How to Scale Private PGD Services: A Growth Guide for UK Community Pharmacies

As the landscape of UK community pharmacy shifts further away from dispensing-only models, the transition into clinical service delivery is no longer optional—it is a strategic necessity. While many pharmacies offer Pharmacy PGD (Patient Group Direction) services, there is a significant difference between offering a service and successfully scaling it.

To move from a handful of monthly consultations to a high-volume, high-margin clinical operation, pharmacy owners and superintendents must address three pillars: efficiency, compliance, and patient retention.

Here is how you can scale your private clinical services using modern pharmacy management software.

1. Curate a Comprehensive Service Portfolio

Scaling begins with the breadth of your offering. If a patient visits for a travel vaccination but discovers you can also assist with skin conditions or weight management, your "Customer Lifetime Value" increases immediately.

Deltera provides access to a robust library of 42 PGDs, covering the most in-demand clinical areas. By utilizing a single platform for this wide range of services, you ensure a consistent experience for the pharmacist and a unified record for the patient.

2. Recover 10 Minutes per Appointment

The biggest bottleneck to scaling is the "consultation hour." If a pharmacist spends 20 minutes on manual data entry and basic eligibility questions, they are limited in how many patients they can see.

By leveraging pharmacy software with integrated pre-screening, you can shift the "eligibility phase" to the patient before they even arrive.

• The Impact: Our users report saving an average of 10 minutes per appointment through digital pre-screening.

• The Result: Those 10 minutes allow for more appointments per day, shorter waiting times, and a higher focus on clinical advice rather than administrative paperwork.

3. Implement "Guided Consultations" for Safety

When scaling across multiple branches or a busy team, clinical consistency is vital. Pharmacy management software should act as a digital co-pilot.

Deltera’s clinical logic ensures that the pharmacist is guided through the PGD criteria step-by-step. If a patient falls outside the safe parameters of the PGD, the system halts the process. However, unlike legacy systems, Deltera offers an IP Bridge. If the PGD isn't a fit but you have an Independent Prescriber on-site (or via a remote link), the consultation can be handed off seamlessly, ensuring the patient gets the care they need without restarting the journey.

4. Professionalise the Patient Journey

To compete with private GP clinics, community pharmacies must offer a professional digital experience. This is achieved through a dedicated patient portal where patients can:

• Manage and view upcoming appointments.

• Access their clinical history with your pharmacy.

• Book follow-up services.

A digital-first approach reduces "no-shows" and builds the brand loyalty required to scale a private service.

5. Multi-Branch Oversight and Compliance

For operations directors and superintendents managing groups, scaling often brings a "compliance headache." You need to know that all 1250+ pharmacies in a network (or even just five) are operating safely.

A centralized head-office dashboard allows you to:

• Monitor performance across specific regions or branches.

• Track training and PGD expiry dates.

• Own your data: All reports are ready-to-go and can be exported to Excel or CSV for deep-dive financial analysis.

Moving Beyond Dispensing

Scaling your private services is about removing the friction that stops a pharmacist from being a clinician. With the right pharmacy prescribing software, the administrative burden disappears, leaving a profitable, compliant, and professional clinical business.