Many new pharmacy owners make the assumption that they need both consulting rooms and stockrooms. But there is no reason to ‘break the bank’ for these features. Before you decide to include them in your pharmacy design, it’s a good idea to take a step back and consider the big picture.
At O’Connell Store Fixtures, installing store fixtures is the smallest part of what we do. Part of our role is helping our clients understand what’s a necessity and what’s an extra cost for their pharmacy. In this blog, we are going to discuss reasons why you might need consulting rooms and stockrooms — or why you might not!
Create a Consulting Room for Top Customer Care
Less formal consulting areas are becoming increasingly viable options for pharmacies. Having a separate consulting room, where you sit down with a pharmacist to talk over your prescriptions, may still be welcome in certain situations. If a customer is discussing delicate matters with a pharmacist, they may appreciate the extra level of privacy afforded by a consultation room.
Create a private consulting room if you’re aiming for top customer care. Consider the demographics in your area and whether this will be a make-or-break feature for those customers. Otherwise, an open consulting area — found in most pharmacies today — will be sufficient.
Should You Build A Stockroom?
Modern inventory control has changed the way that pharmacies and other stores order products. The typical pharmacy can get deliveries twice a day from various suppliers, if they are located in major urban centres. Even outside of major centres, once a day is little problem. So unless you are building in a very remote area, you won’t need much room for stock.
So should you build a stockroom? Stockrooms are definitely becoming less and less of a necessity. That being said, you will need an area to accommodate recent deliveries and overflow. Older pharmacies, on the other hand, may find they don’t even need their existing rooms any longer, which are usually full of junk anyway.
While you are thinking about stock, you should consider your pharmacy shelving units as well. Another result of new inventory system is a move towards smaller shelving units, which ensures that shelves do not look empty. Your shelving space can affect your decision to build a stockroom, so try to consider both factors in your decision.
Still unsure about whether you need a stockroom or consulting room? Contact the team at O’Connell Store Fixtures in Ontario to get help with your pharmacy design today.
