Community Pharmacy Placement Exercise - Essay Example

None of the nearby shops duplicate any of the services being provided by the pharmacy; it is the only pharmacy in the area and the next pharmacy is located in the next suburb.  The Campbell Medical Centre and Campbell Nursing Home complement the services provided by the pharmacy.  The nearest public toilet is located in the building where the Campbell Pharmacy is located.  The pharmacy is located near the bus stop and taxi ranks making it very convenient for customers and employees to access.  A reasonably-sized car park is located in Blamey Street, which is the main street in Campbell suburban.  The Justice of the Peace in the area is also our pharmacist and therefore a very popular and well-respected man in the community.  I have chosen this pharmacy because it is very convenient and offers many advantages for learning.   

Professional and Retail Services and Products

            From a customer’s perspective, I was able to assess the pharmacy’s services and conclude that the pharmacy can provide a wide range of retail services like postal services, gift glass wear, and photocopying services; and retail products like skin and hair products.  The pharmacy is also able to offer professional health services through its pharmacists and pharmacy assistants.  These services are mostly related to medicine intake and health maintenance advice.  The pharmacy can provide health-related products through its first aid program and weight loss promotion program.  It is also able to cater to diabetics through its blood-sugar control and blood-sugar testing program.  The overall message that I got from the pharmacy in terms of the services and products it offers is that the pharmacy is available and eager to care not just for the customers who are sick, but also for those who seek to maintain their health. The pharmacy also seeks to provide the customers with other services that they need to stay healthy.  I would offer similar services in a pharmacy I owned because the services offered are very convenient and health-related.        

            There are some differences in my perception (as a customer) and that of the interviewed staff member.  The staff member I interviewed feels that one of the more important services that the pharmacy can improve would be its weight loss and diabetic program.  As a customer, I found it convenient for the pharmacy to have photocopying and postal services because there are not many similar services in the vicinity.  I believe these differences are there because, from my point of view as a customer, I seek convenience in services.  I want to be able to accomplish tasks and errands without wasting my time trying to find establishments that can cater to my different needs.  But the staff in the pharmacy deals every day with customers who are not healthy, who are overweight and obese.  And with this perspective, they feel that their services as a member of the medical community can be expanded to help prevent and reduce obesity and the number of diabetic patients. 

            The impact that these differences could have on the success of the pharmacy as a business is very different.  If the pharmacy were to improve its photocopying and postal services, it would indeed add to its profits.  If it were to improve more on its weight loss and diabetic program, its impact would be more on the health of the people.  Initially, it would be able to improve its profit from its weight loss and diabetic program, but as people will start improving on their health, there would be fewer obese and diabetic people.  As a result, profits on medicines for obese and diabetics would decrease.  As a provider of health care, the staff’s opinion about improving our health services for the weight loss and the diabetic program is indeed more advantageous and beneficial.   

            The ages of the customers were mostly 60 and above, of varied ethnic backgrounds but mostly of Italian and Greek descent.  They were mostly single with small family sizes.  Their socio-economic status appears to be above the target as they appear well-dressed.  The majority of the customers are retired from working in the government or for the army, well-educated, and most of them have had the experience of travel overseas.  Most of our customers are regulars and are very familiar and comfortable interacting with our pharmacists.