In this post, we'll take you through Sharn's story, how he gained 500 confirmed clinic bookings in 24 hours, and how you can achieve the same results for your pharmacies.

The Problem

Wasted Vaccines = Wasted Revenue

Last year, Sharn had a familiar problem.

It was late in flu season yet the fridge was still stacked with leftover flu and COVID jabs. Each one a cost, wasted stock, and missed patient care.

To make matters worse, most residual patients had been booked long before by the local GP practices.

Posters didn't move the needle, Meta ads got a few clicks, Counter prompts only worked on the people already working in.

Sharn needed a better way.

The Turning Point: One Campaign, 6,000 Patients

Fast forward to this year.

Sharn ran one targeted campaign via Pharmlogic.

Here are the results:

• 6,000 patients reached

• £120 cost (2p per text)

• ROI reaching in 90 seconds

• 500+ confirmed bookings within 24 hours

The message? Simple, short and personalised.

Here's how you can do it too.

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The Pharmlogic Campaign Playbook

What's makes an effective campaign?

An effective campaign goes beyond a large patient list. You need an effective channel (in this case, SMS), a frictionless experience for the patient on the receiving end, and sharp copy.

Which text is better?

Short SMS wins. And research backs it up:

• Click-through rate: One clear link performs better than multiple options. Short branded links improve CTR by up to 39% (Bit.ly, 2023)

• Attention span: Patients spend 3-5 seconds reading an SMS. Shorter, scannable texts receive much higher engagement.

• Cognitive load: One call-to-action converts. Multiple confuse.

• Tone: Conversational ("Good evening Ricky") beats formal ("Dear Ricky Ossie"). SMS isn't email.

Playbook: Writing a template

{{greeting}} {{firstName}},

You {{65:are}}{{1-64:may be}} eligible for a free Flu{{1-74: vaccine}}{{75: and COVID-19 vaccination}} at Horton Pharmacy.  

Support your local independent pharmacy, book now: {{1-64:https://link.pharmlogic.co.uk/[booking]}}{{65:https://link.pharmlogic.co.uk/[booking]

Instead of writing 3-4 different texts, Sharn used one dynamic template inside Pharmlogic, automatically adapted for each patient after you press send:

• 52-year-old: "You may be eligible for a free flu vaccine" + A link to book with an eligibility checker

• 68-year-old: "You are eligible for a free flu vaccine" + A link to book without any added friction

• 77-year-old" "You are eligible for a free flu and COVID-19 vaccination" + An instant booking link

Playbook: Data sources

Pharmlogic lets you enrich data from any source that includes patients' NHS numbers, for example (For Flu/COVID):

• PharmOutcomes / Outcomes4Health for Flu/COVID vaccines

• Your PMR system's inbuilt reporting for patient lists

• Any other data source(s) where you've collected NHS numbers

You can add these into a Pharmlogic patient list and rest assured that all duplicates are removed simply by copying and pasting into Bulk SMS:

[GIF showing the process of pasting into Pharmlogic anytext box]

When you've got your patient list, the next step is the booking form.

Playbook: The power of frictionless

Every extra click or form field is an extra opportunity for patients to churn. The booking journey needs to feel effortless.

Sharn decided to use Cal.com. It's free, supports unlimited bookings, and connects directly to your pharmacy's existing Google or Outlook calendar to avoid clashes.

Here's what the patient sees (and why it works):

[GIF]

1. Choose a date - patients see real-time availability

2. Choose a time - Cal.com automatically prevents clashes

3. Enter your details (name, NHS number, desired vaccine(s), eligibility if you're under 65 and that's it).

Once booked, Cal.com automatically creates an event in your pharmacy calendar with:

• The patient’s name

• NHS number

• Whether they’re 65+

• The vaccine type booked

That means your clinic schedule is always up-to-date. No admin headaches. No missed details.

Playbook: Best time to send

When you send SMS matters. Even the best messages and flows can fail if they land at the wrong time.

Here's what research shows about SMS timing, and how you can apply it in your pharmacy:

Evenings = After-Work Response

• 5PM - 9PM is a high-performing slot.

• Patients have finished work, are scrolling phones, and can act immediately.

Days That Work

• Thursday, Friday, Saturday - patients are more relaxed and responsive

• Tuesday is a good runner-up for mid-week reminders.

• AVOID Mondays: attention is fragmented, inboxes are full.

Safe days for sending reminders

• To remind patients who haven't yet booked, try Saturday 10-12 PM or Sunday 4-7 PM.

Last year, Sharn’s fridge was full of wasted vaccines.
This year, he’s booking out clinics in 24 hours.

The difference? One simple, repeatable playbook:
short SMS, seamless booking, perfect timing.

Almost 500 pharmacies trust Pharmlogic to do the same.

The question is: will you still be wasting vaccines this year, or ordering more?

If you need any support, please contact your account manager or support@pharmlogic.co.uk