Seasons Change: Are you ready for cold and flu season in your pharmacy?
August 25, 2023
This year, with the ongoing presence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demands on healthcare providers are even more complex. Your pharmacy is a cornerstone in community health. As cold and flu symptoms can overlap with COVID-19 symptoms, pharmacists and their staff must be prepared to handle escalations in patient inquiries and concerns. Get ready for fall:
Team Training Refreshers
Provide their staff with short training sessions to remind them about symptom differentiators between the common cold, flu, and COVID-19. Regular training sessions help staff confidently address patient questions and provide accurate guidance. Moreover, implementing a well-defined protocol for assessing patient symptoms and responding to escalations can streamline the decision-making process for both staff and patients.
Ramping Up Vaccination Efforts
With the potential for a surge in demand for vaccinations, ensure your staff is well-versed in the scheduling, promotion, and documentation processes. Staff should be provided with comprehensive training that covers marketing vaccinations as a service, vaccine storage and handling protocols, and patient education on the benefits and potential side effects of vaccinations. Additionally, fostering a customer-centric approach by focusing on appointment scheduling and efficient service delivery can enhance the overall patient experience.
Implementing Testing Protocols
With increased demand for testing during this season, pharmacy staff should be well-prepared to conduct tests efficiently while maintaining safety and accuracy. By establishing clear guidelines and routines, pharmacies can ensure a smooth testing process that minimizes wait times and maximizes patient satisfaction.
Quick Team Huddles
Clear communication among your team becomes paramount during this extra busy time of year. Team huddles, short and focused meetings where staff come together to discuss goals, challenges, and strategies, can prove immensely beneficial. Regular team huddles can help ensure everyone is on the same page and can adapt to new workflows seamlessly. Don’t forget to give recognition for individual contributions to the team to boost morale and positively reinforce the habits you want in your team.
Celebrate your staff this Labor Day, embrace your patient’s health this fall, and make your pharmacy a key source for sustaining a healthy community.
