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Find Out What Pharmacists And Customers Are Telling You.

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Staffing can be relative. For instance, for one store that manages pharmacy volumes of 400 scripts per week, one pharmacist, a certified tech and a cashier might be enough staff, while for another store with the same volume, but without the same investment in technology, it might not be enough. Ultimately, things like a clear division of responsibility and a commitment to improved workflow are the keys to maximizing pharmacy productivity and go a long way in managing prescription volume and improving customer service.

For many chains, the emphasis is on moving as much of the busy work of pharmacy to the technician and allowing the pharmacists to spend more time in front of the customer. At CVS, for instance, it was this kind of thinking that led to the development of the technology that shaped the chain’s now famous Pharmacy Service Initiative (PSI) program. Picking up on the workflow improvements of the EPIC pharmacy productivity—based initiatives that preceded it—the goal of PSI was to create a standard interface that would enable technicians to perform time-consuming tasks, such as claims adjudication, while the pharmacist counsels the patient.

According to a Drug Store News online poll of pharmacists, 25 percent said they were dissatisfied with the level of compliance quality they are able to deliver. Of that group, 34 percent said that a lack of staff was definitely to blame; another 58 percent indicated it was a contributing factor.