’re ready to continue writing our success story as the leading voices in pharmacy. For DDS, 2021 marks our 20th anniversary, and to celebrate, we’ll be reigniting the brand in new and exciting ways. DDS continues to be a and gloves were also used for close- contact activities such as administering health services such as flu vaccines. Infection was a very real possibility, so our network of 100 stores also created a new system of split rostering: dividing the team into two rosters to protect the teams and the business in the case that any staff member tested positive for the virus. Embracing e-health helped manage demand It was paramount to continue to supply medication to the community, as well as adapt to the surge in demand caused by panic buying. When the government announced changes in prescribing and dispensing regulations to prevent stockpiling, this also enabled e-health initiatives such as faxing and emailing of scripts for easier access to medicines for customers. Our digital evolution rapidly advanced within a space of weeks, with the understanding that embracing more digital solutions would enable pharmacies to prioritise their supply chains and more easily deliver medicines direct to doorsteps. Pharmacists were quick to adapt to this change, working closely alongside community GPs to dispense scripts via email and directly deliver medicines to patients’ home addresses to minimise contact and ensure the safety of community and retail staff in stores. Clear and frequent communication is vital Change is challenging under any circumstance. However, the panic brought on by the health crisis placed a lot of strain on customer service. Managing anxious customers and challenger in its category, building on the foundations of our successful history by giving our brand a contemporary feel – so stay tuned! For Chemist King, we’ll stay true to our roots. Chemist King’s biggest differentiator continues to be our range of big brands at the best prices, and our focus will remain on in-store activations that will allow our stores to connect with customers in meaningful ways. As 2020 draws to a close, DDS and Chemist King would like to wish everyone within the pharmacy industry a happy and Covid-safe holiday season. panic buying had an impact on staff physical and mental health, which was addressed by daily and weekly Zoom meetings aimed at staying on top of our team’s wellbeing. Two-way, consistent contact and feedback between Blooms The Chemist support office, pharmacists and retail managers helped overcome the customer panic and misinformation circulating from external sources. Furthermore, sharing daily updates to each store from the support office was the best way to manage the ever-changing information on Covid-19 and create a tighter, more connected community. The challenges of the pandemic continue to shift across every state and territory. We cannot afford to be complacent. Taking on a proactive and agile approach to operations during the early stage of pandemic ensured the entire Blooms The Chemist team could rapidly implement recommendations around medicine supply, customer support and supplier engagement. There are lessons in every challenge, with the health crisis allowing us the opportunity to focus on team leadership across retail, marketing, pharmacy and technology sectors, not to mention creating a stronger than ever collaborative approach across all teams. This pandemic has proved that pharmacies can survive and thrive when a people-first mentality is maintained, helping us succeed through the pandemic. While the trajectory of this global health crisis remains unknown, we’re confident that with these strategies and tactics in place we can manage the bounce-back and continue to deliver the best service to our customers. RETAIL PHARMACY • NOV/DEC 2020