In relation to effectively using the room for pharmacy services, this is an opportunity to review the range of services on offer and consider whether additional services are possible, such as a smoking cessation service or weight loss clinic. Offering services that link to local community needs is important.

Not all services will necessarily need to be delivered by the pharmacist. It can be an opportunity to make use of suitably qualified team members. As well as using the opportunity to develop the skills and enrich the work of other team members, it is also worth reviewing how work processes are managed if the pharmacist is delivering the services, ie making use of ACTs or making sure suitably competent team members can counsel on medicines use in the pharmacist’s absence.

Below is a list of services that can be offered by the pharmacy team or external providers. Add this list as you think of others:

If a service is being delivered by an external provider, there are a number of additional considerations. These might include checking whether they are appropriately qualified (and if applicable, registered with a professional body), checking that they have insurance, and whether are there any limitations on your business insurance, considering whether the service fits with the professional image of the pharmacy, finding out if there are any additional health and safety considerations or risk assessments that should be conducted, working out how you can make sure that information for the third party is kept confidential and secure.

For a pharmacy service, standard operating procedures should be created or updated to reflect the services offered and relevant training given to all those involved, remembering to include any locums to ensure consistency of the service. Some services might need a Declaration of Competence.

If the pharmacist is delivering a service in the consultation room, the team should know how and when the pharmacist should be disturbed if needed, for example to check a prescription for a waiting customer. If there are likely to be interruptions, whoever is delivering the service should make the customer aware of this, and a protocol should be followed.