WELL PHARMACY
Strategy, Service Discovery & Re-design
Title: Managed Repeats
Role: Service Designer
Title: Managed Repeats
Role: Service Designer
Well is the largest independent pharmacy in the UK. As part of a business-wide digital transformation effort, they wanted to understand how their repeat medications service could be improved and simplified for store staff and customers. Could the process be better in store and end-to-end?
CHALLENGE
Understanding the role of store staff in a digital age was crucial for the success of this project. Automating every step of the repeats process would not be well received considering customers had built relationships over decades with store staff. The goal: to understand and pin-point improvements to the existing repeat medication service without adding complexity. The vision: to make staff's experience more seamless and to better support customers in keeping up with their repeat medicine cycle.
Understanding the role of store staff in a digital age was crucial for the success of this project. Automating every step of the repeats process would not be well received considering customers had built relationships over decades with store staff. The goal: to understand and pin-point improvements to the existing repeat medication service without adding complexity. The vision: to make staff's experience more seamless and to better support customers in keeping up with their repeat medicine cycle.
PROCESS
Supported by a wider team, I visited several Well Pharmacy stores. I personally travelled to Scotland and Wales to interview staff and customers, observe and document the end-to-end repeat medication process. The differences (such as whether medications are free or not in the part of the country) were highlighted, since the service solution would need to work everywhere.
Whilst doing the discovery work, it was essential to synthesise visually using service maps and behavioural persona templates. The map began showing clusters of pain-points, bottlenecks and opportunities.
We held co-creation workshops to absorb the collected insights and produce ideas. We worked closely with Well's internal teams, encouraging a collaborative open way of working.
PROTOTYPING
'Service storming', or enacting every step of the service using artifacts, helped us demonstrate how the service would work. I designed clickable prototypes on sketch and supporting material to help bring the service to live. I took the clickable prototypes in store to gather feedback from staff on the ground and customers.
We showed the mechanics of the service several times to gather as much feedback from internal staff as possible.
Supported by a wider team, I visited several Well Pharmacy stores. I personally travelled to Scotland and Wales to interview staff and customers, observe and document the end-to-end repeat medication process. The differences (such as whether medications are free or not in the part of the country) were highlighted, since the service solution would need to work everywhere.
Whilst doing the discovery work, it was essential to synthesise visually using service maps and behavioural persona templates. The map began showing clusters of pain-points, bottlenecks and opportunities.
We held co-creation workshops to absorb the collected insights and produce ideas. We worked closely with Well's internal teams, encouraging a collaborative open way of working.
PROTOTYPING
'Service storming', or enacting every step of the service using artifacts, helped us demonstrate how the service would work. I designed clickable prototypes on sketch and supporting material to help bring the service to live. I took the clickable prototypes in store to gather feedback from staff on the ground and customers.
We showed the mechanics of the service several times to gather as much feedback from internal staff as possible.
COMMUNICATING THE VISION
A digital prescription management system concept was born. The new service, holistically thought through, took advantage of technology whilst giving time back to pharmacists to answer questions and support patients.
The idea was demonstrated in an animated video I created, was shared with the wider team. We handed over a design toolkit for the internal Well team to take-over and implement the service at scale as planned.
A digital prescription management system concept was born. The new service, holistically thought through, took advantage of technology whilst giving time back to pharmacists to answer questions and support patients.
The idea was demonstrated in an animated video I created, was shared with the wider team. We handed over a design toolkit for the internal Well team to take-over and implement the service at scale as planned.
LEARNINGS
The service we re-designed was not hard to re-imagine. The challenge for me was to change something that had ingrained behaviours and decades-long habits.
This service is used by thousands of people across all demographics on a daily basis. Failing fast in pharmacy is not a thing. Being safe and careful is more valuable.
This project taught me that design is like ' Jenga': any time spent thinking is time well spent.
The service we re-designed was not hard to re-imagine. The challenge for me was to change something that had ingrained behaviours and decades-long habits.
This service is used by thousands of people across all demographics on a daily basis. Failing fast in pharmacy is not a thing. Being safe and careful is more valuable.
This project taught me that design is like ' Jenga': any time spent thinking is time well spent.
