Tracey Doughty’s passion for training, skincare and how to improve customers’ pharmacy experience won over the judges

An instinctive grasp of how social media can complement an excellent customer experience led to Tracey Doughty, assistant manager at Day Lewis Pharmacy in Wareham, Dorset, being Highly Commended for the Innovation Award.

Tracey started working in pharmacy in photo processing, but discovered a love of healthcare that saw her complete her medicines counter assistant and dispensing assistant qualifications. Although mainly based in the dispensary, she often finds herself on the shop floor, not only because her opinion is highly sought after by customers, but also because she has a passion for skincare.

While this may seem at odds with the prescription side of the business, Tracey says that she often finds herself signposting other services offered by the pharmacy when she does a skincare consultation. This includes EPS, weight management and healthy living advice. She also finds that some customers start talking about their skin but that it leads on to other topics such as lack of self- confidence, allergies or even depression.

Tracey is passing on her expertise – gained from training opportunities including being one of only 10 people from the UK invited to a four day skincare course – to her colleagues and staff at nearby branches. She comments: “Skincare has become a focus for me in the pharmacy since my training and I think it has helped us as a team as well as our customers.” Tracey has a vision of UK pharmacies becoming more like their continental counterparts, where the cosmetic side of the business is not seen as an add-on, but is instead fully integrated into its healthcare offering. With her skills and knowledge, if anyone can effect such a transformation, it’s Tracey.