Gurol spoke at The Pharmacy Show last week (October 12) about his aesthetics journey with fellow contractor and Kent LPC chair Amish Patel. 

“One Botox appointment you can do a month is equal to 300 items a day,” Gurol said. “The NHS items will make you about £400 or £500 but you have to pay staff, National Insurance contributions, sick pay, holiday pay.” 

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He remembered how when he first bought a pharmacy, he realised he was “doing things wrong” and chasing as many NHS items as possible. 

“That’s when I decided private services has to be the key element and driving force in my business,” added Gurol. “I can have the NHS walk away tomorrow and I won’t lose sleep over it.” 

A spa day experience 

Gurol said integrating aesthetics into his pharmacy “was challenging” because he had to apply “a different mindset” away from his day-to-day business of NHS and other private services. 

“You have got to focus on the governance side of things, and you’ve got the ethics. And you need to provide the experience, so people want to come back." 

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He initially hesitated over offering aesthetics as he was “waiting for the perfect time” and “finding any excuses” not to do it. 

Patel had pushed Gurol towards aesthetics, after offering it in his own pharmacy for the last 10 years.  

“My pharmacy now is 50% private income and 50% NHS, and that’s excluding my aesthetics,” Patel said. “I’m fully booked until mid-November doing aesthetics, so it’s worth it.” 

Read more: GPhC ‘very concerned’ about illegal pharmacist Botox trade 

And Gurol said adding aesthetics to his business has helped him to “rediscover a purpose”. 

“When you create a sustainable and enjoyable model, you enjoy going to work because you can only do so many in a day.” 

He advised fellow contractors to “get out of your comfort zone” to pursue aesthetics as “you already got the skills, the trust of your patients, the client base”. 

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It comes as Gurol spoke to C+D at The Pharmacy Show with other industry figures about whether he has confidence in the NHS 10-year health plan. 

Earlier this month, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) said it is “very concerned” about BBC reports that pharmacists are involved in the trade of illegal Botox and has warned it will take enforcement action “when required”. 

In June, Patel was awarded an honour in King Charles’ birthday honours list for “services to community pharmacy” and was made a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM).