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What a Difference a Year Makes: MedPoint Installations Then and Now

The last year has flown by and we can’t believe how much we’ve grown and developed. In August of 2020, we were a smaller team with installations finalised in several locations in England only.

Fast-forward a year, there are now MedPoint machines located across England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales! We’ve also been fortunate to grow our team to support expansion plans, welcoming talented individuals who’re helping us shape the pharmacy of tomorrow.

We thought it’d be a great idea to catch up with two early adopters of MedPoint, Diana Cheung, owner of Orrell Park Pharmacy and Basil Dabbas, superintendent and manager of Cledford Pharmacy, to find out more about how their MedPoint machines have changed their pharmacies over the past year!

Orrell Park Pharmacy was the first pharmacy in Liverpool to install a MedPoint. The knowledgeable team offer their community a variety of NHS and private services, including private GP consultations and a travel clinic, which provides users with vaccinations and advice.

Cledford Pharmacy, Middlewich, Cheshire, was the home of our first freestanding MedPoint SOLO prototype! The SOLO was designed as a bespoke solution as part of our Covid-19 response to enable rapid deployment with little or no building/planning works. The machine was awarded InnovateUK funding to develop the concept further.

Cledford Pharmacy is part of the Wellbeing Group, a small independent chain of pharmacies, dedicated to the care of local communities. The experienced team at Cledford offer support through a selection of NHS and private services.

Hi both, thanks for catching up with us! To start with, could you tell us what made you decide to automate the dispensing process at your pharmacy?

Diana: I decided to automate the dispensing process to offer a more convenient way for patients to collect their medication and to enable collection when the pharmacy is closed -thereby making the pharmacy more accessible.

Basil: With the pandemic putting pharmacy services under pressure, it made sense to install a MedPoint to minimise the number of people queuing and to help with social distancing. The installation therefore helped ease the pressure overall.

To your business overall, what are the top 3 benefits of installing a MedPoint?

Diana: The machine has reduced footfall in the pharmacy by over 300 patients per month, which has helped relieve pressure on our counter staff, reduce queue times and has allowed us to increase the consultation area.

The MedPoint has allowed greater flexibility for patients and has given us an advantage over our competitors. It proved to be a success during the pandemic as it has offered patients a safe way to collect their medication.

Basil: We definitely had an uptake of new customers when we installed the MedPoint! It is a unique service, coupled with the optional use of calling in to our pharmacy for a face-to-face consultation, which is something the online competitor cannot compete with. It’s also great for last minute emergency scripts from GP’s as patients do not need to rush to see us before we close.

Have you gained any additional patients as a direct result of your MedPoint installation?

Diana: Yes, we have gained some patients from internet pharmacies in particular! The machine has also enabled us to retain patients who were moving out of the area, as they could collect at their convenience even though they are now living further from us.

Basil: Definitely! The last time I checked approximately 20% of the MedPoint sign-ups were new patients.

If you have noticed that you’re saving time on dispensing prescriptions since your installation, how are you reinvesting it?

Diana: We’re using the additional time to train for and offer new services such as a phlebotomy clinic!

Basil: Our MedPoint has been getting far busier, so it has been positive in terms of saving some time very recently. Time which I have been using to train staff for future services at the pharmacy, so watch this space!

Thanks both, it was great to learn more about your MedPoint, along with the benefits it has brought over the last year.

It’s great to hear that both Diana and Basil have been able to spend more time developing additional services for their pharmacies! Additional services can help independent pharmacists further support their local communities, whilst standing out against competitors, especially online services.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to find out more about MedPoint and how we could help your pharmacy, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Save time and resource

Automating prescription collections allows pharmacy staff to spend less time retrieving dispensed prescriptions and reduce patient waiting times.

Increase your market share

Get ahead of the curve and attract new patients by being the first in your area to offer 24/7 prescription collection