07 May Our strategy for your next pharmacy
Cosmofarma 2005
our strategy for your next pharmacy
The first pharmacy that we designed at Sartoretto Verna dates back to 1965 in Turin, Italy. Exactly 40 years have gone by since then, every moment dedicated to researching new ways of making pharmacies more competitive. Our pharmacies are designed to be make profits as well as represent their owners professionally. It is a functional workplace where staff are able to work to the best of their ability and a environment that communicates trust, professionalism and positive energy to the customer.
The exhibition in an opportunity to propose innovative and daring solutions and scenarios that may become part of ordinary life in the coming years. The “Work in future” part of the stand features Sartoretto Verna’s latest projects, one of which is “hardware”, new pharmacy fittings, while the other is “software”.
This new piece of pharmacy equipment consists of a bright totemic column featuring a control panel that operates a robotic dispensary system which collects and transports medicines from stock rooms located in the basement or floor above, unloading them onto a tray that can be carried to one of more work stations nearby.
The bright totemic column signals the presence of a graduate and his specialisation, either in homeopathy, cosmetics, prescriptions, dietetics etc etc.
This eliminates the rather confrontational concept of the prescription area and counter, eliminates the need for an obligatory path for the customer around the pharmacy, and surpasses the need for separate queues to get prescriptions or pay. In this revolutionary scenario, customers are served in the open, even right in the middle of the shop. The totemic columns can be positioned anywhere in the pharmacy and the graduate pharmacists manning them are ready to give customers highly-specialised advice about the products on display on their assigned area.
It is easy for customers to find the right one as they can choose the person they want to consult as soon as they enter. Near the entrance, a panel distributes tickets (Farma Queue Management System, invented and unveiled by Sartoretto Verna at last years Cosmofarma) which give customers two options; either to see the first pharmacist available irrespective of their specialisation, or choose a particular pharmacist according to their specialism as indicated on the panel featuring each pharmacist’s specialism and the colour of their so-called totem.
The new piece of pharmacy “software” is an integrated multimedia computer system called Farmaregia. This allows you to install multimedia screens in all Sartoretto Verna pharmacy furniture series, co-ordinate the media and promote greater interaction with your customers. The stand also features 2 touch-screen displays, one of which is installed in a System Ral2 unit that allows customers to interact with the pharmacy by answering simple questions like “Do you smoke? Yes/No” helping them to select a specific product to be ask for from the counter.
The other is located outside the pharmacy and is a sort of highly evolved notice board that lets customers access a large quantity of information about the pharmacy, just as if they were inside. The programmers of both touch-screen displays were with us at the stand in order to provide all necessary information.
Last but not least, we have a sector of the stand dedicated to Category Management and Visual Merchandising where experts are ready to answer questions about their respective fields.
End result? We believe that the strategy for foreseeable future is the following: firstly, acquire spaces either underneath or above your pharmacy. Secondly, consult experts on how big each sector should be. Thirdly, consult a good account to estimate revenue against all possible overheads. Fourthly, choose a shop fitter who is able to turn your idea of how a pharmacy should be into reality. Lastly (or maybe firstly) love your pharmacy.
G. Sartoretto Verna