How Downton modernised their dispensary ordering & improved patient service with Cambrian
Challenge
As a business development manager and pharmacist, the systems in place at Downton were frustrating for Ali Abass. As well as being clunky and slow, the PMR system was really inefficient for ordering.
"A lot of the dispensing systems that dispensing doctors use automatically force you to use one wholesaler, and make it very difficult to use multiple wholesalers."
Less choice of suppliers limited how cheaply they could buy every line - plus, any time they wanted to order elsewhere, they had to browse multiple supplier portals.
"You can't physically go in and look for the cheapest deal for aspirin every morning and constantly go through all orders pads at three, four, five, six different wholesalers. It's not practical."
On top of that, there was no transparency or clarity on their profitability:
"The confusing part for us has always been the rebate models and when you don't really understand the true price that we're getting,"
Solution
Ali was keen to improve their profitability, and be more aggressive in trying to improve their profit margins. A change in their PMR system to one that accommodated a cascade system prompted them to look at improving how they ordered.
Being able to order from multiple suppliers in one place was important to free up time for the dispensary team, but they also needed help in the setup process - to add new suppliers and better understand how they should buy across suppliers to maximise margins.
"the support of Debra and Jag was why we chose Cambrian. They helped us set up suppliers - but more that told us why. It's that knowledge of the complicated wholesale market that makes them different."
Alongside that, they regularly check in with Debra to understand their purchasing profit report, to get detailed insights into how they can improve margins across suppliers.
Useful features
Purchasing profit report
Ali can share his learnings on monthly profitability to help aid his team & stay on top of changes
Business manager support
Debra & Jag helped ensure Downton's wholesaler & cascade setup suited them
Result
The implementation of e-CASS led to significant improvements in the practice's operations. Previously, it took Adele and the team 45-60 minutes a day to search for stock they couldn't find with their main wholesaler.
"The cascade system solves all of that immediately within seconds." Ali says. It has allowed them to focus on improving their margins, with the clear pricing on e-CASS allowing them to quickly make buying decisions.
Financial visibility has also improved dramatically. "Everything's transparent, everything's in front of you. But also, with our profit reports - compared to it taking ages to get together invoices for our accountants, we now can see what our profitability is going to be right away - and predict future months as well."
Ultimately, the improved availability and speed of their process has been better for their patients. As the only dispensary for several miles, their patients are reliant on their service.
"the e-CASS system has improved our availability and service to our patients. It's made us more competitive against some of the other avenues our patients might choose. It allows us to compete with online pharmacies or pharmacies near our patients homes"
Ali Abbas
Business Development Manager & Clinical Pharmacist, Downton Surgery
Doctor's Surgery Dispensary
Salisbury, England
Dispensing to over 3500 patients
downtonsurgery.nhs.uk/
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