Work more efficient thanks to the queuemanagement system

Apotheek Dok11 in Alblasserdam has been using the queue management system for more than four years. Before that, the pharmacy used a system supplied by a local provider. When this provider ceased trading, the pharmacy began looking for a new solution. After exploring the available options, it selected eValue8: a decision that pharmacist Henriëtte Muller-Trapman remains very pleased with.

A dynamic system

At Apotheek Dok11 in Alblasserdam, the patient is always the main priority. This is reflected in the pharmacy’s vision: fast, professional and pleasant service. With this vision in mind, the pharmacy initially spent some time finding the ideal configuration for its queue management kiosk.

Henriëtte explains: “We appreciate the fact that the queue management system is so dynamic. Descriptions and services can easily be changed, which allowed us to experiment with different options on the kiosk. At one point, we even offered four different services. However, we found that this was not always clear to patients. We now use two buttons: ‘I have received a collection notification’ and ‘Other’. This has proved to be the ideal solution.”

Priority is given to the ‘I have received a collection notification’ service. This means that these patients can be served before patients who have selected ‘Other’. According to Henriëtte, this enables the pharmacy to process the queue more quickly: “We tell patients that they should only come to the pharmacy once they have received their collection notification. If their medication is already prepared, we can assist them quickly and professionally. This is more convenient for the patient, as they can leave the pharmacy again without unnecessary delay.”

Express counter

Henriëtte explains that Dok11 is a relatively large pharmacy, with six counters and an average of 300 to 350 patients each day. During particularly busy periods, the pharmacy can create a temporary express counter: “We can designate one counter exclusively for patients who have received a collection notification. This allows us to reduce the queue quickly while keeping waiting times for other patients as low as possible.”

The pharmacy has turned working as efficiently as possible, without compromising on quality, into something of a team challenge. Henriëtte says: “Every day, we export the raw data from the system. We use this to create our own performance dashboard containing the most important figures from the previous day, such as the average waiting time and the waiting time of the patient who waited the longest.

“We also have a fun incentive scheme through which employees can earn points if the average waiting time is below two minutes and thirty seconds and no one has had to wait longer than ten minutes. This raises awareness among employees, and we can see that they actively contribute ideas about how we can work even more efficiently. It has become a genuine team effort.”

Identifying and resolving bottlenecks

The data provided by the system also helps the pharmacy identify operational bottlenecks.

Henriëtte explains: “The data allows us to see where things went wrong. We can then take appropriate action, for example by adjusting staff schedules when we expect a particularly busy period or by organising breaks differently.”

Combined with digital signage

The pharmacy has two Wachtkamerschermen® digital signage screens: one in the pharmacy itself and one in the staff room. The screen in the pharmacy is used for patient communication: “The screen in the pharmacy serves two purposes. We want to provide patients with information about the pharmacy, while also drawing their attention to the safe use of medication, responding to current topics, highlighting our digital services and reminding them to provide consent for the exchange of medical information. Patients are generally not in the pharmacy for very long, so we keep the content brief and concise.”

The second digital signage screen is located in the staff room and is used for internal communication. Henriëtte explains: “We mainly use this screen to help employees relax. During their breaks, they can watch the latest news and entertaining videos. In between, we also display the monitoring page showing the current waiting time and the number of people waiting. This ensures that our employees remain aware of our efficiency targets.”

Highly satisfied

During the interview, it quickly became clear that Henriëtte and her colleagues are very satisfied with both the queue management system and eValue8: “Whenever we have a question, it is dealt with quickly. The system is also extremely stable, and we rarely experience any problems.” At the same time, Apotheek Dok11 is always looking for ways to improve its efficiency even further. Henriëtte says: “We are continuously looking for ways to assist our patients more quickly and provide them with a more pleasant experience. It would therefore be beneficial if the system could be integrated with our Track & Trace solution in the future. “We would also like employees working on computers in the back office to receive an automatic notification when the pharmacy becomes particularly busy. They can currently view this information on the monitoring page, but they do not always have that page open.”

According to Henriëtte, it is precisely this combination of satisfaction and a shared commitment to continuous improvement that makes the partnership so positive: “eValue8 listens to ideas from people working in pharmacies and understands what pharmacies need. Together, we are building a system that helps pharmacies work both faster and more effectively.”