I'm a pharmacy tech, and I run a micro-sucction clinic in our independent pharmacy. Our local GP surgery has stopped doing it, and they always send people over to me (literally across the road). There are 2 other places in our town that do it, but I'm still quite busy. The hardest part I find is having to charge NHS hearing aid patients, as they are often on pension credit. I'm currently trying to find out if they have some sort of proof, i.e. appointment letter, to see if we can possibly offer a discount without impacting too much on our equipment rental fees, and also setting up a regular home visit clinic.
The equipment I use comes from a company who also provided all my training. Also, along side pharmacy first, my pharmacist has a private PGD to cover adults, if a find any infection, he can provide the drops/spray or I can send PDFs in an email to their GP. It's working really well.
It might not seem a lot, but I can have 10 appointments booked in on a busy week. However, I also have to fit in checking (ACPT), covid clinics (at the moment), and dispensing blister packs. And I'm part-time! Our partner branch about 15 minutes away can have 20 people booked across 4 days. Since I made a poster and popped into the surgery, I get 2 or 3 walk in enquiries everyday now.
I don't know about an individual business, but to run from our pharmacy or a GP surgery, everyone on our course had to have a registered qualification. My group were pharmacists, techs, GPs & nurses. Our dispenser wasn't allowed to register on the course. I think a couple of the nurses were going to do their own home visits
Yep definitely a good idea, when you get set up go to local surgeries and pharmacies with posters/cards and ask them politely to display for you that way when someone comes in to ask they have your card to give. Then regularly go into surgery/pharmacy with top up of cards/biscuits/donuts to say thanks
I used a mobile audiologist a couple of weeks ago as my ears were blocked and I needed ear wax removal. I could not get an appointment at specsavers for love nor money as I needed a weekend so used a mobile one. Brilliant guy and a really good business to have, quick simple and worth the money (same price as specsavers and he saw me at my home)… go for it!
I used to use a micro suction place in Caterham Surrey, they retired and closed down they might not have sold off their equipment yet. My GP says water is better than micro suction but that just could be because that the only method they use.
As somebody who has to pay £300 a time ms on chronic, yearly ear infections (genetic, my bro pays £150 a year as part of a routine checkup now), I’d absolutely pay for a mobile service offering it (I’m based in London)
How much!? Feel free not to answer, but what do you get for that? Where I'm based, it's nowhere near that much, not even what we class as the expensive company in the town.
I've been using one of these with warm water for over 15 years with no issues. Went to the doctor's once and they suggested it. https://amzn.eu/d/c5ulOiu
Yes. Do it. Spec savers already provide something like this though. Your selling point is mobile service.
I'm a pharmacy tech, and I run a micro-sucction clinic in our independent pharmacy. Our local GP surgery has stopped doing it, and they always send people over to me (literally across the road). There are 2 other places in our town that do it, but I'm still quite busy. The hardest part I find is having to charge NHS hearing aid patients, as they are often on pension credit. I'm currently trying to find out if they have some sort of proof, i.e. appointment letter, to see if we can possibly offer a discount without impacting too much on our equipment rental fees, and also setting up a regular home visit clinic. The equipment I use comes from a company who also provided all my training. Also, along side pharmacy first, my pharmacist has a private PGD to cover adults, if a find any infection, he can provide the drops/spray or I can send PDFs in an email to their GP. It's working really well.
That's quite interesting, do you have many customers that come through?
It might not seem a lot, but I can have 10 appointments booked in on a busy week. However, I also have to fit in checking (ACPT), covid clinics (at the moment), and dispensing blister packs. And I'm part-time! Our partner branch about 15 minutes away can have 20 people booked across 4 days. Since I made a poster and popped into the surgery, I get 2 or 3 walk in enquiries everyday now.
Do you have to come from any medical background to start up or can anyone do the training course and star their own business/practice?
I don't know about an individual business, but to run from our pharmacy or a GP surgery, everyone on our course had to have a registered qualification. My group were pharmacists, techs, GPs & nurses. Our dispenser wasn't allowed to register on the course. I think a couple of the nurses were going to do their own home visits
Can I ask which company provided your training?
Yeah, it was TympaHealth
I work in pharmacy as a dispenser. The amount of people that come in asking about ear syringing is mad. Definitely worth a go I would say.
Yep definitely a good idea, when you get set up go to local surgeries and pharmacies with posters/cards and ask them politely to display for you that way when someone comes in to ask they have your card to give. Then regularly go into surgery/pharmacy with top up of cards/biscuits/donuts to say thanks
Take my money
Welsh NHS still provides ear wax removal. I get mine cleared every year.
Scoosh scoosh 💦🕯️
I used a mobile audiologist a couple of weeks ago as my ears were blocked and I needed ear wax removal. I could not get an appointment at specsavers for love nor money as I needed a weekend so used a mobile one. Brilliant guy and a really good business to have, quick simple and worth the money (same price as specsavers and he saw me at my home)… go for it!
I used to use a micro suction place in Caterham Surrey, they retired and closed down they might not have sold off their equipment yet. My GP says water is better than micro suction but that just could be because that the only method they use.
As somebody who has to pay £300 a time ms on chronic, yearly ear infections (genetic, my bro pays £150 a year as part of a routine checkup now), I’d absolutely pay for a mobile service offering it (I’m based in London)
How much!? Feel free not to answer, but what do you get for that? Where I'm based, it's nowhere near that much, not even what we class as the expensive company in the town.
I've been using one of these with warm water for over 15 years with no issues. Went to the doctor's once and they suggested it. https://amzn.eu/d/c5ulOiu