It’s all about service
Operational Standards of Unident Group Pharmacies
There is an intense struggle for the customer in the Russian pharmacy market, and especially in the capital region. The reputation that the young chains Unifarma and Rosapteka enjoy is to a great extent owed to excellent customer service. What is involved in this concept, and how does the company adhere to the chosen strategy?
HIGH STANDARDS
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GPP (Good Pharmacy Practice), is
an extensive list of recommendations given by professional
pharmacy communities. Good practices exceed the state regulations and
standardsFrom the very beginning Unifarma and Rosapteka got their
priorities straight: quality of human life and human dignity. It is these basic
values that are of paramount importance here when they open each new pharmacy:
for example, when choosing premises, attention is paid not only to commercial
benefits—rental cost and traffic volume—but also to convenience of future
visitors. This means that the premises must meet the requirements of transport
accessibility for all categories of citizens, including people with
disabilities,
GPP standards provide for wide walkways,
VOLUNTARY AUDIT
The company cooperates
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This sweepingly includes product display, temperature conditions, lighting, and hygiene. Moreover, the OPEKA pharm inspector checks the pharmacy not only by constantly updated state regulations but also by higher GPP standards. Once this is done, the pharmacy receives a detailed report. The pharmacy management corrects the fl aws, if any, after which the auditor comes again and, if everything is in order, issues a special emblem. It is kept at the pharmacy until the next check.
“This is a kind of inner
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According to the HR department research, less than half of the Unifarma and Rosapteka employees put money first as motivation, preferring other factors. Pharmacists should first of all respect themselves as professionals, and their dignity and competence should not come in conflict with the business model of the pharmacy. Pharmacists are not merely salespersons. First and foremost, they are medical professionals who help people. In Unifarma and Rosapteka, the business model is built around the idea of professional assistance to customers.
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THE HUMAN FACTOR
of the chain employees prioritize intangible motivation to work over the fi nancial |
And, of course, success of such a complex business as pharmacy chain is based on people. That is why special emphasis is placed here on selection and training of personnel. Unifarma and Rosapteka are trying to attract the most qualified professionals, for whom not only monetary incentives but also professional motivation is also very important.
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“A pharmacy worker must have a secondary or higher professional education with a specialization in ‘Pharmaceuticals’. This fact forms a certain mindset in people,” thinks Irina Pavlova, Personnel Director of Rosapteka and Unifarma chains.
“We support it at every level starting with education in our Training Center. This is a mandatory step for all new employees. We invite here the best business coaches, consultants from partner manufacturers, and we strive to ensure that our pharmacists develop their competencies in line with the current trends in medicine.”
Here we cultivate considerate attitude towards visitors, and
each pharmacist
FREEDOM TO CHOOS
In our pharmacies, the
interests of our customers are our No. 1 concern, while pharmacoeconomic
considerations are secondary
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In Unifarma and Rosapteka, when we always think about our range of products from the customer’s point of view and update our inventory accordingly. After all, the market does not stand still: there are new interesting brands, drugs, manufacturers. And the visitor should be able to use only the best products and be aware of the latest achievements of the pharmaceutical industry.
“We have removed any restrictions on cooperation with
partners,” says Konstantin Tiunov. “What this means is: we are ready to work
with any manufacturer by default, but at the same time we have a number of
requirements to ensure our internal standards. I am talking about the complete
certification of products with confirmation of efficiency and safety, training
of our pharmacists on this product, a fair price and the possibility
In our pharmacies, the interests of our customers are our No. 1 concern, not pharmacoeconomic issues. This often runs counter to the idea of quick benefits, as many competitors do not share these approaches. But we are sure that this is a solid foundation for our friendship with the customer for many years to come.”
Text by Mariana Kapsuletskaia
Photo by Evgenii Dudin, Denis Kuznetsov, Ruslan Shamukov
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