Action Update checklist for Independent community Pharmacists

Although the DOH January 2007 review of the control of entry relaxations appears NOT to envisage further relaxations or deregulation, do not be complacent. You may still be affected especially if your pharmacy is near a major shopping development, near a supermarket trading long hours, near a new one-stop health centre, or in a deprived area. Local doctors may even be thinking of applying for a dispensing contract or upgrading their dispensing doctor dispensary to an NHS contract pharmacy

So:

• Keep in touch with your MP , especially if you are working in a deprived area
• Review your trading location-check with your PCT if GP's are moving under a LIFT initiative, or whether a One-Stop health centre is being created locally
• Is access & parking poor + nearby large Supermarket/s without a pharmacy, or plans for new local Supermarket developments - consider relocating, if possible to any locally relocating  doctors premises or to One-Stop health centre
• Develop and market your collection/delivery service to patients now
• Develop additional services-ask your customers what they would use
• Review your opening hours-experiment with earlier opening and/or later closing
• Make your pharmacy as attractive as possible, create a counselling area
• Really try hard to understand your customers needs and meet them, before new competition arrives