Beyond the Pill: Diversifying Services to Drive Sustainability

For many community pharmacies, life revolves around dispensing prescriptions. In fact, 80–85% of revenue comes from NHS dispensing - most of it low-margin. That reliance creates a challenging reality: sustaining a business while delivering meaningful patient care is harder than ever.

The question is simple but urgent: how can pharmacies thrive in a world where traditional dispensing alone is not enough? The answer lies in diversification.

The Need to Move Beyond Transactions

Community pharmacies are being asked to do more than fill prescriptions. NHS priorities increasingly focus on clinical services - like vaccinations, chronic disease monitoring, and minor ailment consultations. At the same time, patients expect convenience, flexibility, and access to private health services.

Yet many pharmacies are still working with fragmented systems: separate platforms for prescriptions, payments, compliance, and patient records. This creates inefficiencies, compliance risks, and limits the potential to grow. Meanwhile, digitally native pharmacies are capturing market share with streamlined, tech-enabled models.

The future of community pharmacy is clear: modern, connected, and service-diverse.

Opportunities for Diversification

There are multiple ways pharmacies can unlock new revenue streams while improving patient care:

• Pharmacy First: Since January 2024, community pharmacies can complete episodes of care for seven common conditions — including sore throat, sinusitis, shingles and uncomplicated UTIs — without the need for a GP referral. This NHS-funded service represents a major new clinical role for pharmacies, improves access for patients, and provides a sustainable source of reimbursement.

• NHS-aligned clinical services beyond Pharmacy First: From flu and COVID vaccinations to blood pressure checks, smoking cessation, contraception and chronic disease management, these services ensure pharmacies stay relevant to NHS priorities while diversifying income.

• Private health clinics: Offering services like travel vaccinations, wellness screenings, or minor ailment consultations provides income beyond prescriptions and strengthens the pharmacy’s role as a community health hub.

• Remote consultations: Virtual care expands access and convenience, especially for patients with mobility challenges or busy schedules.

These opportunities allow pharmacists to do what they do best: provide clinical care, advice, and support to their communities.

The Role of Integrated Technology

Diversification is only possible if operations are simplified and systems are connected. Modern pharmacy CRM platforms and secure NHS connectivity provide that foundation. By unifying prescriptions, payments, compliance, and patient communications, pharmacies can:

• Reduce manual, time-consuming processes

• Minimise compliance risks

• Free staff to focus on higher-value activities

• Scale private and NHS-aligned services

The partnership between Apotec and Cloud Gateway is a prime example. Together, we offer an end-to-end solution that combines advanced pharmacy CRM with secure HSCN connectivity. This means pharmacies can securely connect to NHS and private services, streamline workflows, and ultimately unlock growth.

Why It Matters

Community pharmacies face pressure on every front: low margins, administrative burden, and growing competition. Sustainability depends on diversifying services and embracing technology that supports efficiency, compliance, and patient care.

By moving beyond the pill and investing in integrated, secure systems, pharmacies can:

1. Deliver new clinical services aligned with NHS priorities

2. Access revenue streams beyond low-margin prescriptions

3. Reduce administrative burdens so pharmacists can focus on patient outcomes

The future of community pharmacy depends on the ability to combine efficient dispensing with a broader portfolio of clinical services. By investing in secure, integrated technology, pharmacies can strengthen compliance, improve patient outcomes, and build long-term commercial resilience.

Apotec and Cloud Gateway are working together to make that practical - helping pharmacies spend less time on paperwork and more time on patients.