ByThe Australian 2022-2023 budget review estimated a total healthcare spending of $105.8 billion within two years. A significant part of the expenses were in the pharmaceutical industry. Given pharmacies’ valuable medical supplies, drugs, and data, tight security is non-negotiable.
Pharmacy safes are a great place to start, as they guarantee the safety of supplies, money, and data from insiders and intruders. Safes can also protect your pharmacy from burglars, employee theft, drug contamination or destruction, and data breaches.
Here are five reasons pharmacies need high-quality safes.
1.Adherence to Proper Drug Storage
Medications have varying storage recommendations, usually stipulated by the manufacturers. The Pharmacy Regulation Board in Australia has further provided guidelines on the safe storage of medicines. Some drugs need to stay frozen, others refrigerated, and some are okay within normal room temperatures. Exposing medicines to different environmental changes can cause them to lose their potency and efficacy.
The code of ethics requires pharmacies to have the right equipment for proper medicine storage. High-quality drug safes allow pharmacies to store medicines at the required temperatures and conditions. Investing in the right pharmacy safe will ensure that your medicine remains potent throughout its shelf life. Additionally, you get to avoid punitive measures resulting from improper handling and storage of medicine and medical supplies.
2.Curb Employee Theft
On average, Australian businesses lose $1.5 billion annually to employee theft. If you run a pharmacy, theft of supplies and other valuables can quickly collapse your business. A pharmacy safe is one security measure that can help address this menace.
An important feature to consider when shopping for a safe is the locking mechanism. For a pharmacy safe, we recommend a safe with card swipe access. It ensures that only authorized people have access, which makes it easier to trace lost supplies.
3.Keep Away Burglars and Intruders
You’re probably wondering why burglars would think of breaking into a pharmacy. The healthcare industry is one of the most profitable in Australia and many other Western countries. While there is the possibility of having petty cash lying around, some burglars steal medicine and pharmaceutical supplies to resell them.
As you put up security cameras, consider getting safes. They will keep your products and valuables safe in case of a break-in. The safes’ material should be thick and strong enough to avert destruction.
4.Prevention of Drug Abuse
The use of prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes has been on the rise. More people are buying opioids, sedatives, and stimulants, which they abuse. The potential harm of such drug misuse is almost similar to the abuse of well-known narcotics.
A pharmacy safe prevents drug abuse, as only professionals can dispense the drug. Safes also reduce the cases of pharmacists colluding with clients who come with falsified prescriptions.
5.Pharmacy Safes Keep Your Drugs Organized
Shelves are among the features of a safe that help organize medicines better. With hundreds of medicines in a typical pharmacy, you can look for a specific drug for hours. Keeping specific drugs in a particular safe makes it easier to manually check the stock and retrieve them as necessary.
You can place labels on each of these safes to make your work easier. The right storage will also help in tracking sales, as some safes have features to input stock and relevant details. Depending on the size of your pharmacy, you can get several safes for different drugs, depending on their storage needs, and other valuables.
High-Quality Pharmacy Safes Are Indispensable
Besides protecting medical supplies and other valuables from intruders, pharmacy safes play a critical role in running a successful drugstore. They ensure safe storage, which helps you meet the legal requirements of running a pharmacy. Additionally, they ensure potential abusers don’t get access to your drugs.
Ready to get your pharmacy safe but unsure of where to start? Visit Safes Australia today. Speak to one of our experts for guidance on the pharmacy safes available to determine what is suitable for your business. They can help you choose from the different high-quality drug safes we have.
