Safedale Ltd is an independent chain of 20 retail community pharmacies and has expanded rapidly over the last few years.
The challenge
Superintendent Pharmacist Stewart Evans is responsible for the group’s risk management and was faced with the challenge of ensuring pharmacy teams continued to be trained to the right level as the number of stores increased.
Scaling up is a problem all small businesses face and with pharmacy it’s easy to lose control because it’s so dispersed. They started out using a paper based checklist for each store to record key training activities such as induction, SOPs and customer care training but there was no follow up and they couldn’t easily track ongoing training and accredited programmes such as the medicine counter assistant (MCA) course which GPhC inspectors now want to see.
The solution
When they looked at the Mediapharm learning management system they discovered it not only made reporting more efficient but it also saved money on paid-for mandatory courses, such as the MCA course, as they were already pre-loaded onto the system.
Because the platform is web-based it was quick to set up. They started by creating learning accounts for each colleague and gave them access to pre-loaded training on key products and OTC conditions. The built-in dashboard gave an overview of performance store by store. They then uploaded their own content and created a bespoke programme so they could monitor progress of new joiners on SOPs, induction and MCA course. By automating the whole process, they were able to allocate new joiners all their compliance training and times for completion instantly, improving risk management and simplifying administration.
The results
What surprised them most was the appetite for learning in stores. They realised they were just not facilitating it. In just 2 weeks from launch, pharmacy colleagues completed 131 courses and clocked up over 3,000 hours of learning on the Mediapharm platform. Some stores are even competing to see who can achieve best performance. For the first time head office has visibility and an audit trail which means they can be more productive. If they see someone falling behind they can send a message and get them back on quickly. ‘‘I have no doubt this is the future for independent pharmacy.’’ Stewart Evans, Safedale.
Project
Done-for-you training service
Client
Safedale
What We Did
Learning management, content, tracking
Our easy-to-use online training system makes training your team more efficient
Delivering training through the Mediapharm Learning Management System is an affordable and scalable way to improve skills and meet compliance training requirements.
Save administration time, stress and costs by managing all users through one centralised dashboard, offering a flexible alternative to replace or complement face-to-face learning.
