Meet the Team: Mason Halls

February 24, 2022
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6 minute read

In our next instalment of the Meet the Team series, we catch up with Mason Halls, one of our pharmacy dispensers in our London branch. Mason talks us through a typical day in the pharmacy and shares what he enjoys most about his role at Phlo.

Tell us a bit about your educational background and your previous roles before joining Phlo.

My first experience working in pharmacy was when I completed work experience in secondary school. I worked in my local pharmacy for a week where I learned the ropes on how a pharmacy runs and different types of medications. From that point on I knew I wanted to pursue pharmacy as a career path and set out my goals and targets to be able to make this a reality. Upon finishing work experience, I started working at the same pharmacy part time while studying. From there, I started studying pharmacy full time, achieving my qualification as a pharmacy dispenser.

What makes Phlo different and what attracted you to the role?

I love working with technology and was looking for something a bit different that I could do in the pharmacy sector, outside of community pharmacy. I did some research and came across Phlo. What intrigued me about Phlo was that they were combining technology and great patient care to build a 21st century pharmacy experience for their patients.  I decided that I would set myself a challenge and apply for the role as a dispenser. Working within a fast-growing digital pharmacy is different from working in a usual community or high street pharmacy. Everything is always changing and evolving, meaning no two days are the same. I like the fact that our systems and pharmacy operations are always evolving and changing to make our patient experience better every day.  

What does your role entail and what does a typical day look like for you?

On a typical day I arrive at the London pharmacy at 8am and start by printing the NHS and Private prescriptions from the night before. Sometimes this can take a while as we receive a large volume of prescriptions. Once this is complete, I then start to pick the medicines for the prescriptions, putting them into individual baskets and getting them ready to be processed onto our system. Once they have been picked, I add them onto the system, which then notifies our patients that their medication order is ready to be scheduled for delivery.

Starting out at Phlo as a dispenser has been amazing. Phlo has also given me the opportunity to progress my career to the next level by putting me through the Level 3 – Pharmacy Technician course. This is a 2-year course which allows me to gain a further understanding of how each drug works and reacts in the body. Once I complete this course, I will be able to council and give detailed information to patients about different drugs that they are taking and their different effects.

How do you work with the Pharmacists and the rest of the team at Phlo?  

I work very closely with the pharmacists to check and ensure all prescriptions are dispatched on time. Most of my time is spent inputting prescription data into the system so the pharmacist can clinically check it and ensure that all data is inputted accurately.  

I then work with the dispatch team to ensure that all packages are correct ensure that the patient receives the correct medication - this is a crucial part of the dispensing process and must be done with 100% concentration as any distractions can lead to a dispensing error.

As well as the pharmacy team, we work very closely with our patient care team to ensure that all patient enquires are answered quickly and efficiently.  

What do you regard as the most important aspect of your role?

The most important aspect of my role is to provide patients with an easy to use and safe pharmacy service. We all strive to go above and beyond to ensure that patients receive the best service when using Phlo. We’ll often speak to patients on the phone, via live-chat or email to ensure that they are happy and know exactly what to expect. It’s great to see such great feedback on our Trustpilot reviews as well.  

What do you enjoy most about your role and why should people join us?

The thing I love most about my role is that no two days are the same. One day I could be helping a patient order their medication and the next I could be dispensing hundreds of prescriptions. We’re a very busy pharmacy team at Phlo and there is always something to do! If you are considering joining an online pharmacy as a dispenser, Phlo is 100% the place to be. There is so much to learn about in pharmacy and how technology and medicines go hand in hand to provide the patient with a seamless service.

How do you see the future of the digital health space?

In the future I see digital pharmacy being the sole way of getting your medication. There has been an increase in the number of people using an online pharmacy, however in the future I think digital pharmacy will be a lot more popular with patients. If you get the technology right and focus on providing excellent patient care, patients will come back time and time again.  

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I like to explore unfamiliar places, although this has been hard in lockdown, but I try my best to explore a new place at least once a month. On top of this I like to play golf and go fishing with my friends as this is a way for me to relax. As we grow at Phlo, sometimes the pharmacy team can have very busy days so it is vital to enjoy my relaxation and switch off time.  

Mason caught a 20lb Common Carp at Linnear Fisheries in Oxfordshire

If you’d like to join the Phlo team and help us shape the future of Pharmacy, check out our careers page.

Content last reviewed on:
June 6, 2023
Next review date:
June 6, 2024
Further reading
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