Page 62 - Demo

BUSINESS
Services developed by pharmacists for pharmacists
BY ANDREW DANIELS
The growth of in-pharmacy health services is creating career opportunities in some interesting places.
One of them is Sigma Pharmaceuticals. The company has almost 20% of the pharmacy retail market share and includes branded pharmacies such as Amcal, Guardian, PharmaSave, Discount Drug Stores and Chemist King.
Sigma’s 2015–16 Annual Report said the company’s strategy was ‘focussed on strengthening our pharmacy network, building wholesale and distribution partnerships and capability, and continuously pursuing innovations to stay ahead of industry changes.’
The company considers that as PBS price reform continues to impact on pharmacy profitability, there is an ever increasing need to attract and retain customers through a point of differentiation. Its strategy of supporting professional services is aligned to changes in the marketplace generally so employing pharmacists underpins this.
Sigma’s Chief Operating Officer Gary Dunne told Australian Pharmacist the company was committed to delivering structured and evidence based professional service programs that help pharmacists enhance health outcomes for patients. However, this was not something that could be fully developed without detailed pharmacy knowledge and practical experience.
‘So to deliver these programs effectively, we recognised the need for in-house pharmacy skills
– qualified pharmacists who know what works and doesn’t work in pharmacy. We wanted programs that were developed by pharmacists for pharmacists, had structure, data, reporting and analytics supporting them. We wanted to be able to measure the success of programs so we could enhance the outcomes,’ Mr Dunne said.
‘Having pharmacists employed in-house is a natural fit for our business and our future direction. Sigma has more than 700 pharmacies working under one of our brands – the largest footprint of branded pharmacies in Australia. So we want internal
ˆL to R: Megan Kazantzis, James Nevile, Sarah Gray, Adam McIntyre and David Preston.
expertise, people who really know pharmacy and can drive the programs that pharmacists want.
‘Sigma is a strong believer in the expanded role pharmacists can play in providing accessible healthcare outcomes for consumers. This is evidenced in our value proposition, which puts the customer at the centre of what we do, and drives our investment in the professional service programs,’ Mr Dunne said.
The team has developed and implemented a range of in-pharmacy services including – HbA1c testing, coeliac disease screening, sleep apnoea testing, kidney check programs, and weight management programs such as the Be Good to Yourself Program.
Sigma sees these programs as supporting and complementing new models of community pharmacy – such as PSA’s Health Destination Pharmacy – that position the pharmacy as a centre of health advice and support to their communities.
National Professional Services Manager James Nevile, who has 20 years of experience in hospital and community pharmacy in Australia and overseas, told Australian Pharmacist the team had been lucky enough to have the scope at Sigma to trial a broad range of professional services.
‘Because we have Australia’s largest pharmacy-led network our members are in almost every corner
of the country. This broad geography enables us
to design and implement services which fill a wide variety of gaps in local as well as national healthcare systems. We’ve designed, tested, launched and supported everything from local firsts to world first programs,’ Mr Nevile said.
The other team members are Sarah Gray, Adam McIntyre, David Preston and Megan Kazantzis.
60 Australian Pharmacist January 2017 I ©Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Ltd.
“By being out on the road and visiting stores Iamableto encourage and motivate the pharmacists to get out from behind the counters and provide these services.”