Pharmacy Management Advice: Why Are Community Pharmacists Overwhelmed?

In recent years, community pharmacies have faced a significant increase in workload, presenting a growing challenge for pharmacists across the UK.

The rise in demand for pharmaceutical services, coupled with evolving healthcare needs, has placed considerable pressure on community pharmacies to perform.

However, that’s easier said than done. Not only do community pharmacies need to dispense medications, but they also provide critical health advice, manage chronic conditions, and deliver public health services.

While there’s no doubt about the importance of their role, an overwhelming workload is a genuine threat to workplace efficiency and staff wellbeing.

To put contingencies in place to ease the burden, it’s important to understand why there’s been such a dramatic surge in workload.

By addressing the root causes, solutions can be introduced to ensure pharmacists can continue to deliver high-quality care without compromising their health or job satisfaction.

In this blog, we’ll focus on the key factors contributing to the increasing workload in community pharmacies and explore potential approaches to mitigate these challenges.

Factors Impacting Pharmacy Workload Management

The workload management of community pharmacists has become increasingly challenging.

The role of community pharmacists has evolved significantly. This has undoubtedly played a role in increasing workload and stress among staff.

Research published by Community Pharmacy England revealed as many as 81% of pharmacists are struggling to cope due to a significant rise in workload, with 78% saying their work is harming their mental health and wellbeing.

Let’s explore some of the key factors contributing to the overwhelming pressure on community pharmacists:

Rising Patient Expectations and Demands

Since its introduction in January 2024, patients have been reaping the rewards of the Pharmacy First initiative, with consultations and treatments available for common conditions without the need for a GP appointment

While this initiative has improved patient access to immediate care, it’s increased the number of patients visiting pharmacies. The upsurge in consultations and treatments has placed additional strain on pharmacists, who often aren’t provided with the necessary support.

Similarly, with patients facing an average wait of four weeks to see their GP, pharmacists are viewed as a more accessible first point of contact for patients with minor illnesses and urgent medication requirements.

Consequently, pharmacists are seeing an upsurge in patient interactions, increasing their already heavy workload.

Increased Administrative Tasks and Regulatory Requirements

Pharmacists must adhere to stringent regulatory requirements, including accurate record-keeping and compliance with new health guidelines.

While the standards set by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) may seem convoluted, they’re essential to maintaining public safety and trust. Unfortunately, however, this does have a knock-on effect on community pharmacists who need to complete a considerable amount of administration to fulfil their end of the bargain.

Completing this documentation is necessary, but this doesn’t detract from the point that the time spent recording patient consultations, prescriptions, and inventory management, could otherwise be dedicated to providing direct patient care.

There’s no denying that keeping accurate records of prescriptions, patient interactions, and inventory plays a pivotal role in excellent patient care.

However, it’s fair to say the meticulous approach needed to complete such tasks is time-intensive and is adding to their administrative burden

Staffing Shortages

Recruiting and retaining qualified pharmacists isn’t a walk in the park.

The competitive nature of the job market offers pharmacists opportunities in various healthcare settings, such as GP surgeries and hospitals, making it challenging for community pharmacies to staff their branches.

This understaffing results in higher workloads for the existing staff, who must cover the gaps left by unfilled positions.

Similarly, the industry is being hit hard by high turnover rates among pharmacists, with a staggering 85% of community pharmacists considering quitting their role due to burnout.

This turnover increases the workload for the remaining staff and disrupts the continuity of care, which is crucial for maintaining patient trust and safety.

Operational efficiency and technology integration

Many pharmacies continue to rely on outdated, manual processes for critical tasks like inventory management and prescription processing.

These time-consuming methods are prone to errors, which can compromise patient safety and increase the workload as pharmacists spend more time correcting mistakes and ensuring accuracy.

The lack of integrated pharmacy management systems means pharmacists are left to juggle multiple software platforms and handle fragmented data.

This reduces efficiency, as more time is spent switching between systems and managing disparate information.

These fragmented systems contribute significantly to the workload, as pharmacists must navigate and manage numerous tasks without the support of streamlined, cohesive technology solutions.

Pharmacy Management Advice for Community Pharmacists

There’s no doubt that community pharmacists are facing an unprecedented level of pressure.

However, some steps can be taken to pave the way for pharmacists to connect more effectively with their patients, providing a foundation for them to thrive.

Introduce Technology

Introducing a pharmacy management system can significantly alleviate the workload by automating routine tasks.

Cegedim’s products streamline electronic prescription messaging, clinical checks, and patient communications.

Using technology to complete manual tasks completed by staff reduces errors and allows pharmacists to focus more on patient care and more pressing tasks.

Optimise Workflows

To improve efficiency, repetitious processes need to be identified and removed.

Cegedim's Pharmacy Manager software features streamlined dispensing workflows, modular options, and integrated clinical checks, which can save up to 42% of dispensing time.

This not only speeds up prescription management but improves overall workflow within community pharmacies.

Delegate Tasks

Effective task delegation is key to balancing the workload among staff members.

Cegedim’s Pharmacy Manager dashboard allows for efficient task allocation and real-time monitoring of operations.

This ensures that responsibilities are properly allocated, allowing staff to perform their roles more effectively.

Improve Inventory Management

Efficient inventory management is key in easing the strain of administrative tasks.

Pharmacy Manager includes stock management tools, offering complete visibility and enhanced control over inventory.

This helps maintain optimal stock levels and reduces instances when stock is unavailable, allowing pharmacists to meet patient needs without unnecessary stress.

Invest in Staff Training 

Continuous staff training is essential, particularly with new technologies entering the industry.

Cegedim offers comprehensive training resources, including a Learning Zone with bite-sized video content, to quickly upskill pharmacy teams

This improves productivity and confidence among staff members leading to more efficient operations and better patient care.

Increase Staffing Levels

While hiring additional staff can alleviate the workload, it is often a challenging and time-consuming process.

For pharmacists struggling to attract new talent, the solution lies in making the most of existing team members by introducing technology that will automate tasks.

This means existing staff can focus more on patient care, reducing the need to make additional hires.

Review Processes

Regularly reviewing and refining processes is crucial for maintaining efficiency.

Pharmacies should engage in continuous improvement practices to identify areas for enhancement and implement changes that streamline operations.

Pharmacy Intelligence Hub provides comprehensive insights into how community pharmacies are performing, with real-time and predictive analytics, allowing pharmacists to make data-driven decisions, rather than choices based on assumptions.

Leverage Support Networks

Collaboration with other pharmacies and healthcare providers can provide additional support and shared resources.

Cegedim's solutions are designed for seamless integration with other healthcare systems, fostering collaboration and enabling resource sharing within the network

Pharmacies can also use the Hub & Spoke model with Hub Fulfilment Manager to improve efficiency.

Deliver Patient Self-Service Facilities

Encouraging patients to use self-service options for refills and information can significantly reduce the administrative burden for pharmacists.

Pharmacy Manager integrates with patient-facing apps like BeWell and Manage My Meds and automates patient communications and prescription status updates. This reduces workload for pharmacy staff and improves patient satisfaction by providing convenient self-service options.