Not many people realise the importance of a good floor plan. When you design your space just right, you create a more natural flow and increase efficiency in your store. On the other hand, when the floor plan doesn’t make sense, it can create a lot of friction in the work area and make it harder to move around the space.
Floor plan design is especially important when it comes to designing a pharmacy. And your pharmacy shelving selections can have a significant impact on your pharmacy design.
Why Does Pharmacy Shelving Matter?
You may not realise it at first, but the shelving at a pharmacy actually plays a significant role. Without the shelving, you’re actually only left with the counter that separates the prescription medications from the other merchandise. So in a way, your shelving can dictate the flow of the entire pharmacy.
When shelving is strategically placed in a pharmacy, you can create a better customer experience. Let’s say you’ve arranged the shelving such that they are parallel to the counter. Yes, you’re still creating different aisles, but when the shelves are parallel to the counter instead of perpendicular, you are making it more difficult for your customers to reach the counter. One way to get around this is by making a middle aisle directly to the counter. However, some pharmacies may not have enough space for this.
By giving more thought to how you arrange your shelving, you can maximise your space while creating a logical and convenient flow. Pharmacy shelving also helps you compartmentalise your different merchandise so that it’s not all just a jumble of mess. For example, putting the cotton balls far away from the rubbing alcohol wouldn’t make sense as these two items are often bought together.
Front-End vs. Back-End Setups
In most pharmacies, there is a front-end and a back-end. The front-end is usually where the customers can browse through the aisles and get some of the merchandise they need. On the other hand, the back-end is behind the counter as it is where pharmacists store prescription medications, so they are out of reach of the customers.
When organising your front-end, make sure it is both functional and aesthetically pleasing to your customers. Remember, this is what they will see first, so you would want to attract them into the pharmacy. That’s why you can often find the sale items at the very front of the store.
For the back-end, the main purpose should be pharmacy inventory management. You need to maximise the space so you can fit all the prescription medications you are selling. The flow should also be considered as you’d want to get the medications to your customers as soon as possible. This means the more common prescription medications should be closer to the counter while the rarer ones can stay a little further away while still being accessible.
You should also consider the placement on the shelves. Extra stocks and larger items should be on the top shelves since you’ll be accessing them less. On the other hand, the medications you grab more often should be on the middle shelves.
Final Thoughts
Having the right flow is important in any pharmacy. It allows the pharmacists to work more seamlessly and lets the customers have a more enjoyable experience in the store’s front-end. And with the right shelving selections, you can have better pharmacy inventory management.
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