In our latest instalment of Meet the Team we talk to Luke Bolton, product manager, as he approaches the final stretch of a ‘marathon’ project to make the lives of pharmacists easier during vaccination season this autumn…
Q. When did you join Cegedim Rx?
A. In 2017, first working within the customer service team and then being asked to join the
product team as a business analyst and now as a product manager for our clinical services
platform, Pharmacy Services.
A. In 2017, first working within the customer service team and then being asked to join the
product team as a business analyst and now as a product manager for our clinical services
platform, Pharmacy Services.
Q. What does a product manager do?
A. You wear many hats. But I think that’s standard for Cegedim Rx. Everyone gets stuck in.
I work closely with customers to understand how we can evolve our Pharmacy Services
platform. How can we save them time, simplify complex processes, help provide better care
to more patients, help them make more money. With this, I then work with the
development teams to create the technology, and with sales and marketing to bring it to
life.
Q. When you tell people what you do for a living, what most surprises them?
A. Until Pharmacy First was launched it was probably just how much community pharmacy
can offer patients. From vaccinations, clinical services, NHS and private care. Most people
just thought it was where they picked up their prescription or some cough medicine.
But I think now what really surprises people is just how tough it is for pharmacies to
survive. Most people don’t consider a pharmacy to be a business – maybe because of the
amount of NHS care they provide – but that’s exactly what they are. They need to make
money to keep the service going.
survive. Most people don’t consider a pharmacy to be a business – maybe because of the
amount of NHS care they provide – but that’s exactly what they are. They need to make
money to keep the service going.
When I explain that, they understand why the systems Cegedim Rx creates are so
important.
important.
Q. You mentioned pharmacies delivering vaccinations, you’re working on a project
connected to that at the moment aren’t you?
A. We’re in the final stages of NHS assurance so we can roll out a new workflow for flu and
covid vaccinations ahead of the autumn season. It’s been a marathon project to be involved
in – I don’t think I’ve thought about much else for months now – but we’re coming towards
the finish line.
covid vaccinations ahead of the autumn season. It’s been a marathon project to be involved
in – I don’t think I’ve thought about much else for months now – but we’re coming towards
the finish line.
What it will mean for customers is they’ll be able to record flu and covid vaccinations far
more easily through Pharmacy Services. We’ve made the workflow intuitive, pharmacists can
record dual vaccinations across all devices – desktop, tablet and smartphone. And longer
term, there’s potential to extend this to include other NHS vaccinations such as RSV and
shingles.
It goes back to that focus on making pharmacists’ lives easier. During vaccination seasons
patient numbers increase massively. The systems used need to make juggling this high
patient demand as simple and painless as possible.
Tags: Clinical Pharmacy Services, Meet the team, rxperts | Author: Cegedim Rx