From mail order to just-in-time fulfillment, pharmacies around the nation are embracing automation and other technological advancements to cope with increasing patient demand. Hema Patel, who owns The Benfleet Pharmacy with her husband, is at the forefront of ushering in that innovation. To make the dispensing process more efficient in her stock room, she’s brought in a robotic device. This breakthrough has given her the capacity to move 30 patients a day while increasing the productivity of her business.
In anticipation of this exceeding demand for services, Patel has built out more consultation rooms inside her pharmacy. She underscored how imperative these transformations are. They improve the quality of care for patients, and they free up health workers to do more of what they do best. “We didn’t go to university and study for the best part of five years to check a box, that’s not what I wanted to do,” Patel stated, highlighting her commitment to providing quality healthcare.
Despite these advancements, Patel voiced concerns over the sustainability of such initiatives without adequate financial resources. She further highlighted that the pharmacy sector is hurting because of the underfunding. She urged the central government to do more and provide greater fiscal support. “Business rates are going up, minimum wage going up, national insurance contributions went up, electricity went up,” she remarked, illustrating the mounting financial pressures facing her business.
Patel runs four other pharmacies. She says installing technology like it at her other facilities would be cost prohibitive. “I can’t afford to hire another [robot], but as long as funding is right, this can absolutely support healthcare and the NHS and the ever-growing population,” she asserted.
As healthcare systems respond to shifting needs, the value of community pharmacies has received significant attention. A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care noted, “Community pharmacists have a crucial role to play as we move more care out of hospital and into the community.” This move highlights the role that pharmacies can play in easing some of the burden on GP (general practitioner) surgeries that are at breaking point.
Patel believes that her pharmacy’s advancements are making a tangible difference in people’s lives. “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 conveyed. Automation undertakes new processes at unprecedented speed and saves resources. Patel drives home the point that we’re in a crisis when it comes to funding this critical sector.