CASE STUDY: Grow Your Business Without Sacrificing Patient Care
McKesson Canada Automation fills 72% of community pharmacy’s prescriptions, freeing time for patients
AT A GLANCE
Pharmacist Sukh Sidhu owns and operates the Pharmasave pharmacy located in Fort Langley, BC and is committed to upholding the Pharmasave reputation by ensuring that he is accessible to patients Growing demand and a pressing labor shortage have made it a tough promise to keep Investing into the CountAssist 54 solved this problem
“We’ve become a dependable source for prescriptions and other pharmacy services because of the personalized service we have provided throughout the pandemic,” says Sidhu.
“Local residents trust Pharmasave for their day-to-day prescription and vaccination needs and we’ve earned their loyalty with the care and attention we provide.”
CHALLENGES
A growing labor shortage left Pharmasave short-staffed. Rising demand for prescriptions and pharmacy services, including vaccinations.
Time spent dispensing took time away from patients
SOLUTIONS
McKesson Canada Automation provides Pharmasave with:
The CountAssist 54
Automation technology that counts and verifies prescriptions, ensuring accuracy
Efficient processes for increased productivity and faster, more accurate offerings
Ability to meet current and future demand, without needing to add more full-time or part-timer headcount
RESULTS
Automates 72% of vial prescription filling, with increased accuracy and lower labour requirements.
Freed time through automation allowed for patient counselling and value-add care
Enabled pharmacy to focus on strategic business growth, versus just being able to focus on the
Pharmasave is one of Can leading independent pha and drugstore banners, k for its exceptional service local communities.
Pharmacist Sukh Sidhu owns and operates the Pharmasave pharmacy located in Fort Langley, BC and is committed to upholding the Pharmasave reputation by ensuring that he is accessible to patients. Growing demand and a pressing labor shortage have made it a tough promise to keep.
“We’ve become a dependable source for prescriptions and other pharmacy services because of the personalized service we have provided throughout the pandemic,” says Sidhu. “Local residents trust Pharmasave for their day-to-day prescription and vaccination needs and we’ve earned their loyalty with the care and attention we provide.”
McKesson Automation has enabled Sidhu to keep his promise to patients and take on new business by automating prescription filling and freeing him for time better spent.
The Challenge: A Growing Labor Shortage and Demand For Pharmacy Services
The Fort Langley Pharmasave has experienced rapid growth over the past five years, largely attributed to the expanding needs of its community.
It’s located within a few blocks from two active family medical practices run by ten physicians who depend on Pharmasave to fill their patients’ prescriptions.
While keeping up with rising demand from the practices and the surrounding community, Sidhu struggled with staffing challenges related to pandemic disruptions and The Great Resignation that followed.
“I was pleased with the growth I was seeing at Pharmasave, but stressed about labor issues,” says Sidhu. “It became more difficult to hire skilled labor, especially during COVID, and it impacted our ability to deliver the care and services our patients deserve, let alone grow our business,” says Sidhu.
In November 2021, the Pharmasave pharmacist attended the Pharmacy U Vancouver conference in search of a solution. He needed quick relief and found it with McKesson Automation’s CountAssist, an automated prescription counting solution.
The Solutions:
McKesson Canada Automation Replaces Redundancy of Pill Counting, Frees Staff
Sidhu chose the McKesson solution over other automation solutions in the market because it’s a proven technology that meets his specific needs.
“It’s also a better fit for the budget of a pharmacy our size, and gives us everything we need to continue to grow.” says Sidhu.
Within six weeks of partnering with McKesson, Sidhu had the CountAssist solution installed and running.
“Onboarding was very smooth, easy to learn, and I instantly started to reap the benefits,” he says. “The automation was up and running the very same day it was installed.”
Prescription label barcode scanning ensures that the correct medication goes in the correct vial and is distributed to the appropriate patient.
“CountAssist is the perfect solution for a busy location like ours. It’s cutting-edge technology that automates pill dispensing to save us time and it ensures accuracy to reduce risks of mistakes,” says Sidhu.
McKesson Canada Automation Leads to Impressive Results, Addresses Labor Shortage and Promotes Growth
CountAssist replaces the labor-intensive manual counting tasks that used to take one or two Pharmasave staff members an entire day to complete.
Because of the CountAssist’s compact one-sided cabinet, the Pharmasave pharmacy can fit three towers, automating 72 percent of the pharmacy's oral solid prescription fills.
“Patients are pleasantly surprised when their prescriptions are ready so quickly,” says Sidhu. “It makes a fast impression on new customers, helping our business grow. And, I’m no longer stressed out over not keeping up, even when I am on my own in the pharmacy, because I have robotics assistance that’s ready to work. That gives me security and peace of mind, each and every day.”
His staff also appreciates the value automation brings to their jobs. They are able to spend less time on mundane tasks and more on responsibilities they are best trained to do like interacting with patients and taking care of the business aspects of running a pharmacy.
Sidhu projects continued growth for his Pharmasave pharmacy and is confident that automation will help it sustain growing workloads. He’s also committed to doing his part to modernize the pharmacy industry, offering advice to other pharmacists considering technology investments advice:
“If you’re finding that you have little time to spend with patients because you're too busy counting prescriptions, it’s time to look at automating,” says Sidhu. “Crunch the numbers and you’ll see that automation will pay for itself. It’s ready to work everyday, so there’s no stopping your trajectory of growth.”
