Tiêu đề 2. COMMUNITY PHARMACY MANAGEMENT - SELECTION OF SITE, SPACE LAYOUT AND DESIGN.pdf ✅

PHARMD GURU Page 1 INTRODUCTION:  In the last census, India had crossed one billion population with an exponential addition of 30 million population every year.  Due to overcrowded population, poor sanitation, limited medical facilities people are suffering from various diseases such as infectious diseases like Malaria, Filaria, Tuberculosis, Leprosy, Cholera and Gastroenteritis, Helminthic infestation, Polio, AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases.  Malnutrition disorders include anemia, and vitamin deficiency diseases are in high rise.  Since Independence, although the governments are introducing many health care programs for improving the public health maternal and infant deaths are not under control.  In urban and semi urban areas the problems are different. Social habits such as cigarette smoking, chewing pan masala and gutka and alcohol consumption are increasing and leading to many diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders (COPD), hypertension, diabetes, gastro intestinal and liver diseases.  Most of the people in the productive age group are becoming slaves for these social habits and becoming burden to the society.  In communities when people become sick, they will first visit the nearby medical store for receiving the primary care. If symptoms do not resolve, then patients will go to the clinics for consulting the doctor.  In India, people often call community pharmacies as Medical stores, Medical shop, Medical and General Stores. Community pharmacists are suitably qualified and are in the right position to help such people by providing the right medication for right patient with suitable advice for medication usage, conducting awareness camps, group counseling and smoking cessation programs and other health care programs.  The Community Pharmacy is defined as “a place where the medicines are stocked and dispensed to the patients or patient care givers under the supervision of a COMMUNITY PHARMACY MANAGEMENT A) SELECTION OF SITE, SPACE LAYOUT, AND DESIGN
PHARMD GURU Page 2 qualified and registered pharmacist upon the production of a prescription or when legally permitted without the prescription'’.  Community Pharmacy is not only a place for professional services but it is also a business establishment. Success of a community pharmacy depends upon various important aspects such as location of the pharmacy, design of the pharmacy, display of the goods, approach of the pharmacy personnel, and provision of patient care services. SITE SELECTION: Although community pharmacy practice is a profession but predominantly it is a trade. So apart from providing the services, it is essential to take suitable steps to improve the business. Before starting the pharmacy, the pharmacist should do a macro survey of the area where he or she is intending to start the business such as the population size, number of practicing doctors, number of medical stores existing around should be taken in to the consideration. Suitable selection of the site is very important for a good business. A site chosen correctly can boom the business and a wrongly chosen site may run the business in to losses since the pharmacy business depends upon the prescription feed. The prescription feed come from attached doctor or nearby practicing doctor or nearby hospital, or floating prescriptions. To receive the prescriptions from all the possible sources, it is essential to open the pharmacy which is close by to prescription feed sources. The suitable sites for opening a pharmacy are: 1) Attached to a clinic 2) Close by to clinics 3) Nearby to a hospital 4) In a busy market 5) Growing city extensions 6) Close by to railway station or bus station
PHARMD GURU Page 3 1) ATTACHED TO A CLINIC: This is the most suitable site for opening a pharmacy. The prescriber will send you a very good number of prescriptions based on your rapport with him and the service you give to your clients. The advantages of this kind of the set up is regular prescription feed, substitution may be permitted when the prescribed brand is not available at that moment. Patients may also consider the pharmacist as first of contact for health related information and advice. 2) CLOSE BY TO CLINICS: It is also considered as a good choice to open a pharmacy close by to the clinics in a colony or in a market area. Advantages of opening the pharmacy in such areas is good prescription feed from the general practitioners, permission for substitution when prescribed brand is not available, good customer rapport and opportunity for general OTC sales. The pharmacist in cooperation and taking the confidence of the doctor can provide pharmaceutical care services such as counseling, drug therapy management through health screening services. These services will improve the patient confidence about the pharmacist as health care professional and contribute for the success of the business. 3) NEARLY TO HOSPITAL: Opening a pharmacy nearby to a government general hospital or any other secondary care or tertiary care hospital is a good idea. The opportunity for prescription feed will be high. However the pharmacist requires maintaining wide variety of product range with different brands. If appropriate inventories are maintained, this is a good option for successful business. The disadvantages are less rapport with the prescribing doctor and poor chances of brand substitution, maintaining more number of brands will influence the inventory costs. 4) IN A BUSY MARKET: Busy markets are also considered as right choices for opening the pharmacies due to increased movement of the public in these areas. Public may visit the market for purchasing different commodities. Along with purchase of other commodities, they will also tend to purchase the medicines for their health care. The pharmacies opened in busy markets will primarily depend on the floating prescriptions.
PHARMD GURU Page 4 Success of such pharmacy depends upon layout and design of the pharmacy with patient waiting area, water facilities, patient care services such as counseling, health screening services, and cash discount. On long run, customer patronage will increase the business volume, which in turn increases the profit margin. Shopping malls, close by cinema theaters are also other good options to open the pharmacies. 5) GROWING CITY EXTENSIONS: Growing city extensions are also good sites for opening community pharmacies. People in such areas find difficulty in going to market for emergency requirement of medicines. If a pharmacy is opened with facilities such as patient waiting area, counseling and health screening services area will attract the customers. Chronic patients like diabetes, asthma may require detailed counseling on safe and effective use of insulin injections or inhalers. If such facilities are provided patients will be pleased to patronize the pharmacies. The pharmacist can also make the pharmacy popularize in the area by conducting health promotion programs and health camps etc. This type of pharmacies will have good opportunities for pharmaceutical care services. 6) CLOSE BY TO RAILWAY STATION OR BUS STATION: Railway stations and bus stations are also considered as good locations for opening the pharmacies. The commuters may require medicines to get an immediate relief for acute conditions such as diarrhea, common colds, or body aches. Availability of a pharmacy in close by to these areas will help the patients to purchase the medicines. These types of pharmacies will receive the floating prescriptions and prescriptions for acute conditions. Along with prescription medicines, opportunity for generic sales will be also very high in contributing to the business volume. Apart from the above, other important criteria required to be considered by the pharmacists while opening a pharmacy are: a) Parking space in front of the pharmacy. b) Close by Traffic lights and traffic rules. c) Visibility of the pharmacy. d) Expansion opportunity for the existing space.