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The way in which pharmacies are run has changed significantly today, primarily due to the pandemic. Not only have these places needed to update the way in which they run, but every business and establishment has changed, due to social distancing requirements and safety measures being put into place. It’s worth noting that the way in which businesses operate has been evolving over time anyway, especially with technological advancements, but these changes have been expedited due to necessity.
Pharmacies have now become somewhat different today compared to the pharmacies pre-pandemic, and it’s important to identify why that has happened, as well as how they may change in the future with the help of technological advancements as well as changes in the way our societies operate.
The Challenges Pharmacies Have Faced
Medical establishments, such as GP surgeries and pharmacies have been on the forefront of the global pandemic and have thus had to focus hard on the safety of patients and customers. Pharmacies have had to abide by social distancing rules just like retail stores. Reducing the number of people being allowed inside and have therefore had to find ways in which to keep up with people receiving their medication when needed. There has also been issues with a potential lack of stock of key medications due to the delivery driver shortage in the UK in recent months. These challenges all stack up, presenting our pharmacies with continued problems and in turn, problems for those that need essential medications.
Online Pharmacies
One of the ways in which pharmacies have dealt with the higher demand of medications and the reduced number of people being allowed inside, is to offer online pharmacy services which have significantly sped up the process of acquiring these medications. Using an online pharmacy like Chemist Click allows patients to use an app to order their medicines from pharmacies with their prescriptions and repeat prescriptions.
These online services will be in contact with GPs and pharmacies to ensure the correct medication is being delivered directly to these patients. Not only can you get your prescriptions delivered via these online services, but you can also be assessed by registered clinicians in the UK for minor health problems that may require prescription-based drugs, such as acid reflux medication or contraceptives.
How The Future Looks
The sheer dedication towards patient health that pharmacies aim to show is admirable. And the future looks bright for this profession. The intent is to continue listening to members of the public and providing as much care and guidance as possible so that the public continues to benefit from these quality pharmacy services. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has laid out their plans over the years of how they wish to improve these services to the benefit of everyone, discussing their priorities, from improving pharmacy workforces, integrating services, and empowering the profession to be able to provide much better care to the public.
