Who wouldn’t want that? Although the nearest pharmacy is just around the corner, loyal customers are willing to travel a long way to shop at their regular pharmacy. But how do you manage that? What makes some pharmacies so special that customers make detours?

Recommendations generate more customers for pharmacies than paid advertising. But how can positive word of mouth be generated? One prerequisite is regularly inspecting your pharmacy from the customer’s perspective. Ideally, every touchpoint should make customers want to visit the pharmacy repeatedly. Sooner or later, customers will tell others about their positive experiences, triggering an avalanche.

Positive shopping experiences are usually created in a pleasant environment—modern, spacious, without any hustle and bustle. The processes in pharmacies that rely on automation are much calmer. The consultation is not interrupted to pick up a medicine; instead, a relaxed atmosphere ensures that the patient’s needs can be better addressed. In the long term, this creates trust and gives customers a pleasant feeling they may remember the next time they visit the pharmacy.

“Since upgrading from the first-generation single-head robot installed in 2008 to the advanced two-headed BD Rowa™ Vmax system with BD Rowa™ EasyLoad in 2022, our pharmacy’s efficiency has soared. With an average monthly volume of 12,000 to 14,000 items, BD Rowa™ EasyLoad’s ability to handle 1800 inputs and 1200 outputs simultaneously over 5 peak hours is crucial to our operations. With two heads and the BD Rowa™ EasyLoad system in place, our pharmacy operates with exceptional smoothness and efficiency, ensuring that we can reliably meet the demands of our community“, says Torquil Clyde from Kirkwall Pharmacy, Orkney Islands.

Pharmacies with a regular clientele have the advantage of knowing many of their customers and can better respond to their needs. Our tip: Consider how to make your pharmacy more attractive through automation—both in the pharmacy and back office. Ask your team or even your (regular) customers specifically.