Have You Heard of Justin Jones-Fosu?

I have.  I listened to him speak at a conference recently.  He did a great job. So much so I feel to share some concepts he discussed. And, to be clear, the picture you see here is not him.  It is just a shot designed to capture your attention.  

Jones-Fosu spoke at the NCPDP Annual Technology and Business Conference.  As you know, NCPDP stands for the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs.  What you may not know is NCPDP does more than provide you with that magic number you use to bill third-party payers.  They set the standards that allow your pharmacy systems so share information with other systems.  

But I digress, let’s get back to Jones-Fosu.  His remarks focused on getting people to be better workers by helping them find satisfaction in what they do.       

One counter-intuitive thing he said was, “Don’t look for your work to bring meaning to your life; rather, bring meaning to your work.”   The statement reminded me of President John Kennedy’s inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

While this notion may not immediately provide you with dozens of energized and committed employees it is, he maintains, one of the secrets to your success as a person, as an employee and an employer.   Jones-Fosu is on a mission to help people, no matter how menial their jobs, realize everyone’s job has meaning. He maintains, if you can find meaning in your job, you can help others find it in theirs. 

He shared the story of walking through a busy airport after a long business trip.  He was tired and grumpy.  Then he noticed a maintenance worker smiling and whistling as he pushed a trash cart down a hallway sweeping the floor.  He decided the time had come to remember all the big ideas he’d shared during his recent speech and thanked the janitor for what he was doing. 

The maintenance worker responded with a thank you.  Jones-Fosu asked him if he’d mind chatting for a few minutes while he recorded the conversation on his cell phone.  The short video clip showed a a smiling maintenance worker who was obviously flattered by the attention.  The question was asked, "how do you stay so happy doing this kind of work?  The response, “I know my job is not glamourous but what I do matters to people like you.” 

He showed a second clip.  This one featured a cafeteria worker cleaning tables in a busy corporate lunch room.  She said that despite the fact most people might feel what she did was insignificant, she disagreed.  She said she came to work each day, not only for the money, but because what she did helped other people, even it was only her co-worker who would need to pick up the slack if she was not there.   

As you deal with employee turn-over or the challenges of getting people to do their jobs well, it might help to explain the tasks involved in a specific job from a different perspective.  Your pharmacy does more than take pills from big bottles and put them in little ones.  Your pharmacy helps people live healthier, happier lives.  In short, like the janitor, you help people. That’s why you need people working with you who understand the importance of their job. 

Here's hoping something said here help you do more and be better.  Because, what you do matters!

You Can Learn A Lot Just By Listening

 

Yogi Berra, the late great baseball Hall of Fame player is reported to have said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.”  Borrowing from that statement I’d like to suggest pharmacy owners can learn a lot just by listening.  

While listening to employees and customers is always wise, I am not talking about that.  Rather, I am suggesting you listen and learn from successful pharmacy owners.  And helping you listen to some of the best is the mission of my popular podcast show, PharmacyCrossRoads.  

The program typically calls for me to spend 30 minutes or so interviewing a successful owner who is generous enough with his or her time to chat about programs, products or service they use that help them be successful.  And, the good news is there are plenty of successful owners out there for me to keep busy doing shows for quite some time.  

The beauty of an audio podcast is you can listen during your commute, while working on spreadsheets  or even while mowing the lawn.  True, video presentation can be great.  Being able to see the things being talked about is terrific.  But there are clear advantages to audio.  You can take it with you no matter where you go. 

PharmacyCrossRoads is hosted by the pharmacy industries most popular podcast platform, The Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN).  PPN, www.pharmacypodcast.com is the home of more than 40 pharmacy related podcast programs and they post all their programs on Spotify, Apple/iTunes, Google Podcasts and more.  So no matter what device you use you can subscribe and listen to PharmacyCrossRoads when and where you choose.    

Check it out at: http://www.PharmacyCrossRoads.com 

Here's hoping my podcast will help you do more and be better.  

A Few Things I Learned This Week....

 I  spent a day at the 2022 Annual Technology and Business Conference of the National Council on Prescription Drug programs, better known as NCPDP.  It provides every pharmacy with the specific identifying number used to bill for third party reimbursement; but it does a whole lot more. 

One of the “other” things is hosting a technology conference that attracts a diverse group of companies interested in helping pharmacies operate more efficiently; and, NCPDP advocates for pharmacists to be allowed to provide more clinical services. 

Dr. Jerome Adams, the former U.S. Surgeon General, delivered an informative and uplifting Key Note address.  Adams framed his comments with the statement that the United States does not need to spend “one dime more on health care.”  Instead, as he explained over the next 30+ minutes, we simply need to rethink and rearrange how we spend our healthcare dollars. 

One notable example is, he says, for some mysterious reason both the government and private insurers have decided not to cover things “above the neck.”  They don’t’ pay for dental work, hearing aids, eye glasses or, mental health conditions.  As for mental health Adams points out how more money spent on helping people deal with mental health and related social skills would save the nation billions of dollars on the cost of imprisonment.   This is especially true if one factors in the cost to society of the loss of human potential and the money spent to replace property losses due to crime. 

One topic mentioned in several presentations, and included in Adams’ remarks, is the costs to the health care system of social determinants of health.  The inability of the underprivileged to gain access to early detection and poor nutritional is a major cause of obesity.  And, as we all know, obesity drives a variety of chronic health conditions.  Adams argues focusing more attention on these issues now would save our society billions of dollars.   

NCPDP is dedicated to helping payers and regulators understand that by empowering – and paying – pharmacists to provide new, more and better healthcare services that we can improve the health of more Americans.  And,  as Adams says, it won’t cost us one dime more. 

If you own or manage a pharmacy I challenge you to reach out to your elected representatives, insurance commissioners and other policy makers and employers in your area.  Let them know that by taking fuller advantage of the resources your pharmacy provides your community can save money and enjoy better health. 

No Front-End Is Too Little To Matter

Learning from others is one of the secrets of success.  And, boy did I learn a lot from my conversation with Shahida Choudhry, Pharm D., and owner of The Palms Pharmacy, in Tampa, FL.  

Shahida is a rock star! Operating out of an 1800 square foot facility with a that house the "typical" pharmacy area and a compounding lab.  Leaving only about 300 square feet for her front-end.  Most owners would simply put in some classic drug store products and ignore the space.  But, there is nothing normal about her. By listening to customers, considering her market area, tapping into local suppliers and sourcing product from innovative vendors she has turned her 300 square foot into a profit center and a patient magnet.  

And better yet, she shares her story in my most recent podcast.  Here's the link: 

 https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CSN8831132273.mp3?updated=1649422210

While your front-end may only account for 5-10% of sales it affects 80% of your image.  Making it appealing, and profitable is both important and possible.  Just ask Shahida, she'll tell you that retrofitting her front-end plays a critical role in making her pharmacy profitable.  

Having Trouble Finding Good Employees; Perhaps You Should Look For Character Not Credentials

I listened to a fascinating NPR report yesterday about changes some employers are making in their recruiting efforts.  Of course they talked about signing bonuses, higher wages, flexible hours and even work from home.    

But they also mentioned another option.  That being, recruit for character with less concern for  credentials. In the NPR story the key illustration was the habit employers have of automatically requiring a college degree even one one is not necessary for the job.    

I guess the point I am trying to make it that too many pharmacy owners have grown accustomed to putting in their job description the need for a high school diploma or other educational credentials.  That is a logical requirement, and under what used to be normal, it would help clear the applicant pool of unsuitable candidates.  

But, too many applicants is no longer a problem.  So, maybe the time has come to think of new, novel and perhaps more important employment qualifications.  The world is full of mother's interested in returning to work but who do not have "classical" work experience.  Perhaps being the leader of a cub scout troop, or a volunteer with a not-for-profit organization would be a better indicator of a person's work ethic and ability.  

The point, when recruiting, try to find ways to attract people with the character traits you need, and then train them for the technical skills they require.  And, educational credentials may not be the best way to determine that.  Personal recommendations and non-commercial work experience could be a better way to find such people.

I'd love to know what you think.  Email me at;  BFKneeland@gmail.com 

Back To Normal Is Not The Goal

 Almost every day I hear someone say; “I can’t wait for things to go back to normal.“

If in 2019 you were making plans to try new things and striving to grow your pharmacy, advance your career or improve your personal life, then everything you were doing was an attempt to get out of what was then, normal. 

So, while yes, we want to put COVID behind us, we also want to find new, more and better ways to advance our professional and improve our personal lives. 

Remember that no matter how hard things get there are always ways to succeed.  I read stories of pharmacy owners who are totally reformatting their pharmacies into cash only, no insurance accepted practices.  I have spoken with pharmacists that contract with medical clinics to do chart reviews or diabetes education.  The clinic bills for the service using their billing codes and pay the pharmacist a per hour fee for providing the services.

Point of care testing is a growth field as is the role of pharmacy as a healthcare destination to aid patients in areas such as; drug nutrient depletion, improved diet, diabetes prevention education and many more services that are not dispensing related. I even know of an organized effort by a sharp vendor to incorporate the selling of health insurance into the pharmacy.  Ohers are providing, cash paid, in home elderly support care services.  Incorporating one or more of these, and dozens of other opportunities, into your pharmacy will help you move away from normal as you become; exceptional.

But what about finding more joy in what you do.  Societal expectations of what a job or career means are changing.  Consumer behavior has also changed as incents of rude and abusive customer conduct are increasing.  Working in a pharmacy just is not the same as it was a few years ago.  

No matter if you are the owner, manager, a technician or a cashier you can do much to improve your working conditions.  Pay and benefits are critical and need to be in line with the realities of the market place.  For staff members this is a good thing.  For owners and managers, maybe not so much.  But those who adjust and find ways to more fully engage, respect, trust and empower their team members will benefit from this huge shift in employer and employee relations. 

On a non-economic front, and I would argue a benefit that is more powerful than money is working conditions.  This affects owners, managers and team members equally.   Much of what happens in a pharmacy depends on the way staff members interact with one another, do their job and how well they treat patients.  Much of this depends on how much the employee believes that working in a pharmacy is a noble cause; that helping people live healthier lives is important and serves a higher purpose than simply that of making a living.    

A few years ago, I started using a made-up word; probletunity.  It is intended to underscore the notion that hidden in every problem is an opportunity in disguise.  COVID, and the closely related economic, social and health related problems it has brought upon pharmacy are well known to everyone that works in a retail pharmacy.  Yet, for those that are astute enough to see the opportunity, and then quick enough to adjust, will benefit from all the turmoil.  It has ever been so.  Wars, depressions, natural disasters and other major disruptions always produce new opportunities.  I have pointed out a few.  I’d love to have those who are smarter and more observant than me point out opportunities they see they feel are even better
than the ones I have mentioned. 

As always, here’s hoping something I have said here will help you, Do More and Be Better. 

Is 2022 The Year You Get Serious About Customer Referrals?

Here's wishing you all the best for the Holiday Season.  I'd like to give you one gift that will keep on giving by sharing a couple thoughts on how to engineer positive word-of-mouth recommendations from your current customers.  

One thing that I have seen work over the years is a well designed Customer Card.  The idea is to create some piece that tells the story of your pharmacy in a few simple words.  Let people know you are serious about being a healthcare provider and outline a few things you do that separate you from the competition.  Mention how you have invested in technology so you can provide better care, highlight how you communicate with physician's to help them find the best medication for patients and perhaps even describe how you take on the insurance companies to help get medications covered.  This is work - sit, ponder, doodle, brainstorm with team members but come up with a compelling - but very short story on how you take care of patients.  

Give these cards to your current customers and invite them to fill out the bottom portion and enter a drawing, or sign-up for your newsletter or join your birthday club.  Provides some reason for them to fill out, tear off and leave the card.  

Then, give them 2 or 3 others and invite them to give them to neighbors, friends or relatives but make sure they know to put their name on the "referred by" line.  Explain that when they give away a card and a person comes in with the card - and a new or transfer prescription  - that the person will get a $10.00 gift card towards the purchase of any private label item in the pharmacy and that the current customer will get the same.  

It's a winner.  Everybody wins and it costs you noting until it works.  

So, Happy Holidays, start thinking now how you and your team can start the New Year of right with a nicely designed Customer Referral Program.