Key Tactics to Boost Efficiency for Employee Satisfaction

For pharmacy owners, your employees are members of your community whom you’ve entrusted to interact with and care for your patients. These employees are far more than just workers, they’re also the face of your pharmacy. If they’re working slowly or inefficiently and are dissatisfied at work that will come across to your patients. Luckily, there are key ways you can make your business more efficient while also boosting employee morale.

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Keep reading on to learn a few tactics you can leverage to drive both business efficiency and employee satisfaction.

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Invest in Ergonomic Working Stations 

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In the world of pharmacies, there’s a high chance you and your employees don’t get a ton of movement in — and you’re most likely sitting or standing in one or two stations for the entire workday. Besides being uncomfortable, un-ergonomic workspaces can lead to health issues, missed worked days, a decrease in productivity, and reduced employee satisfaction.

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On the flip side, research by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries shows that ergonomic workspaces have many benefits. This study has found ergonomic setups can:

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• Increase productivity by 25%
• Reduce errors by 67% on average
• Reduce lost workdays by 75%
• Reduce worker’s compensation costs by 68%
• Reduce employee absenteeism by 58%

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Outsource Repetitive Motor Tasks

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While repetitive tasks are simply a part of running a pharmacy, there is a danger in not giving your employees enough variation in their day. A 2014 Finnish study examined over 11,000 workers and found that chronic boredom “increased the likelihood of employees’ turnover and early retirement intentions, poor self-rated health and stress symptoms”. 

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And yet, these tasks still need to get done. Luckily, technology is here to help! To offer employees breaks from uber-repetitive work, consider investing in machinery that can help get these tasks done. 

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Automated pill counters, order dispensing and labeling systems, vending machines, and digital check-in tablets are just a few of the solutions you can leverage to aid employees in repetitive tasks. Beyond beating boredom, using technology can also free up employees’ time so they can spend more time educating patients on new medications, finding OTC products for patients, or even just exchanging pleasantries with pharmacy visitors.

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Limit the Time Employees Spend Calling and Collecting Payments

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If your pharmacy doesn’t have automated messaging systems, there’s a chance a bulk of their work day could be bogged down with calling patients with transactional reminders. On top of that, once patients do make it into the pharmacy to get their medications, your employees may be stuck collecting payment, entering information, and capturing signatures. This repetitive work puts them at risk of ‘bore-out’ and also takes up time they could be spending delivering care.

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Platforms, like Nimble, take the heavy lifting of these tasks off of employees’ shoulders through automated messaging reminders for refills and checkout and completely digital options to complete checkout, payment, and signature. This not only gives more time back to employees, but it also effectively keeps your pharmacy’s checkout open 24/7 for patient convenience.

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If you’re interested in how Nimble can help with your pharmacy’s efficiency and boost employee (and patient) satisfaction, reach out to our team today.