AS fresh attention focuses on how to help people cope with drug problems we talk to a chemist who has played an unusual part in the safety drive in recent years.

Name:

Stephen Dickson.

Age:

37.

What is your business called?

Dickson Chemist.

Where is it based?

There are three branches in Lanarkshire and two in Glasgow.

What does it produce, what services does it offer?

NHS Pharmacy requires us to provide a number of standard services, ranging from dispensing prescriptions to a chronic medication service. Following changes to the pharmacy contract in recent years, community pharmacists have the ability to write prescriptions for minor ailments over the counter. That has been a big growth area and a great time saver for both GPs and pharmacists. The Scottish government is looking at extending a free minor ailment service to everyone.

We have multiple consultations every day, with a view to holistic care.

All our practices are in areas of reasonably high deprivation so one of our other focuses is on daily supply of medication. We have created a product called MethaMeasure, which ensures that (opioid substitute) Methadone is dispensed quickly and in the right quantities to people who qualify to receive it. This means our staff have more time to interact with the patients. We have also supplied MethaMeasure to nearly 1,000 other pharmacists in the UK and we have significant overseas sales.

To whom does it sell?

Within the NHS, the core services for which we are remunerated are dispensing, chronic medication services, public health services and the minor ailment services.

As a group, we have also introduced extra non-NHS services, the most popular of which is our domiciliary service. There is an ageing population and rather than just delivering or sending people medication, we manage all their pharmacy requirements in the home. That could be as simple as providing a tray for weekly pills, but it means patients have regular interaction with our technicians, so we tend to spot problems before they become major.

We find the funds for this service from within the group through efficiencies in other areas. However, volume is important since the more patients we deal with the less expensive it becomes.

We have introduced managed repeat prescriptions which allow people to retain as much autonomy as possible.

What is its turnover?

£6 million in the year to November 2015. We are likely to see a reduction in the current year, since many high value medicines are becoming generic, but profitability will probably increase on a percentage basis.

How many employees?

Just under 50.

When was it formed?

1978.

Why did you take the plunge?

I remember, as a toddler, being in one of our shops in Viewpark watching one of the staff making “potions” in the back office. At weekends, I would either be counting stock or making old fashioned teething powders for babies. There wasn't really a choice. It was one of these things I had to do, but I've always enjoyed it.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I grew up in community pharmacy. My father opened the first branch with my grandfather in 1978 and operated the business until about 2000 when I took over just after I qualified.

At that time, the community pharmacy contract changed dramatically. Community pharmacy remuneration was always dependent on the quantity of drugs dispensed but we have moved to a system under which we are paid for providing clinical services to the NHS. We are still responsible for the volume based dispensing, but the relationship between how much volume you dispense and how you are paid is no longer there.

There were so many changes that we needed someone to grab the bull by the horns. Years ago, pharmacies were very different places. There was no direct clinical focus, just a supply function. So we now have to do everything we did then and so much more, requiring highly-trained and focused teams.

In the last couple of years, pharmacists have been trained as independent prescribers, so they can take over a lot of the clinical role of the GP. In our recent restructure, I have stipulated that all our pharmacists will be IPs within the next couple of years.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

In 1978 the start up costs were £2,000. When I took over, there was no initial investment apart from every moment of my waking day. While my dad is retired, he is still a director.

What was your biggest break?

Difficult. Change has been gradual, but constant. However, one of the very first things I realised was that substance misuse was a major issue. Pharmacies were overloaded and the processing seemed to be dramatically wrong. One of the first things I did was to look at how that could be altered and that resulted in the MethaMeasure project.

What was your worst moment?

Following changes to the payment model, in 2014, retained profit dropped dramatically. I had to take the decision to restructure the group from the ground up. It was a very painful year, changing remuneration models and the way the businesses looked. We are now well out of that period.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

I enjoy the way the business has changed. The restructure has placed supervisors in each store to take repetitive tasks away from the pharmacists and has given the group a new lease of life.

Also, 10 years ago I became involved in a private medical service in Rutherglen which now supplies non NHS medicines to more than 10,000 people across the UK with auto-immune diseases or Multiple Sclerosis. We specialise in Low Dose Naltrexone and I find this part fascinating. I am working with 200+ private doctors and sending medicines as far away as Singapore.

What are your ambitions for the business?

To continue to grow at a rate greater than the Scottish average. I want to have the highest possible service levels. I want to make sure our staff are of the highest calibre. We will continue to launch new services, such as our Home Eye Care plan – starting in 2016.

What are your top priorities?

The main thing is to foster stability after the restructure.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish Government do that would help?

The sector would benefit significantly from the introduction of formalised, mandatory NHS Pharmacy service level standards agreed between health boards, doctors and pharmacists.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

Pharmacists must put the patient first, but they must always have a business head. There is no point in being in business if you are not making a profit. You need profits to invest in providing better services.

How do you relax?

I lead two church bands and run a choir on Monday nights. I am also with a local theatre group TheatreSouthProductions. Our next production is Hairspray!