As an independent pharmacy owner, you have the ability to implement programs and services more easily than chain pharmacies. Often times, one of the hardest parts of expanding your services is figuring out what programs are a good fit for your pharmacy. After all, with numerous options available, how do you choose what’s right for pharmacy?
Before you decide to implement a new program, it’s important to understand the wants and needs of your patients. Determine what services other pharmacies in your area are offering and what they are not offering Talk to your patients, understand their needs, and decide what niches might help meet those needs.Do you need some help figuring out what programs and services to offer? We’ve put together a list of five programs your independent pharmacy can’t afford to ignore if you want to grow your pharmacy.

Free Children’s Vitamin Program

Offering a free children’s vitamin program is a great way to support the health and well-being of the children in your community. At home and at school, children often come in contact with an abundance of germs and bacteria. When children get  the right amount of vitamins and minerals on a  daily basis, it  boost their immune system and helps  their little bodies fight potential illnesses. If you’re worried that giving away free vitamins will cost you more than it’s worth, don’t be– a free vitamin program gives you a great opportunity to earn patient trust and loyalty.  Customers will keep coming  back to your pharmacy to fill prescriptions, buy retail merchandise and refer friends and family.

Delivery Services

Depending on where your pharmacy is located, you may find that patients can’t always make it into your store during regular hours. They  might not have access to transportation or time to get to your store before or after work, which makes a delivery service very appealing. Home delivery doesn’t mean putting medications in a box and shipping them. It means someone on your team takes the time to hand-deliver medications to a patient’s home, work, senior living facility, etc. When you set up a  delivery service program, you can assign specific delivery hours and distances your team can travel. For example, you can choose to deliver within a five-mile radius during week days. Setting up home delivery parameters ensures that you can accommodate patients who want to take advantage of this convenient service and that you  always have enough employees in your pharmacy during your busiest times.

Immunizations

Pharmacies across the country are beginning to add immunizations to their list of services. Offering various vaccines shows that you value the health and wellness of your patients and that you are willing to go an extra mile to make their life better. Offering the most common vaccinations such as flu shots, shingles, Gardasil®, Hepatitis B, and travel vaccines will help save your patients a trip to their primary care physician and once again, will help you build trust and long term connections with your customer base.

Medication Adherence Programs

One of the most difficult things for patients is remembering to take their medications consistently. Medication Adherence programs make it easy for patients to remember to fill their prescriptions on time as they fill all of the prescriptions in a single order. Successful Medication Adherence programs involve identifying patients who need help with compliance, and developing plans that will make it easier for them to consistently take their medications on a regular basis.

Diabetes Management Programs

For patients living with diabetes, maintaining health is often overwhelming and confusing. Diabetes management empowers your patients to take control of their diabetes and gives them the tools they need to manage it effectively. Some of the different services you can offer include education on blood glucose meters and nutrition as well as offering classes that cover different aspects of living with diabetes.Loooking for more ways to compete with national chain pharmacies? Download our free eBook, 3 Innovative Ways to Compete in the Pharmacy Market

Owning a pharmacy can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be stressful. Although tension is present in virtually every career, that doesn’t mean you can’t reduce it. Some of the factors that impact the amount of stress in a pharmacy environment include: prescription volume, patient population, management style, automation efficiency, store layout, daily distractions and more.
Failing to manage the stress in your pharmacy environment can have a negative impact on patient safety, personal health, and the overall success of your pharmacy. As you already know, too much stress can lead to anxiety, sleeplessness, high blood pressure and even obesity. If left unresolved for too long, it can also cause employee burnout.As a pharmacy owner, what should you do to reduce stress and avoid burnout for yourself and your team? Encourage your team to stay on top of their own well being and focus on those actions that you can take to help your team get through challenging and difficult times.

Communicate with your team

When you feel overwhelmed your natural reaction may be to withdraw from your team. However, the best thing you can do is to engage with your team if you notice that they are at their wits end. Regularly communicate with your employees and figure out how you can help remedy their concerns. Maybe they’re overwhelmed because another team member is out of town resulting in a heavier workload. Or maybe they are in need of additional training, but haven’t reached out to let you know. Leading your pharmacy through a stressful period requires clear and effective communication. Refrain from negativity, anger or placing blame. Work with your team to identify issues and figure out ways to resolve them together.

Watch for road blocks

Inevitably there will be situations that become roadblocks in your pharmacy workflow. Even though you may not be working with patients every day, it’s important that you help your staff recognize potential issues before they occur. Some roadblocks may include insurance issues, problems with physicians, or patients that don’t completely understand their medications. It’s important that you work with your team to find solutions that will help them remain productive and provide patients with a positive customer experience.

Remain calm and positive

This may sound like a given, but remember that stress and anxiety are contagious. If you appear to be stressed out or overwhelmed, your staff will feel it too. Force yourself to speak in a normal tone, slow down your rhythm, and always remember to smile. It may seem counterproductive to “fake it,” but as a leader, your team looks to you for guidance. If you need to, step away from the situation for a moment and come back when you are in a positive mental state.

Prioritize tasks

There’s more to prioritizing than determining which prescriptions need to be filled first. You know all too well that at any given moment, there are a number of different things that need to get done in your pharmacy each day. All of the little things add up quickly, and you and your team may be tempted to tackle the small, less important tasks to “get them out of the way.” However, when things get tough, prioritize which tasks are the most important, and attack those first. Not only will you get your highest priorities out of the way, but you’ll also reduce your stress levels in the process.Regardless of whether you are new to pharmacy ownership or a seasoned veteran, stress will always play a role in your pharmacy. Knowing how to deal effectively with the stress can make all the difference in how your team responds to situations and how your pharmacy operates.Looking for ways to set goals and implement new programs without all of the stress? Download our free eBook,

The world’s most popular entrepreneurs like Donald Trump and Steve Jobs intrigue everyone, however, there’s a common misconception that being a successful entrepreneur means being very well-known and highly acclaimed. You don’t have to be Sir Richard Branson or Mark Zuckerberg or change the course of history to be a successful entrepreneur. You also don’t have to be Type A personality, an overachiever, a workaholic or even an extrovert, to run a successful pharmacy business. Successful entrepreneurs come from all backgrounds and walks of life, and many of them are just like you.

Whether you’re the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company or the owner of an independent pharmacy, successful entrepreneurs have several common traits. These include:

Passion

Many successful pharmacy entrepreneurs are passionate about evolving the community pharmacy industry and this is what fuels them to succeed. Entrepreneurship is not a path for someone who is just interested in going through the motions, it’s a career path for people who strive to improve the lives of others regardless of the roadblocks that lie ahead.

Fearlessness

On a scale from “avoids risk” to “risk taker,” entrepreneurs tend to fall closer to the latter. Being fearless means being bold and making decisions even if they’re scary. It means being comfortable with the idea that failure is a possibility, but holding back is not an option.

Adaptability

The pharmacyindustry is ever-changing, and the most successful pharmacy entrepreneurs and their teams are able to quickly adapt to these changes. Things may even evolve from the time you think about implementing a new program to the time it’s actually in place. Sometimes, unforeseen issues arise and a change in course is needed.

For example, you decide to start a travel vaccination program, your team is trained and as you get ready to launch several key employees leave. You no longer have the resources you need but instead of giving up on the program, you assemble a new team and prepare for the launch. As a successful entrepreneur, you know that in order to achieve something bigger you have to overcome obstacles and remain fluid.

Vision

One of the defining traits of successful entrepreneurship is the ability to see an opportunity and turn ideas into action. The most successful pharmacy entrepreneurs have a curiosity that cannot be contained. They are constantly on the lookout for new programs that can benefit their community and will help their business grow. They are constantly creating ways to make things better, and they effectively communicate their vision to their staff, customers, and their community.

Self-Discipline

Being a successful entrepreneur doesn’t mean staying at your pharmacy until all hours of the night or working during your vacations. The most successful entrepreneurs know that you need to spend more time your business instead of in it. It’s important that you have the self-discipline to step away from working behind the counter and to focus on the tasks that need to be done such as; hiring new employees, setting up new processes, and building a positive culture.During your journey as a pharmacy entrepreneur, you’re going to make mistakes, and there may be times when you want to give up. What sets the most successful entrepreneurs apart from the rest is fearlessness, self-discipline, adaptability, vision, and passion. If you don’t already embody these characteristics, it’s okay. Not all entrepreneurs do, and you can still be successful. The most important thing is to use your strengths to your advantage and always strive to be a better person, owner, and entrepreneur.

Want to learn more about pharmacy ownership and standing out from the crowd? Download our free eBook, 3 Innovative Ways to Compete in the Pharmacy Market

Expanding into a new niche or offering a new program is a great way to differentiate yourself from national chain pharmacies in your area, increase sales, and ultimately grow your pharmacy business. Both chain and independent pharmacies all over the country are adding immunizations to their list of services, however running a successful program goes far beyond simply putting vaccinations on the menu. One of the biggest reasons independent pharmacy owners don’t already have an immunization program in place is a lack of time and commitment to get started.

If this sounds familiar, here are six important steps every pharmacy owner should consider before starting a successful immunization program.

1. Determine if there’s a need

One of the first steps you should take before implementing any new program in your pharmacy is to determine if there’s a need for immunizations in your community. People of all age groups need immunizations, and people are always looking for a more convenient way to get their vaccines.

It’s important that you spend time doing research to see what other pharmacies in your area offer. Talk to your customers, and find out where they get their immunizations now. Talk to them about the possibility of offering immunization services in your pharmacy, and ask them about their opinions, what else they’d like to see, and when.

2. Know your state’s policy

Every state has regulations in regards to vaccinations pharmacists can deliver. Before you start an immunization program, be sure to check with your state’s board of pharmacy to see what vaccinations your pharmacy may administer and if there are any limitations.

3. Get certified

Proper training and certification are essential to a successful pharmacy immunization program. In order to get your pharmacy immunization license, any pharmacist who will be giving immunizations will need to attend training courses. These are often provided by a local school of pharmacy or by your state’s pharmacy association. Many of the training courses require a valid CPR card in order to complete certification, so consider taking a CPR class through the American Red Cross.

4. Market your program

Once your immunization program is in place, it’s time to start marketing your new program! Post signs throughout your store, tell your customers about it when they pick up their prescriptions, post on social media, notify local news outlets, and more. Consider calling local businesses such as churches, schools, banks, and fitness centers that might benefit from your new immunization program.

5. Administer the vaccine

So you can reach as many people as possible, consider expanding your immunization services to the off-site clinics. Remember those local businesses you called when marketing your program? Consider asking them about setting up an off-site clinic at their business. Off-site clinics offer a convenient and accessible way for people to get their vaccines. Besides, they’re great for reaching out to more people in your community.

6. Partner with other providers

One of the best ways to improve your community’s health and to increase immunization rates is to partner with other healthcare professionals and groups. The team approach is a great way to promote the importance of vaccinations, plus it offers an opportunity to connect with other healthcare providers and potential customers.

Thinking about implementing a new program in your pharmacy but not sure where to start? Download our free eBook, The Pharmacy Owner’s Guide to Exceptionally Effective Implementation and get the nuts and bolts of a successful program launch!