Pharmacy Design Trends for the Next Decade

The interior design of your pharmacy should be a reflection of your brand, business and your vision. But that does not mean you can forget about interior design trends completely. When creating a new design for your pharmacy, it is only natural that you want to create a design your customers find appealing. And while you should always aim at creating an evergreen design, it might be worth taking a look at a few modern pharmacy design trends and evaluate how you could fit them into your brand image. So what characterises modern pharmacy design and what are some trends you should definitely keep an eye on? Here are a few ideas.

Modern technology for modern pharmacies

Technology has become an integral part of our everyday life, and businesses need to capitalise on and adapt to these changes. Pharmacies are no exception to this. Modern technologies, such as automated dispensing robots, digital kiosks, charging stations and Wi-Fi are indispensable parts of the modern pharmacy business.

If you want to ensure that your pharmacy continues to be successful in the future, you must think about technology and try to integrate it into your designs. But which technologies are investing in? Here is our list:

• Pharmacy automation. Pharmacy automation has been around for some time. Automated robotic systems, dispensing robots and digital kiosks can add huge value to your business. Not only can they speed up and optimise workflow, but they can also free up pharmacists to do more complex tasks.
• Charging stations and Wi-Fi access. We are more connected to our gadgets than we have ever been before. Customers entering your pharmacy are no different. They might wish to surf the Web, respond to emails or relax a bit while waiting to receive your top-quality pharmacy services. Installing charging stations and offering free Wi-Fi to your customers can significantly increase customer satisfaction. At the same time, it speaks volumes about the quality of your services.
• Telemedicine. With the growing need for additional healthcare services, telemedicine is expected to become an integral part of modern pharmacy design as well. Setting up a room for offering consultation services can easily be done. All it takes is a secluded room, fitted with wide-screen displays, a video-camera, Internet access and a microphone.

Customer-centred design continues to influence modern pharmacy design

Retail pharmacies have always been renowned for their customer-oriented approach to design. Modern pharmacy design should also follow this trend.

Creating pharmacy interior designs that tend to customers’ needs is now more important than ever. To do that, however, it is vital that you first understand what it is your customers want. And while every pharmacy’s customer base is different, certain trends seem to have general validity. These include:

• Open & welcoming spaces. Aim to create an open-space pharmacy interior design that feels airy. Customers want spaces that are easy to navigate, spacious and open. Nothing drives more customers away than a crammed, suffocating pharmacy.
• Accessibility & Comfort. If your customers to keep coming back to your pharmacy, you need to ensure they feel comfortable. Make sure that your pharmacy is accessible for people of all ages, sizes and abilities. Provide comfortable seating areas or waiting rooms for your customers.
• Convenience. Many customers today want to have access to a wide range of healthcare services. These include a free consultation, treatment for minor ailments and injuries as well as supervised consumption areas. Offering a one-stop experience for customers can give your business a competitive edge. For these reasons, it is worth incorporating them into the overall pharmacy design.

Focus on sustainability and flexibility

We live a fast-paced life and design trends are constantly changing. So do customer expectations and the pharmacy business as well. Because of this, creating flexible designs has become more important than ever.

Flexible design has become more important than ever. Modern pharmacy design should allow for the creation of multi-purpose spaces that can easily be converted to suit other purposes. Wheeled partitions and shell spaces, for example, allow you to make maximum use of available floor space and treat more patients. Similarly, opting for flexible pharmacy shelving options allows you to adapt to seasonal changes in stock, to change the layout of your store and refresh the interior design from time to time.

But it is not just flexibility that matters. There is an ever-greater emphasis on creating environmentally-friendly designs and working with materials that come from reliable sources. Designers and pharmacy owners alike should commit to sustainability and recognise our shared responsibility to protect our planet.

Bring the outside in

Modern pharmacy design is all about creating warm, welcoming and comfortable spaces for customers. And one of the most effective ways of achieving that is to concentrate on biophilic design. Embrace natural colours and materials, earthy-tones and a lot of natural light.

Giving your pharmacy a more natural feel helps your customers relax. To do that, try to opt for lighter, neutral colours for the inside walls of your pharmacy. Replace metal shelving with wooden and glass ones. Say goodbye to fluorescent, cold lights and let the sunshine in instead. Forget about ugly linoleum floors and opt for more natural materials or wooden-patterned laminate flooring. And consider adding non-blooming plants to the design to give your pharmacy a more natural atmosphere.

Modern pharmacy design should be simple, clean & welcoming

A modern pharmacy should look clean and uncluttered, without having an overly sterile and clinical look and feel. Gone are the days of white-coloured walls, metal gondola shelves, linoleum floors and cold fluorescent lights. Instead, modern pharmacies aim to create warm, open spaces that entice customers to step inside. But how can you achieve that?

First, you need to focus on creating a simple and clean design. It is a good idea to opt for lighter, more neutral colours for your walls that promote an image of professionalism and efficiency. But it does not have to be all-white, though. You can blend in bolder, more vibrant colours by creating wall arts and going for colourful, creative shelving designs.

Second, think about lighting design. Fluorescent tubes and cool, white lights create a sterile, unwelcoming atmosphere. Try to go for softer, warmer and more natural light sources. If artificial lighting is needed, you should opt for LED lights in warmer tones, or choosing back-lit shelves and lightboxes to add to the design.

Last, but not least do not be afraid of a more sophisticated ceiling design. Forget about simple, tiled ceilings and opt for more creative ones. A well-thought-out ceiling design enhances the overall design of your pharmacy. It can help draw attention to specific parts of your pharmacy and greatly influences the look and feel of your pharmacy.

Ready for a new decade of pharmacy interior design?

The pharmacy business has changed a lot in recent years. These changes have, in turn, led to changes in modern pharmacy interior design as well. Today, we selected the trends that we believe define the age of modern pharmacy interior design and the ones we think will stay with us for some time.

The latest trends in modern pharmacy interior design emphasise aesthetics and customer-oriented healthcare services. Creating warm, open and friendly spaces is at the forefront of forward-looking pharmacy interior design. As we are stepping into a new decade of interior design, it is important to understand and look out for these modern design trends. But what matters most is to keep the design true to your brand and your business. Ultimately, it all comes down to staying innovative, bold and above all, tending to your customers’ needs and expectations.

Is your pharmacy fit for delivering modern pharmacy services? Our experienced pharmacy shopfitters can help create the best modern pharmacy interior design concept for your business. Contact us for help.

Originally published at https://www.contrastinteriors.co.uk on January 14, 2020.