In Interviews

Follow this topic

Bookmark

Record learning outcomes

Cardiff’s Insync Pharmacy scooped last year’s Pharmacy Team of the Year award at the Independent Pharmacy Awards. Saša Janković caught up with its superintendent Rob Cousins…

Insync Healthcare Pharmacy in North Cardiff has established itself as an essential part of the local community since its inception in 2008.

Expanding from a small operation with just one pharmacist and three support staff, it has grown under the leadership of superintendent pharmacy manager Rob Cousins into a powerhouse team of healthcare professionals.

The team now includes five pharmacists, four of whom are independent prescribers, three accredited technicians and a well-rounded support team.

Everyone feels supported to develop their career in the pharmacy 

Senior pharmacists Emma Johnson, Catherine Hickman and Daniel Freeman, along with post-registration pharmacist Evelyn Barnes, have played a crucial role in the pharmacy's success.

Accredited technicians Stacey, Chloe and Sarah, alongside dispensary assistants Claire, Sarah, Lauren, Angharad and Gina, provide essential support, and the broader team including Sharon, Amelia, Morgan, Martin and Tom ensure smooth operations contributing to Insync’s exceptional performance.

As the winner of the Pharmacy Team Award, Rob says making sure everyone feels supported to develop their career in the pharmacy in the way that suits them best is the secret to creating – and retaining – a successful team.

“I aim to meet one-to-one with each of my team ideally every six months and discuss how things are going for them”, he says.

“We’ll identify any training needs or additional support, and make a plan together of how they can progress. I also try to ensure no one is standing still.

“Once a member of staff has been with us for a while I try to assign a role to them from dispensary supervisor, procurement lead, tray coordinator and even social secretary.

I have found if all staff are moving forward the company also does so naturally.” 

Dynamic service delivery

It’s not just the staff who are on a roll: the pharmacy's comprehensive service delivery also sets it apart.

Processing over 20,000 prescription items a month, Insync’s team handles a substantial volume with efficiency while running a range of services, including delivering over 1,800 NHS and private flu vaccines and 1,500-plus Covid vaccines in the 2023-24 period.

Additionally, their travel clinic, earwax removal service and offsite clinical support services offer a comprehensive choice for patients, as well as other healthcare professionals.

“We also work closely with private hospitals and clinics, supporting them with audits, controlled drug management and procurement guidance”, adds Rob.

““That is something I am particularly keen on because we know that having such a diverse service offering allows us to meet patient needs more effectively."

Inevitably, there have been some bumps in the road, but the team has worked together to turn these challenges into opportunities.

For example, the unexpected closure of a local LloydsPharmacy in March 2023 significantly increased their workload.

“We were faced with a patient list that grew by 25% in a week – which was an extra five thousand items”, explains Rob, “but the team rose to the occasion, scaling up operations seamlessly.”

Streamlines our workflow, reduces administrative tasks

And although Wales still operations a paper-based prescription system, Rob has made sure that the pharmacy is already prepared for the impending roll-out of EPS by installing a completely paperless dispensing system.

That was supplied by fellow Welsh pharmacy innovator Paul Mayberry’s company PharmacyX, which Rob says has been a game-changer.

“It streamlines our workflow, reduces administrative tasks and gives our team more time to focus on patient care”, he says.

The pharmacy’s collaborative working environment is also key when it comes to maintaining staff morale.

"Pharmacy can be a demanding profession”, says Rob, “so we’ve structured our team to ensure everyone has a good work-life balance.

“By building a team of five pharmacists, working a maximum of four days in the week, we’ve got the flexibility to cover each other and avoid burnout.

“An awareness that everyone has a different break point and people’s breakpoints change is an important way to avoid staff burnout, and I encourage staff to be open about this and not see it as a negative.

“Having a larger team also means that if someone is off on annual leave or for any other reason, others can step in so that the pharmacy still runs smoothly.

“That keeps morale high and ensures our pharmacists stay with us long-term. Another plus is that we don’t rely on locums, which means our patients see familiar faces and receive a more personalised service."

Incredibly passionate about training and mentoring pharmacists 

This kind of flexibility is vital for Rob. “I have always aimed to treat my staff as humans”, he says. “I understand they have lives outside of work and sometimes things cannot go as planned – just as they don’t in mine.”

Looking ahead to inspire the next generation of pharmacists is another way that Rob keeps the sustainability of his team – and the profession – in mind.

"Training and mentoring pharmacists is something I’m incredibly passionate about”, he says. “In Wales, we receive funding to provide placements to undergraduate student pharmacists.

“I also occasionally teach at Cardiff and Swansea University. In fact, I was giving a lecture back in the autumn and when I looked around the room, I realised of the 26 independent prescribers I knew more than 50 per cent.

“I also have visited high schools to talk to students about careers in pharmacy because many young people don’t realise the variety of roles within the profession.

It’s great to see some of them go on to train as pharmacy technicians and even pharmacists."

Rob’s motto for team success is that managers are wise to understand they are also part of the pharmacy team.

“I learnt that to be a leader you need to lead by example so I would not ask a member of staff to do a role I would not do myself”, he says.

“When things get tough I am with them and not hiding at the back, and when things don’t go as planned I do not assign blame.

We succeed or fail together and this award is a testament to the incredible work our team does every day.

“My staff are everything and we’ve built a strong, sustainable, and patient-focused pharmacy – and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved together."