Robotic Dispensing Allows Pharmacies Time to Build Patient Relationships

A recent article in Grocery Headquarters examines the pharmacist/customer relationship – the obstacles that can hinder these relationships as well as solutions to solve them.

One subsection of the article is titled, “Creating a Bond,” and that’s exactly what ScriptPro is helping with in terms of the pharmacist and patient relationship.

With robotic dispensing behind the counter, time is freed up for pharmacists and other staff to care for the needs of patients. What are some of the benefits of pharmacists getting out from behind the counter?

• They can answer questions or offer suggestions about OTC medications
• They can make sure patients understand how to properly use new prescription medication
• They can make sure that no medications the patient currently takes conflict with newly prescribed drugs
• They can develop bonds with their customers to create trust, and make sure patients know their pharmacist cares about each customer

Grocery Headquarters quotes ScriptPro founder and CEO Mike Coughlin saying,

“There is a great opportunity for pharmacists to strengthen the bond with customers. The pharmacy customer is a very loyal customer because they’ve committed themselves to the store. They’ve got prescriptions there on file and it’s a major undertaking to move them. You want the customer to feel they are getting the undivided attention of the staff.”

With robotic dispensing, a pharmacist can come out from behind the counter to offer their assistance and create these relationships.

Coughlin says pharmacies need efficient systems and efficient staffing – through robotics we can help the pharmacy staff save time and contribute to improving the experience for repeat customers. He adds that technology is a big investment that pays off in not only better customer service but also in improved employee morale, especially among professionals who worked hard to earn a doctor of pharmacy degree.

“Pharmacists will be happier if they do the things they were trained to do – they did not take a course on pill counting.”

In fact, he says, in one large grocery pharmacy chain that invested in ScriptPro’s automation, the pharmacists began to dress more professionally because they were coming out from behind the counter and talking with patients.

Read the full article here.

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