Hema Patel, an independent pharmacist with four pharmacies in Benfleet, has gotten on board with technology to boost productivity at her busiest shop. By implementing a robotic device to automate dispensing processes in the stock room, Patel’s pharmacy has improved its operations, allowing it to handle an average of 30 patients daily. Ultimately, Patel is worried about the financial viability of rolling out similar technology to her other three pharmacies. While she recognizes the success on this stretch, she is hoping to be cautious.
Patel stressed that the robotic system is an efficient way to run her Benfleet pharmacy on a budget. Against this backdrop, Berry’s pharmacy has recently seen an influx of demand. To be able to see all these new clients, she built extra consultation rooms. Implementation costs for such technology elsewhere, she said, are still too high.
“The technology would be too expensive to implement at my other pharmacies,” Patel stated. She underscored the need for greater investment. Without it, these services’ long-term presence within the pharmacy industry is jeopardized.
As Patel pointed out, community pharmacies are in dire financial straits. “Business rates are going up, minimum wage is going up, national insurance contributions went up, electricity went up,” she explained. She specifically shone a light on the increasing price of drugs. Simultaneously, reimbursement rates are lagging behind this skyrocketing cost.
Patel believes that community pharmacists have a vital role in healthcare as services continue to shift from hospitals into local communities. “We are making positive changes to people’s lives every single day, and so I feel great that I’m able to do this in my career,” she said. She insisted that more financial support from the central government is essential for pharmacies to sustain their contributions and alleviate pressure on GP surgeries.
The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledged the importance of community pharmacies, stating, “Community pharmacists have a crucial role to play as we move more care out of hospital and into the community.” That recognition has brought with it a very exciting recent increase in funding. In addition, the core community pharmacy contractual framework for 2025-26 will deliver £3.1 billion.
Patel highlighted the impact automation had made in her pharmacy, as well. “Because we’ve got quite a big clinical arm here, we needed the automation… to free up the pharmacy’s time,” she stated. She argues that by helping pharmacies improve their operational efficiency they are empowering pharmacies. This change allows pharmacists to focus more on their skills as medical experts.
