2020 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards

76 GHP / 2020 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Awards , Aug20650 Online Pharmacy of the Year 2020 - UK At present, the price availability and price of medication is volatile. This poses great challenges to pharmacies as they attempt to deliver the right medication to everyone that needs it. Companies like Chemist Click, however, are striving to provide an efficient and affordable online pharmacy service that helps people fromall over the UK gain access to their medicationmore easily. Chemist Click is an online pharmacy providing consultation and prescription services. The pharmacy focuses on low-risk medical conditions that can be treated safely, using a remote service. The staff at Chemist Click aim to ensure safety, accessibility, and affordability for all patients. Patients begin by visiting the website, selecting the medical condition they wish to be treated for and filling out a medical questionnaire. The form is then assessed by a registered prescriber, who generates their prescription providing they are clinically suitable. This allows for a quick and efficient service, which is then followed up with an expedient next-day delivery service from their in-house pharmacy. Chemist Click is committed to no waiting times, and no call-backs. Their mission is to make patients’ lives easier. They do not charge for online or phone consultations, allowing their service to be accessed by anyone. They also have a chat feature which is manned by agents during opening hours. Chemist Click’s entire structure and service is built around patient-focus and accessibility. “We put the patient at the heart of what we do,” says Abbas Kanani, Superintendent Pharmacist, further adding that “We are always looking to develop our service and things are changing constantly.” The company is planning on a large restructure in the future with the introduction of new services. Chemist Click have also redesigned their website based on 18 months of patient feedback so that the accessibility of their service can improve. These are strong indications of the pharmacy’s dedication to constant, patient- focused development. However, their efforts to improve do not end here. Abbas Kanani told us that, “One of the core principles of our business is innovation. Where industry developments can fit into our business mode, we will never shy away from trying new things.” For example, Chemist Click have implemented the FMD (Falsified Medicines Directive) system in their pharmacy, which involves scanning medications against a centralised database to ensure its authenticity. The company is also working on an Artificial Intelligence system to help prescribers screen patients before they are assessed for clinical suitability of treatments. This kind of pioneering spirit is exactly what the pharmaceutical industry needs to combat the problems it is currently facing. Recent events such as Brexit and the Covid pandemic have caused instability in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Abbas explained to us that, “The purchase of medication is similar in nature to the stock market,” since medication prices are influenced by current affairs. Post-Brexit trade deals have meant that the UK may not allowed to negotiate the prices of medication from abroad. Chemist Click There are fears that this new development could cost the NHS billions of pounds per year. Furthermore, the UK’s withdrawal from the single market will maximise border disruption, meaning transport vehicles will experience more delays travelling both in and out of the UK. It will also mean that the sharing of data related to medicines’ safety will be limited by less cooperation from the other side of the border. In addition to Brexit, the Covid pandemic has also had a significant impact on the pharmaceutical supply chain. The pandemic-inspired panic buying of OTC generics has led to shortages which quickly disrupt the supply chain and increase the demand for these drugs, prolonging the shortage. More significantly, however, is the temporary closing of global manufacturing facilities in countries like India and China. India and China are major sources for the supply of common medications as well as the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) used in their manufacture worldwide. This has therefore limited both the supply of medications as well as some countries’ ability to manufacture drugs which require APIs sourced from China or India. Fortunately, pharmacies like Chemist Click are working to provide maximum accessibility and affordability for their patients’ medications; from their use of technology ensuring safety and legitimacy, to their efficient consultations and quick delivery service. Chemist Click’s client base is growing, and they continue to reach out to patients all over the nation, serving and enhancing the UK’s public health needs. Contact: Abbas Kanani Company: Chemist Click Website: www.chemistclick.co.uk