Category: Pharmacy Growth Strategies
Ignite your pharmacy business with the most innovative growth strategies and ideas that produce real results.
How to Avoid the Top 10 Pharmacy Injury Risks
Here at PDS, we take pride in highlighting some of our incredible solutions partners. We know these companies have the potential to revolutionize pharmacies just like yours through their products and services. We’re excited to introduce Heffernan Insurance Brokers Pharmacy Insurance, read on for their sponsored blog post about avoiding the top 10 pharmacy injury risks. This post was written by Steve Boone of Heffernan Insurance Brokers Pharmacy Insurance Practice.
Ask one hundred people on the street to name the five most dangerous jobs, and “pharmacist” probably won’t be on anyone’s list. But ask any pharmacist and they’ll tell you a pharmacy can be a very dangerous place to work, with injury risks running the gamut from biohazards to back strains. Effectively managing these risks is key to protecting your staff and your bottom line.
Here are the 10 biggest injury risks most pharmacists face and how to avoid them.
- Infection. One of your biggest risks is being in contact with sick patients who come into your pharmacy while sick with infectious diseases. Clean and disinfect work areas regularly. Wear protective gear such as masks and rubber gloves.
- Slips, trips, and falls. These are some of the leading causes of injury in almost every workplace, and pharmacies are no exception. Keep work areas free of clutter, install and maintain non-slip flooring, ensure you have adequate lighting, and educate your staff on good housekeeping procedures.
- Cuts and burns. Cuts can happen all too easily from sharp instruments, equipment, or broken glassware. Burns can happen when working with heat sealers and other equipment, as well as around electrical cords and appliances. Train your staff in safe work practices, require proper storage of tools, use protective clothing, and have a complete and easily accessible First Aid kit.
- Repetitive motion. Typing and clicking a computer mouse all day can cause shoulder, elbow, and wrist injuries. Reading and writing at a workstation for long periods can cause neck pain. Awkward sitting or standing postures can lead to fatigue, tissue damage, and irritation of tendons and muscles. Poor workstation design can cause overextension injuries. Help fend off these repetitive motion injuries with ergonomically designed workstations, tools that automate tasks, and adequate safety training.
- Fatigue. Pharmacists do a lot of standing and walking. Prolonged standing can cause fatigue, back pain, varicose veins, and other issues. Install anti-fatigue mats at fixed workstations, encourage the use of comfortable, closed-toed shoes with good support, and consider using stools to alternate between sitting and standing.
- Strains and sprains. Slipped discs, muscle aches, backaches, and even hemorrhoids can result from lifting heavy objects. Practice safe lifting techniques including getting assistance from a coworker, using assistive equipment such as a dolly, or wearing a back brace.
- Eye strain. Pharmacists stare at a computer screen for many hours on a typical day. Poor lighting, improper computer screen brightness settings, and poorly designed workstations can lead to eye strain, astigmatism, myopia, and migraine headaches.
- Chemical hazards. If you’re compounding drugs, you’re exposed to medication powder, liquid spills, and hazardous vapors. Have safe work procedures in place to handle spills and other mishaps involving harmful substances, and always wear protective gear including eye protection, gowns, and gloves.
- Biological hazards. Most pharmacies today offer flu shots and testing procedures that require skin piercings such as a glucose or cholesterol tests. This means exposure to blood and possibly other bodily fluids that can carry deadly bacteria and viruses. Be safe – always wear protective gear.
- Psychological hazards. Pharmacists often work long hours and deal with a heavy workload, and they’re also subject to abuse by customers or fellow employees. To help alleviate these stresses, review your management and scheduling policies, consider changes to your work environment, and educate your staff about violence awareness, avoidance, and de-escalation.
Managing these risks can keep your pharmacy safe, while protecting your bottom line from unnecessary medical and legal costs, workers’ compensation claims, and higher workers’ comp premiums.
Did you know you can also save as much as 10 percent on your workers’ comp premiums just by having a safety manual? To learn more, contact Steve Boone with the Heffernan Insurance Pharmacy Insurance division today.
About the Author:
Heffernan’s pharmacy-specific insurance program is perfect for the independent pharmacist looking for an experienced insurance broker who can offer a single source package that is tailored for their unique needs.
We offer comprehensive insurance for pharmacy coverage including:
- Broad Professional Pharmacist Liability Insurance
- Property Insurance
- Pharmacy Errors & Omissions / Malpractice / Druggist Liability Insurance
- Pharmacy BOP (Business Owner’s Policy)
- Lower Cost Option(s) for Rx Owners
- High Limits
How to Use Persuasion to Increase Patient Buy-In
Are you looking to increase your number of patient transactions? How about getting patients to take advantage of your unique products and services? The most straightforward and practical answer is to use the subtle art of sales.
There is often a negative association with the word ‘sales.’ Hearing the word ‘salesperson’ likely conjures up some particular images and ideas for most people. In the best light, they are of a typical salesperson, aggressive, pushy at one end, and ‘con-artist’ or manipulative at the other.
If you’re thinking that you’re ‘selling’ to your patients, frame it another way. The fact is that you’re doing a very important job in the community by helping them solve their health and wellness problems.
Imagine if your best friend tells you he’s struggling with a problem, and you have a solution, wouldn’t you speak up and say something about it?
If you have a product or service that can help others, it is your moral obligation as a healthcare provider to share it with them.
The rest of this post will cover how you can use Dr. Cialdini’s principles of persuasion to communicate new treatment options to your patients and increase sales.
Scarcity: Patients Love Limited-Time Deals (And Things They Have Less Of)
Leverage the emotional impact of FOMO (or the fear of missing out) to increase sales.
To apply this principle to your pharmacy business, offer limited-time deals for different audiences.
Scarce products and offers feel exclusive and valuable to consumers.
One way to showcase a limited time product is by placing it in a smaller end-cap area with signage that conveys urgency and scarcity.
When you’re discussing the product, highlight what they stand to lose by not taking action and speak to the specific issues the patient might be experiencing.
You can also experiment with offering exclusive perks reserved only for top customers. Once people realize that being a repeat customer comes with rewards, they’ll be more ready to act on purchases. In turn, you’ll increase revenue and often, your average transaction value as well.
Assure Your Patients You’re An Expert
Make sure you establish your credibility to your customers.
Why? Although we’ll never admit it, we want others to tell us exactly what to do. Especially by experts that we trust. You can do this by making recommendations, displaying your certifications where your patients can see them, and answering any questions your patients might have.
If you show that you and your team are trained experts, your patients will also be more willing to try new products or services that you recommend.
Offer events and classes that educate your patients, if you continually provide value around healthcare and wellness, your pharmacy will soon be known as a healthcare destination for the community.
People discuss excellent and awful experiences. If you’re providing great customer service, you can bet that you’ll start seeing the referrals come through the door. High patient satisfaction and experiences will ultimately drive more sales.
Consistency Is Key: Start With Small Commitments for Big Sales
When you’re selling something (especially if it’s a high-ticket item that people don’t buy on impulse), try to get your patient to commit to something small first.
As a pharmacy owner, this could be a free trial or samples of new products.
After they agree or “say yes” to you once, they’ll be more willing to “say yes” again to stay consistent with their previous action.
If you use this principle, you can break down many of the barriers your patients have when shopping, and over time, your patients will agree to bigger and more expensive recommendations.
The important thing to remember is to nurture your relationship with them and get several “yeses” first.
Influence at Work: Building a Better Pharmacy
Remember, using these principles to influence your patients isn’t wrong if you’re applying them ethically. Your mission as a healthcare professional is to help people who come to you with health and wellness challenges.
In fact, if you master ethical persuasion, you’ll be able to improve the lives of patients you wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.
PDS is proud to bring you the 2019 Super-Conference with three days of actionable content that’s never been covered in our industry until NOW. We are bringing in the experts to help you master the critical communication skills that will help you ethically and effectively influence your three critical audiences, prescribers, patients, and your pharmacy team. Join us February 21-23, 2019 in Orlando, Florida for the most important pharmacy conference of the year.
Easy Ways Independent Pharmacy Owners Can Get More Referrals From Prescribers
Owning an independent pharmacy is easy, said no one ever. This is why identifying unique strategies to grow your pharmacy and improve your bottom line is vital. So how do pharmacy owners do this? Owners can achieve this in many ways, two of which are by increasing the amount and frequency of pharmacy transactions, in addition to driving new patients to your business. While increasing volume isn’t the only way to grow your pharmacy (so many options!), it is one effective strategy. In this blog, we’ll highlight one of the most effective and cost-efficient ways to drive new patients to your pharmacy, by building and maintaining strong relationships with prescribers and increasing patient referrals.
Read on to learn more about how to increase referral traffic from doctors and other health professionals in your area. Building and nurturing strong relationships with local physicians is critical to creating a steady flow of referrals and new patients.
Identify Prescription Sources
Pharmacy owners can easily identify which prescribers make up the bulk of their business. Leveraging this data allows owners to enhance the partnerships with prescribers that regularly send you patients. Pharmacy owners can also reach out to those who may benefit from the specific services offered by your pharmacy, but for some reason or another, aren’t sending referrals.
The role of the community pharmacist is expanding to include enhanced services such as annual wellness reviews, medication therapy management, pharmacogenomics, and other clinical services. The expansion allows for greater collaboration between prescribers and pharmacists. Treating the roles of pharmacist and prescriber as complementary is key to developing good working relationships and achieving the best patient outcomes.
3 Reasons Why Your Pharmacy Should Offer Annual Wellness Review Services
- Nurture Relationships with Physician Partners – Working in partnership with a physician for AWV is a great step to streamlining communication between the two offices. This will benefit your pharmacy when it comes to requesting medication switches as well as offering ancillary programs such as diabetic education and flu clinics.
- Greater Involvement in Patient Care – This is an opportunity to keep patient files up-t0-date and ensures you are offering the best standard of care. The face-time with patients allows for your team to ensure patients are following protocol and share information on new programs that would benefit patient outcomes.
- Grow or Start Your Medication Synchronization Program – Create a goal to educate and register your patients about the benefits of synchronization.
Give New Health Professionals in Your Area a Warm Welcome
Did a new pediatrician or nurse practitioner recently join your local health community? Introduce yourself as the local go-to pharmacy by sending them a personalized note or setting up a one-on-one lunch. Take the opportunity to see what they need and how you can help them meet the goals for their practice and their patients.
Lend your experience as a medical expert to help prescribers maintain medication adherence, and enhance their healthcare plan for the patient. Building trust with local health professionals and developing a relationship is beneficial for both parties as well as the patients you serve.
Build Relationships with the Entire Staff
The key to getting the doctor’s staff to recommend your pharmacy is by staying top of their mind. You can do this by engaging the doctor’s entire team. That includes the medical assistants, nurses, receptionists — everyone!
- Send a handwritten note, flowers, or tasty goodies on the appropriate health care appreciation day to show your gratitude. Assisted Living Week begins September 12th and Physician Assistants Week begins October 6. When you give people gifts, they’ll feel obliged to provide you with something in return. Dr. Cialdini calls this the “rule of reciprocity.” In this case, you’re positioning your pharmacy to be top of mind when they want to refer a customer.
- Stop by the clinic on a regular basis to chat with the staff. The key is to be likable and bring value to the conversation. Don’t be afraid to offer genuine compliments or share something personal about yourself. Look for similarities and point them out to build connections. Bringing pharmacy news, coupons, or samples of new products and services can go a long way.
- Invite the local health professional community to your pharmacy for a quarterly, after-hours networking event. The goal is for them to meet your staff and learn about the services you provide. Make the event fun by wrapping the refreshments around a holiday or theme (February – chocolate; May – margaritas, etc.). You’ll have the health community looking forward to your events and referring patients to your pharmacy in no time!
Position Your Business as an Authority on Health and Wellness
One advantage independent pharmacies have over national chains is superior customer experience. Simply put, people talk about great experiences and bad experiences. If the patient is referred to your pharmacy and walks away having a great experience, they are going to share that with the prescriber, who will, in turn, refer more patients.
Take advantage of this by educating and informing your patients about services, programs, and philosophies on which you’ve built your independent pharmacy. When you give your customers (and prescribers) valuable information for free, your pharmacy is reinforcing its position as an authority in health and wellness.
You can talk about:
- Solutions to counteract drug-induced nutrient depletion issues.
- Where to get free calcium, kids vitamins (Pediatricians), prenatal vitamins (OB-GYN) and diabetic medications.
- Type II Diabetes and how to prevent it. You can even teach your customers how to cook healthy meals at home.
- Products that prevent sports injuries (Chiropractor).
- And much more…
When you help solve patient’s problems, they’ll be more likely to accept your recommendations. If you start taking these steps today, you’ll notice doctors are more willing to refer customers to you. To maximize your pharmacy’s growth through referrals, you need to learn how to effectively and ethically persuade others.
PDS is proud to bring you the 2019 Super-Conference with three days of actionable content that’s never been covered in our industry until NOW. We are bringing in the experts to help you master the critical communication skills that will help you ethically and effectively influence your three critical audiences, prescribers, patients, and your pharmacy team. Join us February 21-23, 2019 in Orlando, Florida for the most important pharmacy conference of the year.
{PDS Sponsored Post} Why Your Independent Pharmacy Needs An Adherence Program
Here at PDS, we take pride in highlighting some of our incredible solutions partners. We know these companies have the potential to revolutionize pharmacies just like yours through their products and services. We’re excited to introduce Parata, read on for their sponsored blog post about how a true adherence program can benefit your pharmacy business.
Did you know medication nonadherence can cost the healthcare system as much as $300 billion dollars per year? This common problem affects all aspects of the healthcare community from the providers to the patients. The healthcare providers take a hit with penalties, pharmaceutical companies have increasing amounts of waste, and consumers incur unnecessary medical bills. 
This is where independent pharmacies come in! Businesses and owners are in just the right spot to improve medication adherence. With Amazon’s recent acquisition of PillPack, the benefits to patients are obvious — they are healthier, and their medical costs are potentially decreased. But how can a true medication adherence program benefit independent pharmacy?
- Gain Customer Loyalty
An adherence program, like pouch packaging, helps to guarantee patients come to you for their refills. It becomes easy for the patient. A true adherence program builds trust — that means a patient does not have to worry if their medication is sorted or taken correctly. Eliminating common questions like, “Was I supposed to take that pill in both the morning and night?”, can be priceless for the patient. And by reducing the number of visits to the pharmacy per month from 5 to 1, you’ve helped them capture back more of their time. When a pharmacy can do that for a patient, the seeds of loyalty are planted.
- Experience less stress with better workflow
Since refills are scheduled, your pharmacy’s workflow becomes much more predictable. A predictable workflow translates into less stress. With his adherence program, pharmacist, PDS member, and pharmacy owner, Peter Wolfe, says the face of his pharmacy’s day-to-day has completely changed. “We stay about a week ahead, and we always know what’s up next. It eliminates stress, saves on inventory, and frees up time.”
- Cut down hospital admissions
Who can resist a greater good benefit like this? Fewer admissions due to nonadherence is better for the whole medical community as well as patients. When patients are adherent to their recommended medications, hospitals lower their risk of penalties in the form of reduced Medicare payments. As an added bonus for independent pharmacies, capturing patients with chronic conditions from referrals to hospitals is easier when you offer compliance packaging that works.
- Add OTC to your program
Packaging over the counter medications and supplements with prescriptions helps the patient take them as recommended, while also adding revenue for the pharmacy. Patients can mitigate vitamin depletion that some medications cause. Adding these items to pouches is an easy part of the packing workflow. Add simplified cross-selling that makes providing a complete solution to your patient easier.
- Earn the patient’s entire business
When patients are on a true adherence program, any prescriptions they may have gone to another pharmacy for are transferred to you. In addition to gaining those prescriptions, you also have a better picture of their medication regimen. This presents new opportunities to make appropriate interventions based on the whole picture.
Independent pharmacies can follow these five steps for a successful adherence program. We encourage you to work with the entire healthcare community to help pharmacies battle medication nonadherence on the front lines. Now is the time to think about how your pharmacy business and your patients can benefit from a fully functioning adherence program.
About the Author:
Parata Systems provides pharmacy technology solutions that empower pharmacists to help people lead healthier lives. Founded in 2001, Parata offers the most extensive pharmacy automation portfolio in the industry – designing, building, and supporting both vial-filling and pouch packaging solutions.
{PDS Sponsored Post} Automatic, Accurate Cycle Counting, Really!
Here at PDS, we take pride in highlighting some of our incredible solutions partners. We know these companies have the potential to revolutionize pharmacies just like yours through their products and services. We’re excited to introduce RxSafe; read on for their sponsored blog post about a new approach towards inventory management.
Inventory is typically the largest asset in a pharmacy. Bottles on the shelf and vials in the refrigerator represent real money, cash just sitting there. For that reason, keeping inventory at an optimal level—not too much, not too little—is one of the best ways to ensure that your investment is being managed in the most efficient manner. If you can reduce your inventory without affecting customer service, it can free up cash that can be used for other money generating activities.
Reaching the Benchmark
One measure of a pharmacy’s inventory efficiency is to track how often the business ‘turns’ its inventory. According to America’s Pharmacist, May 2016, twelve inventory turns per year is often the benchmark for a well-run pharmacy. Inventory turns can be calculated by dividing the total annual cost of goods by average inventory value. But, capturing a current, accurate snapshot of this information is a moving target due to constant price changes and the need for frequent cycle counting which is tedious and often neglected.
Consider the case of Paw Paw Pharmacy in Paw Paw, Michigan. In 2016 they had a $50,000 decrease in inventory levels which totaled $80,000 in savings and their inventory turns increased by 6+ turns per year. What happened? Perpetual inventory management with accurate, automatic cycle counting—made possible by installing an RxSafe 1800.
Imagine This
Imagine a future where, on a daily basis, you could capture cost information for every NDC in your pharmacy, and track it to each bottle. On top of that, you could have item-level forecasting and item-level tracking, including historical cost data available on demand, 24/7. How much could you reduce your on-hand inventory, improving inventory turns and free up excess cash without the burden of frequent cycle counting? Wouldn’t that be a level of inventory management unheard of in the industry?
Welcome to the World of RxCloud Analytics
The latest innovation in RxSafe’s line of pharmacy automation technology is RxCloud Analytics™. Powered by Datarithm, it provides pharmacy owners using the RxSafe 1800 system with 24/7 cloud-based analytics. With RxCloud Analytics, your pharmacy can spend time and money on something other than inventory management.
This type of item-level cost tracking provides extremely accurate cost of inventory, as well as granularity about inventory valuation, which has never been possible before. Some RxSafe customers are already taking advantage of the data made available by the RxSafe/Datarithm partnership.
At Chris’ Pharmacy and Gifts, an independent pharmacy in Maruepas, La., owner Chris Williams, RPh, says, “RxSafe’s solution has been very valuable, especially for multiple stores. The program’s non-usage report will effectively indicate what medications we should send to our other locations or what medications to return to the wholesaler — as opposed to letting the medications sit on the shelf just waiting to expire.”
“When we began this partnership, our goal was to combine Datarithm’s sophisticated inventory modeling with RxSafe’s proven automated perpetual inventory accuracy, to eliminate cycle-counting, free up cash, and allow pharmacies to focus on their core business,” said William Holmes, President & CEO at RxSafe. “With RxCloud Analytics, we’ve done just that. What’s more, the combination of these two technologies has created a game-changing model that improves service delivery and profitability in pharmacy.”
RxCloud Analytics is available exclusively to customers that have qualifying pharmacy management systems. Currently, that includes ComputerRx, PioneerRx, and Rx30, and will soon include Liberty.
RxCloud Analytics is included with the purchase of an RxSafe 1800. We will be happy to set up an in-person or online demonstration of the RxSafe 1800. You can also check out the details here for more information and to view video testimonials from independent pharmacy owners currently using the RxSafe 1800 in their retail stores.
About the Author:
RxSafe is the leader in automated, high-density robotic storage and retrieval technologies for independent pharmacies. Our flagship RxSafe system enables pharmacies to take control of their inventory management, enhance patient safety, increase narcotics security, and improve profitability. RxSafe’s RapidPakRx adherence packaging technology enables pharmacies to custom package patient medications on demand. RapidPakRx produces multi-med pouches with unprecedented throughput, accuracy, and efficiency, as well as the lowest consumables cost in the industry. For more information, visit www.rxsafe.com. To stay connected, follow RxSafe on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
{PDS Sponsored Post} Blended Learning in Your Pharmacy: Why You Need to Pay Attention
Here at PDS, we take pride in highlighting some of our incredible solutions partners. We know these companies have the potential to revolutionize pharmacies just like yours through their products and services. We’re excited to introduce LP3 Network; read on for their sponsored blog post about the benefits of blended learning in your pharmacy.
At some point in our educational careers, we have all found ourselves thinking:
- Is this really the most exciting way to learn something new?
- Is this an efficient way to learn?
With advances in instructional design and the implementation of blended learning concepts, continuing professional development is being reshaped and revitalized, allowing people to obtain the training they require in an exciting and stimulating manner.
What is Blended Learning?
Blended learning is a newly successful practice that involves a hybrid of traditional and practical methodology.
The world of compounding encompasses both new and experienced pharmacists/technicians, all of whom need initial and ongoing training to safely compound personalized medications for their patients. Unfortunately, the specialized knowledge required to compound is not taught in most pharmacy programs. For those who wish to learn more about pharmacy compounding, there are now solutions available that do not require tedious and uninvolved classroom-like courses.
The most engaging and effective way to learn is through hands-on experience. Especially in a profession like pharmaceutical compounding, the skills needed to create quality preparations are most readily obtained through real-life observations and demonstrations. In laboratory trainings, participants get the chance to prepare different dosage forms and work with innovative equipment in a compliant environment. Laboratory trainings are undoubtedly valuable; however, subject knowledge on the matter is vital as a prerequisite.
The optimal form of training is a combination of theoretical and practical methods — blending the two.
Using self-paced learning with an interactive live course, success and retention are optimized. Providing both the background knowledge and hands-on experience enables participants to successfully compound in their own pharmacy. This unique form of blended learning ensures that participants are fully briefed with the specific knowledge required prior to hands-on activities in a lab.
This hybrid teaching method is undoubtedly the ideal way to learn best practices and enhance competency retention, as it allows participants to absorb the material at their own pace through home studying, followed by training with subject-matter experts in a state-of-the-art compounding laboratory.
Next time you’re in the market to truly train your team or yourself on invaluable strategies that will grow your pharmacy, look out for ways to make learning fun and practical. You will not regret it! The ability to incorporate the wisdom gained through live event courses into a pharmacist’s everyday practice is invaluable. But more importantly, a hybrid learning experience brings excitement back into the curious minds of pharmacists.
About the Author:
To learn more about LP3 Network’s course offerings contact us by email: info@lp3network.com or view our online course catalogue: https://education.lp3network.com/
At LP3 Network, the educational process is reinvented in engaging ways. With a vast spectrum of courses to choose from, participants can learn all the things they need to lead a successful compounding career. The style of courses vary to suit every person’s individual needs from:
- Home studies
- Webinars
- eLearning
- Live events (seminars and laboratory trainings)
Our courses allow pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to reinforce their theoretical knowledge and provide compounding pharmacists with concrete training that they can use in their everyday profession. This blended approach allows participants to choose when and where they want to learn more about compounding. With busy agendas, it is often difficult for participants to follow a rigorous course schedule. There are now many options for participants, affording them the opportunity to study at their own pace, and choose the learning methods that suit them best.
[DOWNLOAD] Here’s the Tool You Need to Uncover Your Pharmacy’s Biggest Opportunities
If you’re like many of the 16,000+ independent pharmacy owners in the nation, you went to the business school of life… which means that you didn’t go to business school at all. You rely on different sources from networking to online literature (like this blog!), business coaching and everything in between.
Fear not, weary warrior. We’re here to bring you a powerful, yet simple tool you can use with your team to uncover the next big opportunity your pharmacy can leverage.
We’re talking about a SWOT Analysis. If you have heard of this, you know that it’s more than it seems, if used correctly. When used thoroughly and thoughtfully, it can help identify your business’ strengths and weaknesses as well as any opportunities and threats that lie in wait to stall your growth. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. As far as general business strategy, this handy little tool can be a starting point to open up major team discussions.
You guessed it, we have the worksheet you can download right here!
>> Download the PDS SWOT Analysis here <<
Make sure you download and print the file first, then read below with your team to learn how to use the matrix.
Conducting a SWOT Analysis on Your Business
(Do this with your team!)
Do you have your worksheet ready and printed out? Good!
A SWOT matrix is normally a worksheet divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant represents one element of the SWOT analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Each quadrant should ask a series of custom questions you can answer to fill in that quadrant. Focus on the questions that are most relevant for your business, community and current situation.
Dig Deep and Ask Relevant Questions
Strengths:
For this section, think about the attributes of yourself, your team and your business that will help you achieve your objective. Sample questions to get you started:
- Where are you most profitable in your business?
- What do you do exceptionally well?
- What skills do you have that are unique to you, your team and your location?
- What are your specialties?
- What do you do better than your competitors?
Weaknesses:
For this section, think about the attributes of yourself, your team and your business that could hurtyour progress in achieving your objective. Sample questions to get you started:
- What areas do you need to improvement?
- What areas do you need more education or experience?
- What parts of your business are not very profitable?
- Do you lack any resources?
- What are the initiatives that cost you time and/or money?
Opportunities:
For this section, think about the external conditions that will help you achieve your objective. Sample questions to get you started:
- What are your current business goals?
- Are there untapped target audiences you can reach?
- How can you improve your current customer experience or customer wellness?
- Is there technology that you can apply to improve your business?
- Can you think of any supplemental products and services that provide an opportunity for your business?
Threats:
For this section, think about the external conditions that could damage your business’s performance. Sample questions to get you started:
- What are your obstacles?
- What is going on in the economy that can potentially affect your business?
- What is going on in the industry that can potentially affect your business?
- What are the strengths of your biggest competitors?
- What are your competitors doing that you’re not?
You’ve Filled it Out! Now What?
This worksheet won’t help you unless you can analyze the data you’ve compiled and put it into action. While going through, you may have already identified some strategies and goals for your business. Your next steps should be:
- Create a plan to expand on the strengths you’ve identified
- Identify ways you can diminish, dispell or defer your weaknesses
- Set achievable goals for each of the opportunities you have identified
- Use your strengths to decrease the threats you identified
Mix It Up.
Now the opportunities should start flying off the page. Explore ways in which you can combine your strengths and opportunities to develop new strategies. Try combining strengths and threats to identify threats you can eliminate and look at your weaknesses and opportunities to create a list of areas ready for improvement.
You should also make a list of areas to avoid that fall under weaknesses and threats. Once you can read your data and understand the recordings, you can find ways to use it strategically. The best part is that you can use this tool over and over again to explore new opportunities, uncover lurking threats, and improve your business year after year.
>>Download the SWOT here<<
Join us at the PDS Super-Conference
If you are looking for ways to get more buy-ins and more “yeses” from prescribers, patients, and employees, you need to attend the PDS Super-Conference. We want you to join us and learn how you can use these strategies to start maximizing your potential as soon as possible - and we’re positive that this pharmacy conference will do that for you.
100% sure, in fact – if after the first day, you don’t feel like the conference was worth your time or money? We’ll give you that money back. Not only that, but we’ll give you $300 back on top of your ticket refund for your travel expenses. That’s guaranteed.
We’re expecting over 2,000 guests this year – but if you want to be a part of this incredible opportunity, join now.
We’ve Compiled the Best Flu Shot Marketing Strategies for Pharmacies… and They WORK
Flu season is upon us, and as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. How will you be conveying that message to your patients this flu season?
Here are 22 marketing tactics to position your independent pharmacy as the go-to for their healthcare needs this flus season. The ideas below are all highly effective with little to no-cost investment. Whether you choose to implement one or all of the ideas, they’ll make your job a lot easier and your pharmacy marketing tools much more effective by keeping your brand top of mind.
1. Flu shot gift cards. This is a simple flu shot solution for younger patients with elderly parents, friends or neighbors. Have the gift cards available at your cash register and strategically place some signage throughout the store. Your all-star pharmacy team should also be trained to mention this offer while the patient is receiving their shot. Before you know it, your independent pharmacy can be the go-to healthcare destination in the community.
2. On-site flu shots to local businesses. The flu takes a real toll on workplace productivity. Reach out to local business leaders and organizations offering them the solution they didn’t know they needed. Send a letter or make a personal phone call offering to administer on-site vaccinations. Take the stress off their plate allowing them to focus on running their business while you build yours.
3. Send out a voice broadcast to your past flu shot customers. If they received a vaccination in the past, they’re likely to continue. Consider sending a voice broadcast to elderly and diabetic patients. Remember these best practices while you’re planning the campaign:
- Create a short script that runs no longer than 30 seconds.
- Avoid scheduling the call too early in the morning, too late at night or during typical dinner times.
- Think about what type of voice would be pleasing to the ear.
- Don’t forget to give the customer the ability to opt-out from receiving future calls.
4. Record helpful and educational videos. Engage and education existing and potential customers. Videos can be posted to your website, shared on social media, played in the store or linked in an email campaign. Here are a few video suggestions to get you started:
- Demonstrate how flu shots are pain-free and easy to administer by using a live patient (make sure you get their consent first!).
- Create a fun, candid video
- Tap into the knowledge of a staff pharmacist or the pharmacy owner and ask them to record an educational video. Sample topics: The Top 5 Ways to Stay Healthy This Flu Season (tie-in products they can buy in the store) or How to Wash Your Hands Effectively
- PRO TIP: Ask a child to join you in the video – their mom will surely show it to 20 people.
5. Record a new on-hold message. Sometimes putting patients on hold is unavoidable. Make the most of this (hopefully) brief hold and remind them about the importance of getting a flu vaccination. Keep the message short and to the point and when your done conducting the business that they called about, ask them if they’d like to schedule their flu shot appointment
6. Place a sign by the road that reads, Flu Shots Here. Simple, cost-effective, and most importantly, it works.
7. Pass out “I got my flu shot, did you?” stickers to each flu shot customer. This patient will be a one-day walking advertisement and testimonial for your pharmacy.
PRO TIP: Take pictures of customers wearing their stickers and post a collage of these on your social sites. Make sure to ask for their consent first! These customers will share the image on it. Influencer marketing at its best!
8. Have FAQ and Fact Sheets, both in English and Spanish (or any other language prevalent in your location), available in the pharmacy waiting area.
9. Hang flyers around your pharmacy and on community bulletin boards.
10. Send customized letters to families with children, diabetic patients, your elderly customers, pregnant women, etc.
11. Educate your staff on the benefits of getting a flu shot and train them so they can effectively “sell” to your patients.
12. Send a text message reminder to your customers that have opted-in to receive messages from your pharmacy.
- The flu claims an avg of 36,000 lives and hospitalizes more than 200,000 people every year. Schedule a flu shot by calling xxx-xxxx.
- Flu season is just around the corner, protect yourself by getting a flu shot at ____________.
- Stay healthy this winter, get a flu shot. Call ___________ to set up an appointment.
13. Offer a $10 coupon to the store with every flu shot. Restrict the coupons to OTC items only and only on a $20 sale or more.
14. Set up a synchronization alert to automatically remind this year’s flu shot patients when it’s time to come back next year. This strategy works well for any appointment or event in your pharmacy — diabetic shoe reminders, cholesterol testing days, etc. Do you have a medsync program in place? If not, you’re missing out! Here’s a great place to start.
15. Offer free Vitamin C to the community. Position your efforts as a way to keep the community healthy during the season. Not only will it put your pharmacy in a good light, it will also get people to spread the news about your efforts and get people to walk into your store.
16. Add a widget to your blog or website. Go to the CDC website and download one of the many data and statistics widgets they offer for health-related websites and blogs.
17. Inform your Facebook and Twitter communities by uploading your ads, videos, reminders, and exclusive promotions.
18. Set up an after-hours flu shot clinic for professionals that are stuck in the office during your pharmacy’s hours.
19. Write blog posts about the flu season and how to stay healthy. Suggestions: The Truth About Flu Shots, How to Stay Healthy During Flu Season, and What to Do if You Catch the Flu.
20. Staple bag stuffers to each bag leaving the pharmacy with flu flyers.
21. Update your monthly pharmacy newsletter with an ad, educational article, or information hotline number geared about the flu season.
22. Update your pharmacy voice mail message. Include a quick recap of benefits and how they can make an appointment.
Not sure where to start? Voice broadcast scripts, bag stuffers, flyers, FAQ sheets in English and Spanish, etc. can be found in the PDS Advantage Library by searching the keyword “flu.” These documents were designed as basic templates; feel free to edit the information to fit the needs of your pharmacy. Don’t have a PDS Advantage account? If you are a valid pharmacy professional, you can set one up for free here! Begin testing out a few of these ideas this week, and let us know what else you would recommend, or what has worked for your pharmacy in the comments below.
Natural Disasters: Be the Heart Your Community Needs
Community pharmacies play an important role and bring a unique value to the areas they serve. This role is particularly important when it comes to natural disasters. The threat of natural disasters isn’t new, but in light of recent times, there is an increased sense of awareness and need for preparedness if the next one is ‘The Big One.’
Under the HIPAA Security Rule and the Medicare Quality Standard, your pharmacy must have a Disaster Recovery Plan in place to implement. It’s a good idea to read up on your plan, research if it is still compliant, and go over this with your team, so there are no additional surprises beyond the stress of the natural disaster itself. Once you have your contingency plan in place, you are better able to serve your community and step in when the situation arises.
Increased awareness surrounding recent and impending natural disasters has driven states and organizations to establish and reassess protocols for disaster recovery plans. These vary state to state so independent pharmacies should confirm that they are up to speed on expectations. This isn’t the type of contribution that we are talking about though, we’re talking about a different list of things that you can do as your communities healthcare destination in support of first responders and federal help.
It all comes down to one overarching idea — Think Locally.
Your Role in Light of Disaster
As a local provider, nobody knows your community, their health care needs, and ailments the way you do. In the case of an extreme disaster, it is possible that responders may take days to get on the ground in your area. In the meantime, serve the community by acting as a liaison for communication, health questions, and readiness support until the Federal assistance arrives.
- If you have working phone lines, allow those who are displaced the opportunity to contact their loved ones and let them know they are safe.
- Remind your patients before an oncoming disaster to fill their prescriptions so they are prepared in case of service disruption after the event. Many patients require life-saving medications and do not think of refilling their medication in the chaos of preparing their homes.
- Provide disaster preparation checklists to your patients that include information on proper medication storage, water safety, shelter, and resource information.
- Reach out to local health officials and offer your services as a community resource center in the event of a disaster.
- Make connections with pharmacies in other areas that may provide services that you do not cover. If one distribution center is depleted, you should always have a backup plan for necessary medication and supplies.
- Be willing to jump in and open your store up to provide life-saving products, equipment and shelter to those in need after the disaster passes. Sometimes people just need a working outlet to charge their phones to reach loved ones.
The key is to have a plan and build the connections before the disaster hits. Practice and test your plan frequently enough so that when something happens, you are prepared to serve your community in what may be their darkest time of need.
PDS Stands With Those Affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.
PDS believes in the strength of communities and supports businesses across the nation and abroad. Our hearts are with those displaced and affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. If you wish to donate, to hurricane relief, please find a list of charities below:
This is just a short list of groups dedicated to provide relief to those affected. Please take the time to donate and keep the victims and communities in your hearts.
{PDS Sponsored Post} Growing Your Pharmacy Revenue with Niche Products
Independent pharmacy owners have multiple items on their to-do lists, with the most important being properly dispensing medications to ensure their patients recieve the right dose to get well. Running your operations and implementing new programs, all while keeping up with employee morale, can often get pushed to the side. These details may seem minor, but they often what take a back seat and in doing so, negatively impact your business.
Don’t Just Survive. Thrive.
Pharmacies have many opportunities to add additional revenue utilizing their existing prescription customers. You just have to take a deeper look into what you’re already doing. Below are our top 3 ideas to increase revenue without expending too much effort.
- Idea 1: Take a visible end cap on a heavy traffic pattern isle and fill it with seasonal items that are already on your shelves.
- Idea 2: Place a tester for a hand or pain relief cream on your wrapping counter. It’s all about the laws of percentage!
- Idea 3: Recognize which shelving in the store has the most visibility to your customers while they are waiting for their prescriptions to be filled. Find the sections that could be communicating “buy me” while a patient is standing or sittiing down waiting. Make sure to have the right mix of impulse, trendy, cute and useful items.
Cost-Saving Tips to Keep in Mind
- While snacks and candy seem like quick and easy sales, the reality is that their profit margin is too low and take up too much valuable real estate.
- Some specialty candies down low will do the trick especially as “distraction” candy for kids.
- Make sure to stock items that are fun versions of old standbys, such as:
- Neon or animal print nail clippers
- Cell phones paraphernalia (Only EVERY customer over 8 has got one!)
- Pain relief products, or sleep aids
- Unique pill holders (this one is a fast seller!)
There is no playbook or blueprint that guarantees what you should be offering in these highly visible and high-traffic locations – all it takes is trial and error. Your traditional wholesaler carries general drugstore merchandise that you can find in every chain drug, grocery and dollar store. Become the destination for products other than the predictable OTC drug necessities!
Finding the Best Resource for Specialty Items
We live in a society that is constantly consuming. Whether your customer needs a modest gift to give or wants the latest gadget or gizmo, keep something on shelves they’ll be willing to buy. With desire, modest effort and a reliable resource, you can start to fill your registers with much needed augmentation for the low reimbursements you’re receiving on prescriptions.
About the Author:
Langermania is the leader in providing specialty products for independent pharmacies to grow their revenue. Many of our products are not found in the chain stores, eliminating the worry of competition and keeping up with the latest products. We work diligently to source the latest trends to be able to offer over 7,000 stores unique items. Visit our website to see more of what we offer and how we can help grow your independent pharmacy.