The team at Capital Chemist Chisholm, one of five community pharmacies competing to be named 2020 Pharmacy of the Year. Photo: Supplied.
Capital Chemist Chisholm is one of five community pharmacies in the running to be named 2020 Pharmacy of the Year.
The prestigious competition aims to find the country’s top pharmacy. It acknowledges the most innovative and adaptable pharmacy businesses that strive to serve the needs and preferences of patients and the community by providing comprehensive, holistic health services, medication advice, management and safety.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia National Councillor Nick Panayiaris said a feature of the competition was the level of innovation and patient-focused services displayed each year.
“Once again, the standard has continued to rise and the five finalists have shown foresight and adaptability in developing their pharmacies for growth, sustainability and, most importantly, improved outcomes for their patients,” Mr Panayiaris said.
Capital Chemist Chisholm proprietor Mrs Young said since taking over the pharmacy more than 10 years ago, she had devoted time and effort into ensuring that all staff were valued members of their team.
“We have done a lot of work in the pharmacy and made a lot of changes,” Mrs Young said. “We always consult with the team and get their input into ideas and ways to continue improving what we do.”
Mrs Young said the culture of the team was very important to the pharmacy’s success.
“The team members are very close and devoted to the pharmacy and this has meant we have a very low staff turnover which our patients really appreciate.
“The team is also very competitive and this gives an extra edge to the level of service we can provide.
“Our patients have great trust in us and our approach ensures it is never taken for granted.”
Mrs Young said they also get expert input from outside consultants and by sending team members to a range of training events and conferences.
“We have used any networking opportunities that have presented themselves, including regular engagement with the University of Canberra School of Pharmacy and have become a clinical training site so that we can mentor our future pharmacists.”
Following two recent burglaries and the challenges of IT and resource issues, the pharmacist has negotiated a long-term lease on its premises and is looking to grow into a bigger space.
“We are also in the process of negotiating more space to allow us to increase to three consultation rooms, further improve our workflow and increase automation in our business operations,” Mrs Young said.
She said the pharmacy had also joined a range of pharmacy forums to help broaden its network and learning reach.
“We also spend a lot of time collaborating and partnering with our local doctors and our sleep apnoea service which has really increased the opportunities for two-way referrals with other health professionals. We want to achieve the best outcome for our business and our community, but we can’t do this alone.
“Our success hasn’t happened overnight and our disciplined approach, awareness of what is happening in the industry and desire to succeed will help ensure our long-term viability.”
The overall Guild Pharmacy of the Year winner will be announced on the Gold Coast from 19 to 22 March 2020.
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