St John's Pharmacy and Body Care at Weymouth, Dorset, has developed a package of health and beauty offers for employees of local businesses aimed at dealing with problems such as back pain and stress. Speaking to The Journal on May 5 the owner of St John's Pharmacy, Mr Dipan Shah, said that targeting local employers with the benefits package had helped to boost his business. Mr Shah has contracted a marketing consultant, Mr Roy Griffiths, to develop this side of the business. An open evening was held for local businesses to explain what the pharmacy could offer and to show the facilities at the pharmacy. The scheme is being sold to businesses as a way of reducing time lost due to employee sickness, especially through back pain and stress.

Marketing consultant Roy Griffiths (left) explains the benefits of the St John’s Pharmacy employees’ package to a local businessman

Mr Shah moved to Weymouth in 1995 after working in the pharmaceutical industry. He took over an existing pharmacy close to the sea front. However, the premises were not large enough and a minor relocation was made in 1998 to an old public house, formerly the Star and Garter, next to a seven-doctor medical practice. He says that some of his older customers fondly remember the pub, once one of the town's most popular.
The new premises had around 2,000 sq ft of space on the ground floor. This was used for a beauty treatments area, a toning studio with seven toning tables and three treatment rooms for use by complementary practitioners, as well as the pharmacy. Eight complementary practitioners use the treatment rooms.

Five businesses, including the Dorset Echo newspaper and Weymouth and Portland borough council, have signed up for the scheme since it was launched at the end of last year. Employees of the businesses are offered a privilege card, advertised via posters at their place of work. Those taking up the offer receive discounts for a diagnostic "MoT check" (blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels), and for sessions with a chiropractor and accupuncturist. Further offers are to be made as the scheme progresses and a newsletter will be sent out. At present, the employees pay for the treatments they receive, but Mr Shah said that it was intended that, in the long term, employers would contract directly with the pharmacy for the services.
Within the pharmacy, space has been devoted to home health and disabled living aids and vitamins, minerals and supplements. Merchandising advice had been provided for these by Mr Shah's wholesaler, AAH Pharmaceuticals Ltd. In the VMS area, a touchscreen information point was provided running an American alternative medicines programme called Health Notes. AAH also assisted in the purchase of an LDX analyser for performing diagnostic blood tests.

A touchscreen information system, Health Notes, is used to give customers advice about complementary medicines