TYPES OF COMMUNITY PHARMACY (Retail Pharmacy)

DESIGN/LAYOUT OF PHARMACY

COMMUNITY(retail)PHARMACY:

“Is an establishment for selling of the product(or service) in individual unit to the final consumer for consumption. Retailers provide service to the consumer on one hand(primary retail role), and on the other hand, serve producers and wholesalers(secondary retail role)”.

PLANING TO OPEN A RETAIL PHARMACY: The pharmacist who has an aptitude for business, financially sound and ready to invest money in business can open a realistic/wholesale drug store. The success of a drug store depends on a number of factors some of which are ;

1. its location and proper layout design2. sound financial management3. qualified and experienced staff4. honesty, sincerity and hard work5. behaviour among staff members and with customers

Considerations For Opening A Retail PharmacyWhenever a person decides to opens a drug store the most important conciderations are;

1. A DECISION, whether to establish a new or buy an

established retail pharmacy

Merits of buying an established pharmacy include 1.      may have favourable price 2.      already has demonstrated the value of its location and thus ,saves time and efforts of finding a right place 3.      pharmacy’s ability to attract customer can be evaluated/predicted and com pared with other existing pharmacies.4.      reduced uncertainaities, since various risks are exposed

Demerits of buying an established pharmacy;1.      price may be too high 2.      the inventory may be near to expiry3.      reputation or image of the present owner may be poor and will take time to establish a good repute4.      physical facilities and fixtures may not be according to the specifications, or outdated, need repairs or replacement

LAUNCHING A NEW PHARMACYLaunch of a new pharmacy require a comprihensive plan for a successful business. The planning is needed in various areas including selection of retail category, financial sources , location decision, physical facilities , type of license, staffing, and spectrum of activities to be offered. After a decision is made to launch a new pharmacy,the following considerations are made

1. SELECTION OF RETAIL CATEGORY/TYPE OF COMMUNITY PHARMACY

2. SELECTION OF SITE For selection of site following factors must be consideredAvailability of financesDensity of populationBuying habits of the publicNumber of doctors in the surrounding areaExistence of hospitalNumber of drug stores existing in the areaBusiness localityFlow of traffic , in rural areas or small town

OPTIONS FOR LOCATIONThe two options for location are

1. free standing location2. shopping centers

3. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF A RETAIL PHARMACY(design and layout)

4. STAFFING5. SPECTRUM OF SERVICES6. PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES 

Legal Requirements To Start A Drug Store1.Minimum QualificationsA person who is interested to start a retailsale drug store must be

Registered Pharmacist With State Pharmacy CouncilA person who does not possess degree or diploma in pharmacy can also open a drug store but the licence for the retailsale of drugs will only be granted to a registered pharmacist employed for the purpose2. Minimum spacearea of 10 square meters3.Application for the grant of licence

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF A RETAIL PHARMACY

(Design and Layout)

The location of pharmacy , its management and sufficient capital are major factors contributing to a pharmacy’s success.A part from these another major factor is PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT .Physical Characteristics of a pharmacy are used to develop an image and draw customers , consist of;

(1)   DESIGNa.       the exterior designb.      the interior design(2)   STORE LAYOUT(3)   MERCHANDISE PRESENTATION

(1)    DESIGN a. exterior

design The uniqueness of

the store front and the creative use of entrance, display windows, and distinctive outdoor signs can help creat a favourable pharmacy image

b). interior design

interior elements that serve as attention attractors include fixtures lightining flooring colors scents and sounds

temperature width of aisles cleanliness modernization merchandise assortment display of prices ,and personnel

 (2)    STORE LAYOUT Involves

        Planning the internal arrangement of departments        Allocating the amount of space for each department        Arrangement of drugs in each department

Before a pharmacist under takes to design a layout or modernize the pharmacy

. He should consider the;      Objectives of the various designs      The type of community pharmacy      Types of layout design      Style of layout design

  OBJECTIVES OF LAYOUT DESIGN        The major objective in the design of exterior of pharmacy is; To attract more patrons into the pharmacy        The overall objective of interior layout design is To increase the amount of the total purchases of each person

who enters the Pharmacy

In addition to the above, the six specific objectives are        To enhance the general appearance of the pharmacy and to project a

professional image        To control payroll expenses through convenience and efficiency of the

layout        To improve patrons’ satisfaction and convenience        To maximize the utilization of space        To disperse and control the traffic pattern within the pharmacy, and         To provide surveillance and reduce pilferage

Legal Requirements (drug Act 1976 and Punjab Drug Rules

2007)

The covered area of the premises is not less than 140 sq ft with minimum breadth of o8 ft in front and height of 08 ft.In case of medical store 96 sq ft with minimum breadth of 08 ft in front and height of 08 ft.The premises has proper and adequate facility for storage of drugs and for their protection from direct sunlight, dust or dirt, including refrigeration facility.In case of a pharmacy, the person shall display the word “Pharmacy” in white writing on a green colored signboard having minimum length of 5 ft and width of 2.5 ft.In case of a medical store, the person shall display the word “Medical store” in white writing on a blue colored signboard having minimum length of 5 ft and width of 2.5 ft.

RETAIL CATEGORY/ TYPE OF COMMUNITY PHARMACY

Before transforming the idea of retail pharmacy to a real business, the owner must consider the form of retail to be adopted.There are four major types of community pharmacies ;

        Pharmaceutical center        Prescription-oriented pharmacies         Traditional pharmacies        The super drug store

  PHARMACEUTICAL

CENTER -- The pharmaceutical

center, designed and developed by McKesson & Robbins and American Pharmaceutical Association,

-- It is similar to the prescription-oriented pharmacy,

--The design and layout of this center is not so critical as with other types coz no merchandise of any kind is displayed.

--The inventory is confined to legend and non legend medication and few convenient goods.

--The décor ,the atmosphere , and the uncluttered floor space are the hallmarks of the pharmaceutical center

PRESCRIPTION –ORIENTED PHARMACIES

          --This type of pharmacy usually occupies 1,000 to 2,000 square feetand is so designed that the patrons will have a comfortable waiting area near the prescription departmenthealth related items, including drugs, home health care appliances and supplies, and prescription accessories, are displayed near its vicinitythe pharmacy may have separate room for fitting trusses and other orthopedic and surgical appliances. Cosmetics, gifts and a limited number of other items are displayed in the other areas of the pharmacy

TRADITIONAL PHARMACIES

--The traditional or conventional pharmacy usually occupies between 2,000 and 5,000 square feet .

--the major objective of the layout design for this type of pharmacy is to disperse the customers and expose them to all areas in the pharmacy

--  These pharmacies also should have a pleasing appearance, project a professional atmosphere, be convenient for both consumers and employees, and provide the opportunity for maximum sales at minimum expense

--Although traditional pharmacies vary in design, it is generally agreed that the best traffic flow can be achieved with 3:1 length-to-width ratio

THE SUPPER DRUG STORE  -- The supper drug store

occupies more than 5,000 square feet ,

--generally 10,000 square feet or more, with the design approximating a square.

--The basic objective in a supper drug storeis trffic control rather than traffic dispersal, which is achieved by the merchandising techniques used.

--Many lines of goods are sold in this type of drugstore, and the layout design is usually of the self-service type to facilitate traffic control and to provide maximum sales at minimum cost.

SERVICES OF COMMUNITY PHARMACY;

These major types of retail pharmacies may be    Individual pharmacy store    Or chain store

INDEPENDENT / INDIVIDUAL PHARMACY An independent retail pharmacy is a setup with a single retail store without branches or any contractual aggreement with others.independent pharmacy exists at a single location. However , it may be selling all drug categories including or excluding narcotics and other controlled drugs.ADV.Requires less investmentNo profit sharingFreedom in control and from restrictionsDISADVThe employee will remain an emploee leading to less interest Unable to attract or retain a qualified person

        CHAIN PHARMCYChain pharmacy stores are branched stores existing at various locations but operating under a common ownership. Chain pharmacy concept was first initiated a decade ago by FARMACIA, a subsidiary of FEROZESONS, Nowshehra. This concept is gainning success and there is an increasing trend, particularly in big cities such as Karachi , Lahore , and Rwalpindi, Islamabad.Crunnently there are various chain stores at city level including FAZAL DIN’S PHARMA PLUSSHAZOO’S ZAKA PHARMACYPHARMAXCLINIXPLUS,etcADV.More credibilityWide geographical coverage through many chainsEconomical buying due to bulk purchase making more profitAble to attract qualified persones because of having job structureEfficient as can afford use of more employees, better service, sales training , use of computer,etc.Promotional activities can be initiated even with more investment

 

OWNERSHIP OF COMMUNITY PHARMACY As far as ownership is concerned community pharmacy is with

either Sole proprietorship Partnership

 

TYPES OF LAYOUT DESIGNS  Historic types of service-oriented layout design

 3 Types1)      clerk or personal service2)      self-selection3)      self-service

 each is designed to achieve the objectives of three basic types of pharmacies ,i.eprofessional,traditional,and drug super store,respectively

 

1) Clerk service The clerk service layout is the old traditional design used in most pharmacies before the trend towards self-service and mass merchendising. It consist primarily of complete clerk service with only a small part of the merchandise exposed for patrons to handle. This is one of the compulsion for prescription products where there is no selection of the consumer at retail level. Thus, in this setup there is no provision of self-service or self-selection . The pharmacy personnels dominantly provide services for supply of drugs to the consumers,it facilitates maximum interchange between pharmacy personnel and patrons.The modern example of this layout design is the pharmaceutical center in which no merchandise is on display. This type of layout design exist for prescription and selected non-prescription drugs, surgical and orthopedic appliances and supplies.

2) Self selection In an attemt to provide adequate personal service in a more efficient manner, and thus be more competitive with the larger super drug stores, many independent pharmacists now use the self selection layout design. This type of layout design dictates that clerk service be maintained at all service-oriented departments,such as cosmetics, photo supplies , prescription, and selected non prescription drugs, surgical and orthopedic appliances and supplies ,and veterinary departments. Much of other merchandise, however , is displayed in a manner that the patrons may see, handle, and select themselves but prescription item has no possibility of self selection. But it could be for the nutritional supplements, cosmetics, contraceptives and other OTC health related items. A retail setup cannot run totally on self-selection bases on account of availability of prescription drugs.This layout is most frequently found in the modern conventional pharmacies

3) Self service The term self service is restricted for layout utilizing a minimum of clerk service and exposes the maximum of customers to handle. It is not possible to have 100 % self service in pharmacy because of the prescription drugs and item. This type of layout is most often used in super drug stores but for the non-drug items and commodities such as cosmetics and nutritional supplements.

STYLES OF LAY OUT DESIGN

      Styles of layout design emphasize physical configuration of the layout rather than the degree of service provided .

4 distinct styles have been developed over past 3 decades include;1)      Center service2)      Lobby check out or bull pen3)      Off-the-wall

4) Right rear service, often refer as “self-selection”

1)      Center service This style features an elongated , two-sided wrapping counter and check out “island” located in or near the center of the selling area of the pharmacy. Usually convenience goods such as tobacco, candy and some times magazines and photosupplies are stocked in the island . the objective is to align the major traffic-generating departments around the perimeter and then pull all of the traffic through the check out island in the center of the pharmacy.

2)      Lobby check out style This approach utilizes a square, clerk service check-out island near the front of the pharmacySpace b/w front window and check-out is “LOBBY” Again tobacco, candy, photo supplies , and men sundries are stocked in the island , while seasonal and promotional merchandise are displayed in the lobby where the traffic is heavy .the check-out island is supplemented by a short wrapping counter in the rear of the store in front of the prescription department. The major traffic generatting departments are located around the walls which display counters or showcases placed in front of the wall shelves.

3)      Off-the-wall style.This style features open display of merchandise on the wall shelving without showcases or counters in front of the wall shelves. The main wrapping counter , short or long , is placed across the rear of the store in front of the prescription counter. One or two rows of gondolas are placed in the center of the pharmacy. This style became popular for a time coz of the ease and low cost of installing fixtures. Large super drug stores utilize a modification of this style.

1)      Right-Rear service style.This style frequently is called self-selection style coz it accommodates this concept so well. The concept permits self-service where desirable and thus promotes efficiency and reduces costs. At the same time it permits personal clerk or professional services as appropriate. The right-rear service style is wel suited for most traditional pharmacies especially those that approximate a 3:1 length to width configuration..

All the above mentioned styles of pharmacies can be eitherGrid layout, orFree flow

 GRID LAYOUT

All counters and fixtures are at right to one another so that merchendise is displayed in straight, parallel lines.Grid layout can be either        With out aisles, or        With aisels

FREE-FLOW LAYOUT

Many of the fixtures are irregularly shaped such as circles, arches, and triangles. Coustmers can move in any direction and wander freely.

ALLOCATION OF SPACE 

Store space is a scarce and costly commodity. Allocating more space for one particular line of merchandise reduces the allocation for another.

It is the task of pharmacy manager , to allocate store space efficiently in order to attain the highest possible sales volume

at the lowest possible cost.Management can perform space allocation in one of the sevsral ways, including        Industry averages by type of merchandise        The sales per square foot method

LOCATING DEPARTMENT After allocating space to each department the pharmacy manager must

decide on the locations for the departments within the pharmacy.

--- the prescription department and high-skill or speciality departments should be located in the rear or toward the rear of the pharmacy.--- if the pharmacy has a fountain , it should be placed in the rear of the pharmacy across from the main wrapping counter and the prescription department.---if the pharmacy has a surgical and orthopedic appliance department, a special fitting room is must.--- a separate washroom for men and women should be located near the fitting room--- if pharmacy does not have a fountain , greeting cards and gift department are the best choice to replace the fountain in the rear of the pharmacy.--- a photographic department , if developed is another option--- a special room located in part of the stock room in the rear makes an ideal veterinary drug department--- the cosmetic and toiletry department is aligned with the non-prescription drug and prescription drug departments from front to rear respectively, along the right or longest wall--- other departments can be used to fill the remainder of the wall space opposite the cosmetic and drug side of the pharmacy.

ARRANGEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS 

The roducts can be arranged byPackage sizeColorBrandsCustomer’s intrestPriceAlphabaticallyAccording to companies who have supplied the drugs,orCombinationp of these  

The products with more demand and more profits

are displayed at prominent place. The eye level positions are more attractive as

compared to the position at the bottom shelf.

PLANOGRAMS  “Planograms show in a detailed

schematic plan the amount of space allocated to and arrangement of each item within a department.”

To ensure proper shelf positions in all their outlets, pharmacy chains use planograms to control the location of each department.

 

REFERENCES

Principles And Methods Of Pharmacy Management By, Harry A. Smith

Drug store and business Management By, A.K Gupta

Store Evironment An Environmental psycology approach

Journal of retailingPharmaceutical Management & Marketing

By, Dr. Mahmood Ahmad & Nadeem Irfan

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