Pharmacies Bracing for Vaccination Surge with High Tech Workforce Management Strategies

December 20, 2021

In the coming weeks, pharmacies will likely hire and train an influx of staff to meet the forecasted demand as we enter cold and flu season and continue managing patient needs related to COVID-19. Exploring ways to proactively streamline pharmacy staff scheduling to handle the everyday demands in addition to seasonal influx will make it easier for your pharmacy to rise to the challenge and serve your local communities with confidence.

Is your current pharmacy staff scheduling process scalable? Does it provide a transparent view of off-site clinic staffing, normal in-house staffing, and in-house patient care demands in real-time at a glance? Pharmacists will require new tools to reduce the administrative burden while still providing the highest level of care to patients. Implementing a robust pharmacy staff scheduling software that is scalable and configured to your unique needs will keep your pharmacy running efficiently all year.

Smiling young pharmacy worker standing behind the pharmacy counter.

Pharmacist-administered vaccinations have increased more than eighty percent at pharmacies and vaccination clinics since the beginning of this current pandemic. COVID-19 testing is also largely being performed at pharmacies instead of at doctor’s offices mainly due to the convenience factor for patients. Not only are pharmacists and techs responsible for administering vaccines, but also in educating communities about them and how safe it is to get vaccines from the pharmacy.

We understand the unique needs you have when creating a staff schedule. We also know that implementing a new system in the middle of your busy season may not seem like the best thing to do. But implementing a robust staff scheduling solution like Schedule360 is one of the best things you can do to optimize your resources, create, and manage shift coverage, and save time with solutions to your most common staff scheduling pain points.

Credential Tracking

  • Who is qualified to administer vaccines?
  • Who is qualified to fill the gaps in scheduling?
  • Who is qualified to orchestrate and work at off-site vaccine clinics?
  • Who can provide staff support?
  • Who can educate patients?

The right scheduling software solution gives you instant answers to these questions as it keeps track of employee licensure and credentials, which are conveniently stored in employee profiles. Our pharmacy scheduling software improves efficiency by ensuring each shift is filled by only those staff holding the proper credentials to perform each job. Alerts are automatically sent to employees 60 days prior to expiration, and the system recognizes who has let theirs lapse so you can avoid gaps in skills or credentials on every shift.

Messaging

Our pharmacy scheduling software solution includes enhanced messaging features, allowing staff and managers to remain in constant real-time contact. This is especially important during high-volume times when resources are already stretched thin. Send out important reminders including any last-minute shifts that need filled, changes in employee schedules, or changing safety protocols due to status or emergency.

A scalable scheduling solution with internal messaging capabilities makes it easy to communicate any urgent scheduling needs with your staff within 12 to 48 hours in advance through our internal platform. Messages are time-stamped, so you can rest easy knowing your message was received and read.

Real-Time View and Transparency

Our scheduling software solution provides your centralized scheduling teams with full, complete schedule transparency in real-time. They’ll have the unique ability to view all scheduling across multiple locations in one efficient and convenient platform. In addition, as a cloud-based scheduling program, Schedule360 provides all employees with 24/7 access to their schedule from any device with internet access. Schedule transparency reduces the occurrence of missed shifts, as employees can view their schedule anytime and receive instant alerts if there are any changes to their schedule.

Pharmacy Tech Optimization

The pandemic has shown that pharmacy techs can be an excellent asset in providing quality patient care. With techs now qualified to immunize patients under the supervision of a pharmacist, it’s easier to fill the current vaccination needs safely and quickly in communities across this country.

Schedule360 provides transparent, easy-to-read reporting for Pharmacy Management that includes weekly schedules with employee target hours. With the help of real-time reports, pharmacy schedulers can quickly view which pharmacy techs are optimized and fill-in available shifts with non-optimized tech staff before creating overtime for staff who have already met their targeted hours. With a streamlined approach to staff scheduling, you’ll be able to do more with less staff. COVID-19 has shed new light into the pharmacy profession by moving pharmacists from behind the counter to the front line of health care. Pharmacists have been faced with many difficult tasks from how to source and dispense urgent medications to how to deal with medication shortages, all while still providing and administering much needed testing and counseling to patients.

Are you ready to handle the influx of increased patient care and extended services? Schedule360 will help you stay ahead of the current community health needs with a pharmacy scheduling software solution designed specifically for pharmacies. At Schedule360, We Know Scheduling™. Contact us today for a configured demo to see for yourself how much easier and more efficient staff scheduling can be with the right solution.