Essential Items For Organizing Your Pharmacy in 2022

The pharmaceutical industry is expected to continue to expand in the year 2022 and it's important your pharmacy is organized before the influx. The industry is expected to increase to 1.5 trillion by 2023 with a 3% increase in pharmaceutical spending between 2021 and 2022. With this in mind, it's important to prepare for the growth of your pharmacy with essential supplies and get processes in place. Here are some of the essentials for organizing your pharmacy in 2022.

Why Is Organization Important?

Organization is important to prevent labeling mistakes. Pharmaceutical companies can spend up to $100 million per year on recalls that are linked to labeling mistakes. If you don't have the right supplies, it's easy for your pharmacy to get disorganized leading to problems with how products are labeled or stored. You could end up mislabeling an item which would cause a lot of issues if someone were to consume it by mistake! A recall can be costly and time-consuming, so it's important to prevent any labeling mistakes by using the right supplies.

How To Get Started

1. Clear Out Unnecessary Items. Get rid of anything you don't need or haven't used within the past year. You'll be surprised how much space it frees up and could also help your pharmacy save money on supplies.
2. Identify Problems. Once you've got a cleared-out space, identify what your pharmacy's problem areas are. If there is an issue with certain types of supplies not being labeled correctly or kept in the wrong places, now is the time to fix it!
3. Organize Your Pharmacy By Time Frame. If you work with medications that require specific storage times, organize them by time frame so they are easy to access. This will prevent you from having to pull out the same medication over and over again when it's not time for refills or check-ups.
4. Label Pharmaceutical Products By Alphabetical Order. Organizing your products alphabetically is a great way to find what you need quickly without wasting too much of your valuable time! It also makes product retrieval easier for your customers.
5. Put Workflow Systems In Place. This means having a process for everything from daily tasks to the sale of products. This will help you work more efficiently and overall, save time.
6. Use Automated Systems And Track Every Product. You can use software that automatically tracks each product's location as well as inventory levels so it's easy to see what needs refilling. This will save you a lot of time and keep your pharmacy organized so you can focus on other tasks.

What Supplies Are Needed?

The first step in getting organized is to get proper shelving for the storage of items such as bottles, boxes, pouches, etc. You'll also need labels that won't fade or smear so you know exactly what is stored in each location. If your pharmacy has the right supplies, it will be easier to get organized and stay that way so you can spend more time helping customers with their needs rather than searching for items they need.

Other items you may want to check out are:

• Mesh Baskets - for storing small items like cotton swabs, vials, and syringes. You can also use a color-coded basket system to separate scripts by status or type.
• Lockable Bins and Cabinets - perfect to store sensitive medications that you might want to keep locked up. This will prevent any tampering or accidental ingestion of medication by someone who shouldn't be taking it! The lockable bin is also good if your pharmacy stocks controlled substances that need extra security.
• Shelf Dividers - if you're short on space, these dividers will help organize your shelves into smaller compartments that are easier to access.
• Medication Storage Racks - these are perfect for storing pain medications, antibiotics, and other items which need to be kept out of reach from children who might try to take them without your knowledge.
• Counting Devices - if your pharmacy doesn't use counting devices, you'll want to check into these for the year 2022. With more and more patients receiving their prescriptions electronically, it's important that you have a way of verifying how many pills are in every bottle!
• HangUp Organizer and Storage Systems - this is a great way to store items without taking up any shelf space. Simply place the filled prescription and receipt in a clear HangUp Bag with the customer's name visible and hang alphabetically for quick and easy retrieval. HIPAA-responsive and economical to use.
• Inventory Control Tools - an essential tool is a POS system that allows you to keep track of inventory in real-time with accurate data on all your products. You'll be able to make sure you are never out of stock with any item which will prevent customers from leaving the pharmacy empty-handed because they couldn't get what they needed when they needed it!
• Record Books - a record book will help you track your inventory and cross-reference it with the POS system. This way, you'll be able to know if anything is missing or expired so you can restock products as needed. You can also use these books for customer records which are helpful in case there's ever an issue of theft from within your pharmacy.

You'll also probably need to stock up on essentials like gloves and masks to make sure you're not caught off guard by a shortage.

How To Color Code Your Pharmacy

One of the simplest ways to get organized is by color-coding. Color-coded labels are an easy way for your pharmacy staff to quickly find what they need when stocking shelves or giving out medications in a hurry. You can choose different colors that you think will work best or use several colors at once with different areas of the pharmacy focusing on one color. This may include the front of your pharmacy, backroom, or even different specialties for each color!

Get Organized With Total Pharmacy Supply

A little organization goes a long way in maintaining an efficient pharmacy that can handle anything customers may need. After all, you wouldn't want to lose business because of disorganization! Getting organized doesn't have to be difficult if you know what supplies are needed and how to get started. The right tools can make all the difference so contact Total Pharmacy Supply for all your pharmacy supply needs. Looking to increase your productivity? Check out our blog on Eight Ways To Keep Your Pharmacy Productive.