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Create your pharmacy’s telephone greeting using an AI voice in just a few seconds
What your telephone reception service covers
4 scenarios for dealing with telephone enquiries specific at the chemist’s
A pharmacy receives dozens of calls every day. The situations that require a specific approach to handling telephone enquiries are very different from those in an ordinary business.
The team is either on the shop floor or preparing stock
Whether you’re busy at the counter or preparing a prescription, you can’t answer the phone. Your receptionist must direct the patient straight away to the right solution.
The chemist’s is closed: out-of-hours chemist’s
At night, on Sundays and on public holidays: your telephone helpline must provide details of the on-duty chemist in the area. This information changes every week and must be kept up to date.
Opening hours vary depending on the season
Summer, school holidays, public holidays: a pharmacy’s opening hours change regularly. An automated telephone message giving out-of-date opening hours wastes patients’ time and damages the pharmacy’s reputation.
Renewal of prescriptions and availability
Many patients ring to find out if a medicine is available or to renew a prescription. Your telephone reception service can direct them to the right channel without them needing to speak to a pharmacist.
Briefing, registration, delivery, installation. Several days’ wait and a charge for each change.
You can create the audio file in a matter of seconds. Your installer receives it straight away.
Set up your telephone greeting for pharmacy
With Voconix, you can go from a blank page to a professional audio file in just a few clicks, without a studio or a technician.
Write your text
Free-form text or ready-made template for a pharmacy. Opening hours, out-of-hours pharmacy, services available.
Add some music
Over 10,000 tracks: commercial or SACEM royalty-free. Automatic mixing.
Please pass this on to the installer
An MP3 or WAV file sent automatically to your telephone installer.
Step 5/6: Selecting music from a catalogue of 10,000 royalty-free tracks
Audio files ready to be submitted on your telephone system
The files generated by Voconix are compatible with all telephone systems used in pharmacies, without the need for conversion.
Audio formats
MP3, WAV, G.711a, G.711u, G.722, G.729. Compatible with all IP-PBXs and pharmacy telephone systems. Standardised volume level for each file.
Direct delivery
Enter your telephone installer’s contact details in Voconix so that he automatically receives the file, ready to be uploaded to your switchboard.
Saved pronunciations
The name of your chemist’s, a medicine or a brand name that is difficult to pronounce is committed to memory once and for all in Voconix. All your future messages will use the same pronunciation.
How your customers feel when they call your pharmacy
A pharmacy receives on average between 30 and 80 calls a day. A large proportion of these are simple enquiries: checking the availability of a medicine, renewing a prescription, finding out opening hours or locating the on-call pharmacy. These are calls that do not require a pharmacist, but which tie up the counter staff. A well-designed telephone reception system filters out these enquiries and frees up time for patients in the pharmacy.
When a customer calls and hears a generic or out-of-date message, they hang up. They call the local rival chemist’s. Voconix enables you to create a customised telephone greeting, which can be updated in a matter of seconds and sent directly to your telephone installer.
The specific features of telephone customer service in a pharmacy
The out-of-hours chemist's
This is the obligation most specific to pharmacies. At night, on Sundays and on public holidays, your telephone answering service must state the on-duty pharmacy in your area, along with its address and telephone number. This information changes every week according to the on-duty rota set by the ARS. It must be kept up to date, which means you will need to update your message frequently.
Referral to the right services
A pharmacy offers a wide range of services beyond simply dispensing medicines: an orthopaedic department, a compounding laboratory, click-and-collect, home delivery and an advice centre. Your telephone reception team can direct customers straight to the right person or channel, without tying up the counter staff.
Confidentiality of the information provided
A pharmacy’s telephone greeting message must never confirm or deny the availability of a specific medicine for a patient identified by name. Professional confidentiality applies to pharmacies just as it does to any healthcare facility. General information about opening hours or services, however, may be provided without restriction.
Six telephone greeting scripts for pharmacies
These templates cover the six most common scenarios in a pharmacy. They can be used directly on voconix.fr.
Line busy during peak hours
Pharmacy closed, with details of the on-call service
Closed on Sundays
Annual leave and summer closure
Reception and referral to services
Information message with an update
Create the audio file for your pharmacy’s telephone greeting in just a few seconds.
Your first welcome call is completely free of charge, with no credit card required.
Practical advice
Best practice in customer reception by telephone at the chemist’s
Six practical tips for a pharmacy telephone service that inspires confidence and effectively guides your customers.
Update the on-call medicine cabinet every week
The on-call rota changes every week depending on the decisions made by the ARS in your area. Your telephone helpline must provide details of the correct on-call pharmacy and its telephone number. With Voconix, this update takes a few seconds to complete via your account.
Please keep your message to 25 seconds
A customer looking for the out-of-hours pharmacy at 10 pm doesn’t have time to listen to a long message. The ideal structure: the pharmacy’s name, opening hours, out-of-hours information, and alternative contact details. Every word must be useful.
Never confirm the availability of a specific medicine by name
Professional confidentiality applies. A telephone operator must not confirm that a specific medicine is available for an identified patient. Please ask customers to call back during opening hours for personalised enquiries.
Choose a warm and approachable voice
The chemist’s is a place dedicated to healthcare, but also a community hub. A warm, clear voice conveys the image of a team that is approachable and attentive. Voconix offers 25 voices that you can try out directly on your text.
Choose music that is calm without being clinical
Avoid music that sounds too clinical or institutional. Soft, uplifting music conveys a modern and approachable image of your pharmacy. The Voconix catalogue includes playlists tailored to healthcare businesses, all SACEM royalty-free.
Listen and test before passing it on to the fitter
What is clear in writing is not always clear when spoken, particularly when it comes to the names of medicines or addresses. Listen to your entire message before sending it. Check the pronunciation of every term specific to your pharmacy.
Telephone reception by sector
Every sector has its own constraints and procedures. Select your sector.
Enhance the voice communication on your pharmacy
Pharmacy pre-dispatch
The first sound your customers hear before being put through to your team. Set a warm and reassuring tone right from the first ring.
Update on the on-call chemist’s shop
The on-call chemist changes every week. Please update your telephone answering message straight away with the correct number and address.
Manage all your pharmacy messages
Standard reception, out-of-hours service, summer closure, new service updates: centralise all your pharmacy’s telephone communications in a single Voconix space.
Business Answering Machine
Even when closed, you can communicate (opening hours, contact points, etc.) without having to leave a message.
New pharmacist or pharmacy assistant
Create the new team member’s message straight away, using the same voice and tone as the rest of the pharmacy.
Find your old messages
Change of shift, new service, revised closing times: find and reuse all your old welcome messages from the Voconix history.
IVR for pharmacies
Direct your customers to the orthopaedics section, the online ordering service, the compounding laboratory or the pharmacist directly from your voice menu.
Pharmacy voicemail
During peak times or whilst preparations are underway: clearly state your call-back timeframe and the options available to your customers.
The 100% stand-alone unit for your pharmacy
Choose the voice, music and text, then create your pharmacy’s telephone greeting straight away, without needing a recording studio.
The pricing
Free
€84 /year
(10,000 titles)
€180 /year
FAQ: Pharmacy
Take a look at our FAQs and find the answers to your questions
Is it compulsory to mention the on-call chemist when answering the phone?
This is a professional obligation. When your pharmacy is closed, your telephone message must explain how customers can access emergency medicines. The on-call pharmacy in your area, along with its telephone number, must be included in your out-of-hours message. This information changes every week in line with your ARS’s on-call rota.
Can we provide information on the availability of a medicine over the phone?
No. A telephone enquiry should not confirm or deny the availability of a medicine for a specific patient. Professional confidentiality applies within the pharmacy. Your message may, however, list the general services available and invite the customer to call back during opening hours.
How long should a pharmacy’s telephone service last?
25 seconds maximum. A customer looking for an on-call chemist in an emergency has no time to waste. The ideal sequence: identification of the chemist’s, opening hours, information on on-call service if closed, alternative contact method.
Should the message vary depending on the day and time?
Yes. A pharmacy that is open, a pharmacy outside normal opening hours and a duty pharmacy are three different situations that each require a separate message. With Voconix, it takes a few seconds to create each of these messages.
How should you announce a summer closure or holiday closure?
Please specify the closure dates, the pharmacy providing cover and its telephone number. Example: «Our pharmacy will be closed for holidays from [date] to [date]. The [Name] pharmacy will be providing cover on [number].» This message must be updated the day before the closure.
What sort of voice should a pharmacy use for its telephone reception service?
A warm, clear female voice that conveys a sense of approachability and professionalism. The pharmacy is a place that provides local healthcare and advice: the voice must reflect this duality. Voconix offers 25 testable voices directly on your text.
What sort of hold music should a chemist’s use?
Soft, uplifting music that isn’t too clinical or medical in tone. Avoid sounds that are too austere, as these can heighten the anxiety of a client waiting for news about their health. The Voconix catalogue includes playlists tailored to healthcare businesses, all of which are SACEM royalty-free.
How should we handle incoming calls during peak times?
During peak times, your team is busy at the counter and cannot answer the phone. Your telephone greeting should make this clear, give a realistic timeframe for a callback and offer an alternative: website, email address or online ordering channel. This minimises frustration and reduces repeat calls.
How do you set up a telephone answering service for a pharmacy using Voconix?
Write your text on voconix.fr Or choose a ready-made template for a pharmacy, select a voice and background music from the catalogue, then generate the audio file with a single click. The file is available immediately in MP3 and WAV formats. Your installer receives it automatically via Voconix’s direct delivery service. The first message is free.
How much does it cost to set up a telephone reception service for a pharmacy with Voconix?
The first welcome message on the phone is completely free on voconix.fr, without a credit card. Packages tailored to pharmacies are available from €5 (excl. VAT) per month. Find out more our prices for details of the packages.
