Recruitment can quietly strangle growth. That’s what happened to a London pharmacy we met.
They couldn’t find reliable riders. The ones they hired left within weeks or even days. Each new contract came with more costs, more admin, and more stress. Meanwhile, patients were waiting for medication. That’s not just bad business, that’s a risk to people’s health.
We stepped in with a different approach. Instead of chasing drivers, the pharmacy listed their deliveries on our platform. No upfront costs. No wasted time. Payment was only taken once the first delivery was completed.
Why does this matter? Backed by the number
1.Three‑quarters of pharmacies report staffing shortages. Meanwhile, 86% say this has led to longer patient waiting times-impacting patient care and morale
2.The vacancy rate for delivery drivers in London sits at 10% (FTE) and 12 % (headcount). Nearly 40 % report that filling those roles is ‘fairly or very difficult’
3.Across England, pharmacy technician vacancies reach up to 20 %. These shortages limit how much community pharmacies can support primary care, even programmes like Pharmacy First
4.Consumers want more. Only 18 % have used pharmacy delivery services in the past year, yet 40 % say they’d use one if available
The result?
Prescriptions are now reaching patients in within 60 minutes. The pharmacy manager said to me: “We focus on care in store, without having worries about how to deliver prescriptions or where to find a delivery rider.”
That’s the point. Pharmacies shouldn’t be in the logistics business. They should be free to do what they do best: support and prepare prescribed medicine for their patients. We take care of the delivery.
If recruitment headaches are slowing your growth, maybe it’s time to stop hiring and start partnering.
