To mark the launch of Bayer Consumer Health’s new Business Fit for the Future pharmacy training module, Oya Canbas, head of Consumer Health in the UK and Ireland talks about the future of pharmacy and the role technology plays.
Digital pharmacy
What do you think have been the key factors that have changed the landscape for community pharmacies?
Pharmacists are currently operating under a huge amount of pressure – NHS cuts are squeezing smaller community pharmacists and revenues from prescriptions are also decreasing. This results in a great deal of economic strain and a need to adapt to a more commercial mindset. Pharmacists are the backbone of community healthcare, but they also need to put on their business hats and develop their commercial skills.
The fact that consumers appear to have fallen out of love with the high street and the amount of spending online is also a key factor, with online pharmacies increasingly gaining a slice of the market.