Most independent retailers have found flourishing alongside Supermarkets was beyond their grasp but few have been able to survive and grow better than the Pharmacy sector.
Because average turnover proportions have changed significantly over the years from something in the region of 50/50, dispensing to retail to more like 80/20 there has been a corresponding re-configuration in the use of space within pharmacies who have updated.
When supermarkets made their presence felt, traditional pharmacy line sales just fell away and what was left was at low margin.
However, a couple of factors held good for the community pharmacy, namely the need to have a licence to dispense drugs and the restrictions on the sales of pharmacy only medications.
The result was that there were still real opportunities for successful growth by expansion and redevelopment but the effective result was that most investment became redirected from retail to the dispensing areas.
Volumes of prescriptions increased over the years, sme groups formed and then were absorbed, many Medical Practices amalgamated into Medical centres and the pharmacies, despite setbacks imposed by various acts of government, thrived.
Pharmacy has not suffered in the recession, indeed prescription levels have increased due to the sicknesses which occur as the result of difficult times and circumstances.
Pharmacies who currently operate, in general have made significant changes to the arrangements of their premises by refitting to account for the market moves.
This has resulted in the consequential re-alignment of interior space form retail to Dispensary and to include more patient services such as consultation rooms, providing medical testing services and taking particular account of DDA Disability requirements by employing such things as automatic entrance doors etc.
The needs and demands of operating Community or Surgery based Pharmacy are manifold. It is therefore essential that any Design and Fit out partner chosen for a refurbishment, has the up to date knowledge and understanding to account for all the aspects involved.
Embarking on the road of refitting without the valuable assistance of carefully designed pharmacy equipment can spell problems. In particular it is very important that the working environment of the dispensary operates ergonomically with correctly placed working and storage levels.
The most essential first requirement is to get the balance right. Doing this requires the understanding of experienced design and fitting expertise and knowing what the market can provide. A failure to account for this element at the early stage in any project can be a costly oversight.
Want to find out more about Pharmacy Furniture, then visit Ken Rand’s site. Planning a refit and want to choose experience seePharmacy Design and Fitting to contact an expert.