More and more pharmacies are becoming aware of the benefits of using modern communication channels to conduct better conversations with patients. Traditional methods such as sending letters and making manual phone calls, while effective to some extent, often prove to be costly, cumbersome, and labor-intensive. These older methods can lead to inefficiencies, with resources being stretched thin and the potential for human error increasing.
In today’s fast-paced world, pharmacies need to adopt more efficient communication strategies to keep up with patient demands and expectations. By leveraging modern technology, pharmacies can enhance their communication efforts, ensuring that patients receive timely and accurate information regarding their medications and appointments. This not only improves patient satisfaction but also contributes to better health outcomes.
Pharmacies have realized that they have a better chance of successful communication by focusing on patients’ mobile devices. SMS is a great way to do this. It is cheap, easy for patients to understand, and has an unrivaled open rate of 95%. This means that nearly every SMS sent is read by the recipient, making it an incredibly effective tool for ensuring that important messages are received. Furthermore, the simplicity of SMS means that it can be easily integrated into existing pharmacy systems, allowing for seamless communication with patients.
Here are Just a Few Ways Pharmacies Can Use the Platform:
1. Delivery of Repeat Prescriptions
Many of the prescriptions that doctors give are repetitions, which can be a problem for pharmacists when backlogs of non-collected medicines accumulate. More boxes and bottles in storage mean that it is often difficult to find the items that patients need. Uncollected ones can also often be lost, which entails more costs for healthcare providers. These uncollected medications not only take up valuable storage space but also represent wasted resources and increased costs for the pharmacy.
A better way to remind patients to come and get their prescriptions is often needed – and that’s where SMS can help. SMS offers an automated, cost-effective, and highly engaging way to remind patients that their medicines are ready to collect. This method ensures that patients are promptly notified about their prescriptions, reducing the likelihood of medications being forgotten or lost. In theory, the use of this reminder method can also help promote a more careful approach to medication adherence, which in turn can benefit the health of the patient. When patients adhere to their prescribed medication regimens, they are more likely to experience positive health outcomes and avoid complications associated with missed doses.
Sending repeat instructions via SMS also means that:
Patients can save time at the pharmacy by only taking medication when they are ready
Patients receive a pre-announcement when they are almost without medication.
2. Vaccination Reports
Because the pressure on local practices continues to increase, it is no longer unusual to wait days before you get an appointment to consult a doctor. A recent NHS report stated that 11% of patients could not get an appointment at all, while another 28% could not get surgery on the phone. For 49% of patients, this is the biggest frustration with regard to health care. Long wait times and difficulty in securing appointments can lead to patient dissatisfaction and potentially negative health outcomes.
As a result, powers are given to perform simple procedures such as administering vaccinations to pharmacies to relieve some of this pressure on doctors. Pharmacies, with their convenient locations and extended hours, are well-positioned to offer these services. SMS has been effective in helping pharmacies manage these vaccinations. By sending timely reminders and updates to patients, pharmacies can ensure that vaccination appointments are kept and that patients are informed about the availability of vaccines.
If the pharmacies automatically recall reminders for vaccination, the need for patients to contact their physician is removed by using integrated links in the SMS to make an appointment online or make an appointment over the phone with their local pharmacist. This also helps with the use of local doctors by allowing more time to focus on more complex problems faced by patients. By streamlining the process of booking vaccination appointments, pharmacies can contribute to higher vaccination rates and improved public health outcomes.
3. Reminders
A recent report from the NHS stated that the costs of missed appointments for general practitioners have now reached £216 million per year. This corresponds to more than 15 million consultations that were wasted. Missed appointments not only result in financial losses for healthcare providers but also mean that other patients miss out on the opportunity to receive care. This inefficiency can have a ripple effect, leading to longer wait times and reduced access to healthcare services.
As more and more services are being transferred to pharmacies (e.g., vaccination administration and advice on the treatment of less serious health problems and healthy living), it is important that systems are now being implemented to stop pharmacies from experiencing the same problems as GPs. Again – this is where SMS can help. By sending reminders to patients about their upcoming appointments, pharmacies can significantly reduce the number of missed appointments and improve overall efficiency.
The way it works is simple. Pharmacies can use an SMS service provider’s online portal to manage their patients’ contact information and then send scheduled reminders for appointments or use an SMS provider’s API and integrate SMS functionality into their existing systems. This integration allows for automated and seamless communication, ensuring that patients receive timely reminders without additional effort from pharmacy staff.
Once put into practice, it is known that GPs send Bulk SMS to remind patients of their appointment to reduce missed appointments by as much as 30%. This significant reduction in missed appointments can lead to better resource utilization and improved patient care. By adopting similar practices, pharmacies can enhance their service delivery and ensure that patients receive the care they need in a timely manner.
What Does the Future Look Like for Communication Between Pharmacists and Patients?
The key to future involvement in pharmacies is to provide the tools needed to provide self-service. Actions that traditionally require physical interaction with a real pharmacist (e.g., a manual call to make an appointment) can all be automated using the next generation of communication technologies. By adopting these technologies, pharmacies can offer a more convenient and efficient service to their patients, reducing wait times and improving overall patient satisfaction.
Tools such as RCS and SMS Landing Pages can do this in a safe, visual, and convenient way by targeting patients’ mobile devices. These tools enable pharmacies to send rich, interactive messages that can include images, videos, and links, providing patients with a more engaging and informative experience. By leveraging these advanced communication channels, pharmacies can improve patient engagement and enhance the overall effectiveness of their communication strategies.
Via RCS and SMS Landing Pages, Pharmacies Can Perform the Following Actions:
- Book and rearrange appointments online
- Add appointments to the calendar
- Send smart appointment reminders (these are images of healthcare professionals and working methods)
- Inoculation reminders (i.e., link to existing appointment management systems)
- Shipping requirements
- Delivery test results
Do You Want to Know More About How Text Messaging Can Help Pharmacies?
We have worked with different pharmacies and healthcare providers to provide more exciting ways to communicate with their patients. Our experience has shown that by adopting modern communication channels, pharmacies can significantly enhance their patient engagement and improve overall service delivery. If you want to know how SMS and our next generation of communication channels can help your pharmacy, we would be happy to share our insights and provide tailored solutions that meet your specific needs.
You can contact our team at [email protected] for more information.
