Wicker Pharmacy Case Study

Wicker Pharmacy: DLS95PG Pharmacy Fridge

Project overview:

Wicker Pharmacy is a long-established community pharmacy in Sheffield, open every day since 1952. With four dispensary fridges holding a broad range of temperature-sensitive stock, from insulins and vaccines to end-of-life medication, reliable, monitored refrigeration is central to how they operate. Dulas Life Sciences supplied a DLS95PG pharmacy fridge for trial, installed under the counter to suit the dispensary layout. The focus was straightforward: could it deliver the temperature stability and real-time monitoring that a busy community pharmacy depends on?

About Wicker Pharmacy

Wicker Pharmacy has been a fixture in the Sheffield community for over 70 years. Open every day, including bank holidays, the pharmacy offers an extensive range of services: travel, flu and covid vaccinations, weight management solutions, contraception, end-of-life medication.

Four dispensary fridges keep that stock safe, with insulins, vaccines, and other temperature-sensitive products depending on them around the clock.

Wicker Pharmacy has always been an early adopter. They were among the first pharmacies in the UK to install a dispensing robot. When it comes to new technology, they lean in.

The Challenge

For a busy community pharmacy, consistent temperature monitoring isn’t optional. It’s fundamental.

Wicker Pharmacy’s main concern was awareness: knowing about any issue the moment it happens. With extended opening hours, staff are present for much of the day. Outside of staffed hours, they needed the confidence that any issue would be flagged immediately.

Previous units added to the workload rather than reducing it. Manual temperature checks, small controls, and limited remote monitoring capability all created friction in an already demanding dispensary environment.

Why Dulas Life Sciences?

What Wicker Pharmacy needed was a manufacturer that understood the dispensary environment, and had the engineering heritage to back it up. That’s where Dulas Life Sciences came in.

Dulas Life Sciences is a UK manufacturer with over four decades of cold chain expertise. Founded in 1982 at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Dulas built the world’s first mass-produced solar vaccine refrigerators. Today, that same engineering heritage drives the medical and scientific refrigeration range, designed and built in the UK, and proud to be a Made in Britain member.

For Wicker Pharmacy, that mattered. Supporting British manufacturing is part of how they operate. Trialling a new generation of UK-made pharmacy fridge was a straightforward decision.

Installation and Setup

The DLS95PG was installed under the counter, practical for a dispensary where space is always at a premium.

Setup was simple. Instructions were described as “crystal clear,” making each stage easy to follow with little risk of missing anything.

Performance

Temperature stability was the first thing Wicker Pharmacy noticed, and the verdict was clear.

“The temperature performance of the fridge is second to none – the consistency of the temperature is unlike any other fridge I’ve used.”

The air temperature probe was noted as accurate and fast to respond. The load probe added a further layer of confidence, showing that even as air temperature fluctuated, product temperature held firm. For a pharmacy storing insulins and end-of-life medication, that stability is critical.

The touch screen controller replaced fiddly buttons with clear, icon-led navigation, which was a step up immediately noticed by staff. Min/max temperature recording, often a time-consuming task, was described as one of the easiest processes on the market.

“Viewing and resetting the min/max temperature is one of the easiest on the market and makes temperature recording a breeze.”

The weekly temperature reports reinforced this. Consistent, detailed, and ready to share at inspection.

The Impact

Wireless monitoring was singled out as the defining feature of the DLS95PG.

“The wireless monitoring is a game changer. It gives you the reassurance you need that the fridge is working correctly, and any issues are reported quickly – giving you time to sort and fix.”

Manual temperature checks have been removed from the daily routine entirely. That’s not just a time saving, it removes the risk of human error and gives the team confidence to trust the unit with high-value stock.

Audit and inspection readiness has also improved. Weekly reports provide everything needed, automatically.

“The weekly temperature monitoring reports are perfect for audit and inspection readiness, and remove the stress of worrying about a suitable system for the inspectors.”

The Verdict

When asked how the DLS95PG compared to previous units, the answer needed no qualification:

“This fridge is like night and day.”

Wireless monitoring. Intuitive touch controls. Outstanding temperature stability. For Wicker Pharmacy, the DLS95PG sets the standard they believe all dispensary refrigeration should meet.

They’d recommend it without hesitation.

“Yes, definitely – it’s a game changer.”