Wait times are a major concern for medical facilities and pharmacies alike. People who need treatment don’t like waiting, after all, and it’s in the pharmacy’s best interest to improve the customer experience. Here are some of the latest tips for cutting wait time and ensuring customers are able to receive their prescriptions faster.
Standardized Process
If you operate in multiple locations, having standardized processes, procedures and computer programs saves a lot of time and frustration, both for pharmacists who may work shifts in multiple stores and for the customers.
Proper Labeling
Labeling a bottle so it doesn’t cover the barcode saves time; yes, just a little bit of time, but multiply that by all the prescriptions you process, and the savings add up.
Automated Counts
For commonly prescribed medications, automating counts can save a ton of time. You still have to double-check manually, but automation cuts down the time it takes to count individual pills and may even improve accuracy.
Managing Stock
Keep inventory organized and up-to-date, making sure to order medications and supplies well before you run out.
Timing of Refills
There’s definitely a balance to strike between the convenience of automatic refills and the inconvenience of having to re-shelve medications that patients never pick up. Whether you send notifications to customers regarding their prescription status, or wait to fill prescriptions on demand, assess how your current practices affect efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Transparency
When you do have a wait time, letting your customers know makes a world of difference. Apologizing for a wait has also been shown to increase patient satisfaction in clinical settings, and the same principle applies in pharmacies.
