We asked you to get your nominations in for the Guild Pharmacy of the Year and you delivered.
After nominations closed at the end of last month, we have received an amazing 731 nominations, well up from over 500 the previous year.
That’s an increase of 46 per cent!
It’s a sign that each year the awards get bigger and better, with more nominations and a higher level of innovation from the candidates.
Any member of the public or those in the profession can nominate and their reasons for nominating their favourite pharmacy vary.
Some of the reasons people have nominated for the 2024 awards are:
“The staff remember my name and treat me like a VIP.”
“The service is always first class, combining professionalism and kindness with pleasant demeanours throughout the staff.”
“The best chemist I have ever used, explains all prescriptions doses and explains any other items purchased - so friendly and so helpful.”
The finalists from the 2023 awards say it’s not just about meeting your customers’ expectations but exceeding them.
Julie Ng, a co-proprietor at this year’s overall winner, Pharmacy 777 Shoalwater in Western Australia says her pharmacy had to meet the needs of a community which had significant and diverse health challenges.
““We noticed a big barrier for our patients was the confusion around and the lack of follow up pre- and post-hospital discharge,” she said.
“We tailored a comprehensive support service to ease their transition into and out of hospital, helping to reduce medication misadventure and readmission rates.”
It’s also about adapting to the changing health landscape around the pharmacy’s location.
Sam Asfar the other co-proprietor of Pharmacy 777 Shoalwater says his practice underwent a significant overhaul.
“We were a struggling business six to seven years ago with our competitors going hard on price,” Mr Afsar said.
“By establishing an efficient workflow, a united, engaged team, tailor-made professional services for the unique needs of the community and most importantly giving back to the community that has given us so much, has brought us to where we are today.
“Our approach is not only about tailoring our services to the community, but to respect and treat each patient as an individual.
“We have undergone two major renovations to implement an efficient workflow to reduce wait times and allow pharmacist-patient interaction.
“We now have two dedicated consult rooms so all our services can run smoothly,” he said.
Guild Pharmacy of the Year is now in its 24th year, having first launched back in 1999.
This year the Guild will be undertaking a review of the awards program including the addition of new award categories that will recognise both the practice and practitioner in areas of scope.
The Guild Pharmacy of the Year Awards are proudly sponsored by Care Pharmaceuticals.
