27 August 2007

Online Training for Pharmacies Proves Nothing to Sneeze At.

Asserting its firm grasp on technology, the CountryPharm group of pharmacies recently implemented SmartPharm, a ground breaking web-based training, information and services platform. Using the power of the internet to deliver training information and services to pharmacy staff, CountryPharm is now enjoying the benefits of significant sales increases as a direct result of introducing the SmartPharm product.

Established by an esteemed group comprising of leading pharmacists, pharmacy experts and Australia's leading integrated online learning, communication and recruitment specialist Workstar, the SmartPharm platform is specifically tailored to the pharmaceutical industry enabling the pharmacy owner to tailor training and product information to suit the specific needs of his or her business.

CountryPharm's Managing Director, Michael Flannery says that SmartPharm has delivered impressively tangible benefits to his business.

"Sales results for the month after the SmartPharm training clearly demonstrated SmartPharm's effectiveness with an increase of 40% in sales in the allergy category. Sales also increased by 35% in the non-sedating antihistamines range," says Mr Flannery.

"Now that we have an understanding of how to implement online learning into our business we have prioritised integrating formalised learning and associated outcomes into our strategy. Our goal is to improve our sales, boost net profit and strengthen our position of "employer of choice" in our retail marketplace. Workstar is helping us to achieve these goals," Mr Flannery continues.

Gerard Manion, Executive Director of Workstar, says that SmartPharm was built on the backbone of Workstar's award winning 'Versity' platform and provides a single coherent conduit for all pharmacy related skills and product information.

"In the same way that Seek has become the preferred destination of job seekers, we would like to see SmartPharm become the principal destination for gaining knowledge related to the retail pharmaceutical industry. The versatility and flexibility of SmartPharm enables pharmacy owners to replace paper-based training with an online platform which also measures the effectiveness of training and marketing programs, helping pharmacies become more competitive," says Mr Manion.

As Australia's largest accredited training provider, delivering nationally recognised accredited traineeships to over 7000 people a year in over 80 accredited courses, Workstar offers integrated online learning solutions, accredited training, consulting services and custom content solutions.

About Workstar

Workstar and its subsidiaries are part of the TodayCorp group, providing total learning and development solutions to people and businesses of all sizes. Many of the region’s leading employers use Workstar’s award winning technology, learning content and consulting services to deliver increased sales, productivity and compliance, whilst reducing training and recruitment costs. Workstar has also been awarded major national and international multimedia projects in education and training and has received global recognition for its solutions and impact on business success.

About CountryPharm

CountryPharm is a group of 5 pharmacies based in Country NSW offering a wide range of professional products and services to the communities of Bathurst, Dubbo, Forbes and Parkes. CountryPharm's point of difference is the provision of trained community Pharmacists and Registered Nurses who provide an invaluable quality service to their customers, hosting many health promotion activities, developing strategic relationships with community health services, and providing general health information.