Drive-thru pharmacy opens in Northampton - the spread of McPharmacy?

[STC]

I don't know how I missed this thread !

This is by no means a new concept, nor is it a first for drive-thruism. There have been a number of drive through pharmacies, two of which I know were acquisitions by Co-op Pharmacy in the Birmingham area, and one is an independent near Mansfield.

All have proved to be less than viable, even with a bucket of cash for advertising thrown at them. At the end of the day, the lesson learnt was that people want to face to face with a pharmacy staff & pharmacist, not drive by and have their pills thrown through the back window as they do so.

BTC have managed to get a news story just because they are BTC. If it was Joe Blogg's pharmacy no-body would have bothered with it, (sorry Joe).

From personal experience, the drive-thru pharmacy is a nice idea but a flawed concept as it shows implicit misunderstanding of the wants and needs of our patients/customers. I don't honestly believe that this will change with any form of electronic prescribing.

Leave them to it..........like many of their, and other companies 100 hour contracts, they will slowly disappear with hardly a murmur.

STC

[gmorris291]

I don't know how I missed this thread !

This is by no means a new concept, nor is it a first for drive-thruism. There have been a number of drive through pharmacies, two of which I know were acquisitions by Co-op Pharmacy in the Birmingham area, and one is an independent near Mansfield.

All have proved to be less than viable, even with a bucket of cash for advertising thrown at them. At the end of the day, the lesson learnt was that people want to face to face with a pharmacy staff & pharmacist, not drive by and have their pills thrown through the back window as they do so.

BTC have managed to get a news story just because they are BTC. If it was Joe Blogg's pharmacy no-body would have bothered with it, (sorry Joe).

From personal experience, the drive-thru pharmacy is a nice idea but a flawed concept as it shows implicit misunderstanding of the wants and needs of our patients/customers. I don't honestly believe that this will change with any form of electronic prescribing.

Leave them to it..........like many of their, and other companies 100 hour contracts, they will slowly disappear with hardly a murmur.

STC

I wish I was as convinced as to the wants and needs of our patients. Convenience is a major driving force in many peoples minds, as those who have had pharmacies leap frog them will confirm. I would not hold my breath for the majority of 100 hour contracts to close either. If they belong to one of the large chains, take it from me, they are in it for the long game when EPSR2 changes script distribution.

As regards the drive through concept, earlier attempts at drive through were indeed destined to failure. Adding EPSR2 to the concept may well suprise you, especially if they are structured in the way I have described earlier in this thread.

[gmorris291]

And just out of interest, read what Tesco thinks about the future of pharmacy and the effects of EPSR2!

Adrian Price reveals Tesco's two key business rules - Feature-content - Chemist + Druggist

There is nothing more certain in life than change!

Vlman