Communication is a crucial part of a pharmacy practice. It is through good patient-pharmacist communication that health outcomes improve. Over the years, the way a pharmacist communicates with his/her patients has changed, and no matter how good the patient-pharmacist interpersonal communication is, there is always room for improvement.

Do you think the same way, or the same system you used to communicate with your patients twenty years ago is still sufficient today? Good customer service used to be as simple as the pharmacist being friendly and helpful to his/her patients. Technology has changed the way all businesses communicate with their customers. It is no different for pharmacists.

Working at a pharmacy is a rewarding and often stressful experience and running a pharmacy with a high volume of prescriptions requires someone with unique qualifications, talents and personality. Independent pharmacies are known for making good customer service a priority, even when working long hours, handling difficult patients or dealing with lack of staff. Focus on these things and, no doubt, your pharmacy will be successful.

If you are a buyer who has found a great location to purchase but you discover that the current staff does not offer top-notch customer service, this can be to your advantage. You can easily boost business and increase the sales. On the other hand, you could be finding and buy a pharmacy that is using new technologies, is operating with the right professional staff and support staff and offers great customer service. Their patients have come to expect this superior level of service. You, then, would have to make sure to keep the existing staff, or hire new staff that would perform at the same high level. Otherwise, sales will rapidly decline

An important part of customer service is keeping the day-to-day operation of your pharmacy running smoothly. For example, as the owner of the store, who is running the store for most of your operating hours? Is it being run by different relief pharmacists on a regular basis? If so, are they kind, friendly, welcoming and professional? Are they happy to be there? You want anyone taking over in your absence to run your pharmacy just the way you would.

Are you dreaming of owning a new pharmacy? You want to serve the public and enjoy your success. So, what’s the best way to make this happen? Research. Research. Research. You have two options: buying an already established pharmacy or building your own. You must weigh the pros and cons of each. Either way preparation is essential, but if you decide to build your own pharmacy, here are a few important things to consider:

Why do your patients keep coming back to you?

Perhaps you have a really great location?

Is it because you have the best prices in town? You can rest assured that when patients return to you month after month and year after year, they are being drawn back because of how you and your staff make them feel – that’s the effect of great customer service.