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The Ultimate Pharmacy First Digital Checklist

The Pharmacy First Scheme is a pivotal and proactive approach to managing common ailments and promoting public health within our communities. It is vital to align your pharmacy’s marketing strategies to this proactive approach for patients to find and utilise the services you now offer. This may seem daunting and time-consuming, but our team at Pharmacy Mentor are here to help you. We have composed the ultimate Pharmacy First Digital Checklist to help you deliver the service faster and reach more patients.

 

Pharmacy First Digital Checklist

 

In the evolving land of healthcare, digital optimisation has become essential for pharmacies to effectively market and manage schemes like Pharmacy First in England. This guide provides pharmacy owners with actionable strategies to enhance their online presence and streamline operations through various digital tools and platforms.

Website Optimisation

The first thing pharmacy owners need to look at is their own website, their digital pharmacy home, as this where everything will stem from.

  • Develop a New Website Banner: Create an eye-catching banner that prominently features the Pharmacy First scheme to grab visitors’ attention and communicate the pharmacy’s participation in the program.
  • Develop a Pharmacy First Landing Page: Design a dedicated landing page for Pharmacy First, integrating a booking calendar embed for easy appointment scheduling by patients.
  • Develop Condition-Specific Pages: Create individual pages for each Pharmacy First condition, embedding booking calendars to facilitate appointment bookings directly from the respective condition pages.
  • Website Pop-up: Implement a website pop-up to highlight Pharmacy First benefits, services offered, and encourage visitors to book appointments or explore the scheme further.
  • Add Live Chat Feature: Incorporate a live chat feature to provide real-time assistance to website visitors, answering queries related to Pharmacy First eligibility, services, and appointment bookings.

Online Booking Calendar

The next item to look at is your booking calendar (embedded within your website). This is going to be essential in streamlining your operations and saving time for you along this scheme.

  • Categorise Pharmacy First: Integrate Pharmacy First as a distinct category in the online booking calendar, allowing patients to easily identify and schedule appointments under the scheme.
  • Service Pages for Conditions: Create separate service pages for each Pharmacy First condition, providing detailed information and embedding the booking calendar for seamless appointment booking.
  • PGD Questions for Data Capture: Utilise Pre-Registration Questionnaires within the booking system to capture patient data efficiently, saving time during appointments and ensuring compliance with Pharmacy First requirements.
  • Integration with Video Conferencing: Integrate video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Google Hangouts within the booking system for remote consultations, enhancing accessibility and convenience for patients.
  • Delivery and Payment Options: Provide options for home delivery of medications and flexible payment methods through the online booking system to accommodate patient preferences.
  • Automatic Feedback Mechanism: Integrate an automatic feedback mechanism within the booking system to collect patient feedback post-appointment, enabling continuous improvement of services and maximising social proofing.

Bookmarking Essential Sites

Bookmark essential websites such as PharmaOutcomes, NHS Profile Editor, CPPE, and others mentioned in the above guide, ensuring quick access to valuable resources related to the implementation and management of the Pharmacy First Scheme. Create a folder in chrome now and bookmark those important websites and tools:

Social Media Activity

Establish, maintain and optimise active profiles on platforms like:

  • Google Business – This channel is particularly important as people will begin to use Google Maps as a Search Tool
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Nextdoor
  • TikTok

This will help you to engage with the local community, share updates about Pharmacy First, and attract potential patients.

Other Useful Apps

Utilise apps like Google Hangouts/Zoom for virtual consultations, BNF for medication information, MD Calc for medical calculations, Drugs.com for drug information, and others to enhance pharmacy services and support Pharmacy First implementation.

Download the Pharmacy First Digital Checklist

By implementing the strategies outlined in this Pharmacy First Digital Checklist, pharmacy owners can effectively market their participation in the scheme, streamline appointment bookings, and enhance patient engagement and satisfaction. Embracing digital optimisation not only strengthens the pharmacy’s online presence but also facilitates efficient management of Pharmacy First services, ultimately benefiting both the pharmacy and their patients.

Download Checklist    Contact Us

 

 

Please note we can also provide support and guidance for marketing the Common Ailments Scheme in Wales. Contact us to find out more. 

Pharmacy First

Pharmacy First – An Opportunity

The NHS Pharmacy First service is an initiative in the United Kingdom that is aimed at providing convenient and timely access to healthcare services through community pharmacies. The service allows patients to seek advice and treatment for common, minor ailments directly from their local pharmacy, without the need for a visit to a general practitioner (GP) or another healthcare professional.

Read more about the Pharmacy First Scheme here for Community Pharmacy.

The Pharmacy First Goal

The primary goal of the NHS Pharmacy First service is to relieve pressure on GP practices and other healthcare services by empowering community pharmacies to handle a range of minor ailments. This not only enhances patient convenience but also ensures that individuals receive prompt care for conditions that can be effectively managed within the scope of community pharmacy services.

This is huge for Community Pharmacy, and we believe that this going to help change the patient mindset from “prescriptions”s to “health clinic”, which is what a pharmacy is today.

Patients can access the NHS Pharmacy First service for the following conditions, currently:

  • Sinusitis
  • Sore throat
  • Acute otitis media
  • Infected insect bite
  • Impetigo
  • Shingles
  • Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.

Under each of these conditions, the pharmacy will be able to prescribe certain prescription-only medicines under a Patient Group Directive (PGD). For example, they’ll be able to prescribe Clarithromycin for a sore throat.

This represents a big opportunity for Community Pharmacy.

pharmacy first

The Opportunity

As Pharmacy First begins to become more mainstream throughout the United Kingdom, we’re going to see increasing trends for related search terms on Google. We’re already seeing more searches for the term “Pharmacy First”, naturally, and we’ll be seeing an increase in searches for treatment and condition-specific terms like “clarithromycin sore throat”.

The search term “Pharmacy First” is naturally gaining popularity on search engines.

So where’s the opportunity?

Well, we want the patient to find you first for those search terms. We want them to land on your website, learn about what conditions you can treat, and then book in to see you.

While the funding model is relatively fixed right now, this needs to be seen as a long term strategy for success. Not only are you going to be generating revenue from the model, you’re going to be gaining a new patient (customer or user) where, if you give great service, will be loyal to you. You will have got their details (email and phone number) and if you’re GDPR complaint, can market your other services to them.

This is where the biggest opportunity lies. Repeat business acquisition.

How to Market Pharmacy First

To ensure the success of Pharmacy First and capitalise on the opportunities above, pharmacies must adopt effective marketing strategies. Yes, the NHS will market Nationally for us. However, nothing beats more targeted, local marketing. Here are three key approaches:

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)

Pharmacies should optimise their websites with the relevant keywords, create informative content about the common ailments and available treatments, and ensure their online platforms are user-friendly. If you do not have a website for your pharmacy or if your website has a poor user experience, it’s a good idea to get a new one. You can find out about our website development packages here.

Paid Advertising

Investing not too heavily in paid advertising can significantly boost the visibility of your pharmacy and its Pharmacy First services. Platforms like Google Ads allow pharmacies to target specific demographics and geographical locations, ensuring that their services reach the right audience. Crafting compelling ad copy that highlights the convenience, expertise, and benefits of Pharmacy First can drive increased traffic and conversions.

pharmacy first marketing

Social Media

Harnessing the power of social media is essential for connecting with your community and promoting Pharmacy First services. Pharmacies should maintain active profiles on popular platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sharing informative content, success stories, and engaging with followers can build trust and awareness. Additionally, targeted social media advertising can further amplify the reach of Pharmacy First initiatives.

The Pharmacy First Development Module

If you’ve been following us for a while now, you know that we at PM are always pushing boundaries and developing new initiatives to help pharmacy excel. The Pharmacy First scheme is a prime example of how we’ve adapted to create something unique in the pharmacy marketing area.

We’ve built what we call a “Pharmacy First Development Module” designed to help promote your Pharmacy First service locally and help people find you easier. The module consists of (but is not limited to):

  • A specific Pharmacy First website bolt-on, built into your menu
  • Technically optimised condition pages
  • Booking calendar integration

If you’re keen to understand more about how this might work with your website, be sure to get in touch with our team today.

Contact Our Team