Are You Missing A Huge Free Marketing Opportunity?

A couple back-to-back major national news stories have caused me to reflect on a HUGE competitive advantage independent community pharmacies have.  The approval of the FDA for an OTC birth control pill and news on a new Alzheimer drug are the two examples.  I'll bet you've heard these stories too. 

When a big story like this hits the news-wire the national media covers it pretty well.  But here's the problem your local news outlets have, they don't want to simply run the same story as everyone else. So, what do the do?  Often they will contact a local expert and try to build a story around what the expert says along with some thought as to what it mean for people in your city.  

Their problem, the pharmacy manager at the chain drug store can't talk to the press. But you can.  And with a little bit of preparation and some luck, you can be the local media guru for this type of news.  

Arun Tandon, President of Advance Health Pharmacy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has worked with the local press for years.  He just got to be featured on a local TV broadcast on the new birth control pill.  Here's a link to the story: https://lnkd.in/g9_QznfA

Hussam Hamoush, owner of Stonebriar Pharmacy in Frisco, Texas is also routinely featured on a local Dallas TV station.  

Both of them tell me the process couldn't be easier and, that the free publicity does bring in new patients, in two remarkable ways.  First, the obvious, people see the news story you are mentioned in.  They see the sign for your pharmacy.  They are unhappy with their current pharmacy so they drop in and give you a try.  But, the more important business builder is, your current customers see the news story,  Then they say to their friends, "Hey the locally owned pharmacy I just saw on the news is where I shop.  They are really good.  You might want to give them a try."  

That's right, being on the local news is a word-of-mouth catalyst.  

Getting started is easy.  Next time you  hear a story that has anything to do with pharmacy send an email to one or more local news outlets.  You should be able to find a contact person easily on the web.  Then write a short and sweet email.  Something like this:

Dear Editor, I just heard a news story on (fill in the blank).  I found it interesting but, it seems important to me that people understand a couple things about the (product/service) that weren't mentioned.  For example, (pick one) the cost, how hard it is to get, why insurance may not cover it, etc. etc.  As the owner of, Your Pharmacy Name, I'd be happy to talk with one of your reporters and answer a few questions.  It may help your readers/listeners have a better understanding of the topic.  

That's it.  Most likely the first two or three times you do this nothing will come of it.  But if you send out an email like this to several outlets, several times, after a few tries you'll get a call.  

Tandon and Hamoush tell me they get on the news several times a year; and, they no longer need to reach out.  The calls just come.  

I wrote an article on this process for America's Pharmacist magazine a couple years ago.  Email me at: BFKneeland@gmail.com and I'll send you a pdf.  Subject line: Be The Local Media Guru.

   

Sunrise or Sunset?

I took this picture last fall.  Because you don't know when and where it was taken you can't tell if this is a sunset or a sunrise. 

I have been involved in selling to, working for and writing about independent community pharmacy for nearly 50 years.  When I started the chains were just beginning to emerge as market leaders.  Their challenge was tying to catch up with Rexall, the retail drug store powerhouse with 10,000 retail franchisees.

The chains came on fast and took a huge chunk of the marketplace.  But well run independents that invested in technology and found ways to better serve their customers held on pretty well.  At the turn of this century the power was grabbed by the PBM's and the results have been devastating to independent pharmacy.  So much so that many say the sun is setting on the industry and profession.  

But, hold on a minute.  The classic cliché is that when one door closes another door opens.  From my perspective, the future of independent pharmacy is bright; or, using the picture, I'd say the sun is rising! It is a new day.  Owners are finding ways to take on new roles, provide new products and services and plug into their community to profitably fill gaps in healthcare.    

The door that is opening is being built upon a foundation of service and trust; and, I must add, upon dispensing.  But, understand, dispensing is the starting point, not the end all.  The real opportunity is in providing healthcare services.  

I get to visit a lot of pharmacies.  By definition, half of them are below average.  But the top 25% are forging a path to profit by expanding their vision of their profession.  That new vision includes being a healthcare professional with an expertise in medications.  

Let's face it, medications play a critical role.  What would a doctor do without antibiotics, blood pressure meds or any other of the thousands of products a great community pharmacy stocks.  Yet, medications don't work if people don't take them.  But, as you know, pharmacy can no longer survive on third party reimbursement.  

Immunizations, drug nutrient depletions, diabetes education, hypertension monitoring, lipid management are the starting point.  That leads to point-of-care testing, pharmacogenetics, birth control prescribing and a myriad of other services that in many cases are paid for in cash by the consumer. 

In my opinion too many pharmacy owners have surrendered to the notion that if insurance doesn't pay then people won't either.  That is a false narrative that is driving many pharmacies to sell their files and walk away.  I agree that if insurance doesn't pay many people won't pay.  Indeed, I'd even agree that most people won't pay.  But, I do argue that some people will.  

The, some people, brings me back to the point mentioned earlier.  That being, growing into healthcare services can best be built on the foundation of dispensing.  As an example., assume 10% of your patients will spend $25 for a product to address a drug nutrient depletion.  If you have 2000 patients that means 200 people with pay.  If you have 1000, you'll only get a 100.  

Thus I argue, pharmacy needs to aggressively hang onto their role as the medication experts.  Then they need to find ways to add on many more of these other services mentioned above.  In doing so it is critical they first believe "some people" will pay for "some" things.  Then, the hard part is figuring out just what new product, program or service they can provide that will prove successful.   

Here's hoping something you have read here will help you do more and be better.  

After reading his own obituary, Mark Twain reportedly told a reporter, "The report of my death has been greatly exaggerated."  The same can be said for independent community pharmacy.  It is far from dead.  If you look around carefully you'll see many pharmacies are making changes to their business model and doing quite well.  

One of the keys to their success appears to be they don't whine and complain.  They realize pharmacy is a health care profession.  Thus, as healthcare providers they realize they can provide services beyond dispensing.  In the last few months I have interviewed pharmacy owners that are:

1. Working with a company that coordinates care for insurance companies.  They train and certify  pharmacists.  The pharmacy then helps hypertension patients control their blood pressure.   The pharmacy gets paid, through the medical billing system, $150 for a 30 minute appointment based session and each patients gets multiple sessions.  

2. Coordinating with the State Health Department one pharmacy is working with elementary schools in the neighborhood to provide pediatric immunizations.  The shots are done at the school.  The program provides a decent margin and truly benefits the less fortunate students who get their shots.    

3. One owner has, over several years of hard work, progressed to the point where physicians refer specific patients to the pharmacy for a complete nutritional review.  The patient pays, out of pocket, for an appointment based evaluation and then purchases high-grade nutraceuticals from the pharmacy.  SOAP notes are taken and a written treatment plans are provided to the referring physician.  

4. Then there is compounding.  Pet meds, pediatric dosing and hormone replacement seem to be the most common.  Owners tell me once a few doctors in the area begin to understand the value of customized medications that compounding can be professionally rewarding, and profitable.

5. One owner I spoke with is working with a grant program and has hired a community health worker.  This person makes home visits and helps patients organize all their health care appointments, facilitates medication compliance and helps people overcome other barriers to good health.  

I called on my first pharmacy 50 years ago as a "detail man" for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.  As a brand new salesman I was amazed at how many pharmacy owners felt the profession was doomed.  The BIG fear, chains!!! 

Fifty years later, I say, "The reports of the demise of independent community pharmacy are greatly exaggerated."  Savvy pharmacy owners are doing new things and are finding success.  

                 Here's hoping something I said here will help you do more and be better.  

What's A Paradigm; and, Why $hould You Care?

I graduated from Brigham Young University in 1973.  In my senior year I took a business class from a popular but not yet well known professor, Stephen Covey.  It wasn’t until 1989 that he’d publish the book that turned him into a business icon, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Covey starts his book with the concept of a Paradigm.  The word indicates we all have a “frame of reference” we use to interpret life’s events.  The problem is, as circumstances change, it is easy to be trapped in a mind-set and that makes it difficult to adapt.

Independent community pharmacy suffers from an old, out of date paradigm.  When we think of successful pharmacies too many of us think of a pharmacy that fills a lot of prescriptions.  We don’t typically envision a pharmacy that does other things that help to improve the lives of patients. 

Change is happening fast.  Some changes are terrible, but some are really exciting.  The successful pharmacy of tomorrow will provide a variety of healthcare services.  It may help if you see yourself as a healthcare provider with an expertise in medication. 

The good news is that the kinds of services you can provide are being done by pharmacy owners right now!  Just in the past few weeks I have spoken with a handful of owners who are providing non-dispensing services, and getting paid.  Some by insurance companies, some from grants and others by consumers.  Yes, people will pay cash. Not all, or most, or even many, but some.  Just think what would happen if 10% of your patients paid you for some other healthcare product or service you provide.  

One of the most destructive paradigms that has crept into pharmacy is that if insurance doesn’t cover the cost, people won’t pay.  I visited Flower Mound Pharmacy in Texas.  The owner charges people for nutritional supplement consultations.  People with chronic conditions book an appointment, pay a fee, get an evaluation, a formal written report, recommendations and a care plan.  Then, they go out front and buy the supplements recommended.  And to top it off, they get results, feel better, and suggest that their friends do the same. 

I recently did a podcast with a pharmacy owner in Washington state.  He tells how a technology company, AssureCare, is providing him with the tools he needs to provide a profitable patient care service.  The pharmacy provides a convenient and clinically appropriate place for patients to come, by appointment, for a series of 30-minute encounters. The one he mentions is hypertension but there are others. He, and his credentialed staff help patients understand the seriousness of their condition, teach them how to properly take their blood pressure at home, and set up a care plan that helps them improve their diet, exercise and life style.  Via the vendor’s web portal this is all documented, billed and paid for by a combination of insurance coverage and patient co-pays.  Just like if it was done in a physician’s office.

Good things are happening.  Patients, prescribers, and payers need what community pharmacies can provide.  Here’s hoping you are exploring, and willing to try some new things.  It is still possible to run a profitable pharmacy.  I know because I get to visit them all the time. 

A Spectacular Front-end Gets New Pharmacy Off To A Great Start

I've spent decades working with independent pharmacies, and I know that running a profitable business while also providing excellent patient care is a constant challenge. That's why I want to share a story with you about how MatchSquare helped one independent pharmacy owner transform her front-end into a profitable space that aligns with her patient care philosophy.

Karen Hennesey is the proud owner of Wadhams Corner Pharmacy in Kimball, Michigan. When she was planning her pharmacy, she knew she wanted to create a spectacular front-end space that not only generated revenue but also helped her attract new customers. However, finding the right products and managing her front-end was a challenge, especially since she couldn't find anyone to manage it.

That's when she saw a social media post for MatchSquare, a new company that had created a front-end marketplace specifically for independent pharmacies. The ad boasted that they had sourced thousands of health, wellness, and lifestyle products that were carefully selected by merchandising professionals specifically for independent pharmacies. She contacted them and was introduced to a Personal Shopper who was beyond helpful.

With MatchSquare's help, Karen was able to turn her front-end into an even better space than she had hoped. The products are unique, attractively packaged, and sold at prices that appeal to her customers while generating attractive margins. Plus, her MatchSquare Personal Shopper eliminated the need for a front-end focused employee, saving her time and money. Together, they found ways to source products that convey the patient care philosophy that drove her to open her own pharmacy.

What I love about MatchSquare is that they understand the unique challenges of independent pharmacies and have created a program specifically for us. They have sourced unique and trendy brands that you won't find in your primary wholesaler's catalog, and their Personal Shoppers are experts at helping you find the products that align with your patient care philosophy.

Don't let your front-end be a missed opportunity for your independent pharmacy. Sign up for MatchSquare today and see the difference for yourself. Visit their website at www.matchsquare.com to learn more, and don't forget to ask about their "try-and-buy" sample box.

Take action today and see how MatchSquare can help you transform your front-end and grow your business. You won't regret it.

If You Want To Speed Up, Slow Down

Several years ago I was part of a sales team for a large technology firm.   The company, with sales approaching a billion dollars, had a dominate position in the independent hardware store and auto parts business and was eager to sell their products to independent pharmacies. 

One of the opportunities this job provided was participating in a year-long sales revamping process undertaken by a large consulting firm.

What’s this got to do with you?

During the process I learned something that will help anyone trying to manage an independent community pharmacy. The consultants came back with a whole new sales process built on the notion; if you want to speed up the sales cycle, then you need to slow down and plan more carefully.     

For some reason, the juxtaposition of the phrase, slow down to speed up, impressed me.  And, I think the idea has value for independent pharmacy owners. 

Here’s why.  If you want to grow your pharmacies sales professionally and profitably then you need to pause, take a step back and rethink what you do.  Most pharmacies are built on the idea that to be successful they need to fill more prescriptions.  While filling lots of prescriptions is helpful, it is no longer the key to success.  Low reimbursement, more expensive inventory and labor issues mean you need to do more and be better than ever before.  And, if you want to do more and be better you need to pause, ponder, plan and prepare.  That all requires time away from the pharmacy, it requires networking with others and brainstorming with you team.  In short, if you want to make more money, you need to find new, more and better ways to operate. 

The good news is other pharmacy owners have already found many of these new ways.  Some have decided to do more compounding.  Others to focus on non-pharmaceutical treatments, others have successfully adopted a cash-only model. I have a fondness for those updating the look of their pharmacy and re-invigorating the front-end.  Health services, like smoking cessation or diabetes education are common.   And of course, the most rapidly emerging areas for growth seems to be immunization.  With point-of-care, “test-to-treat,” coming in a close second. 

But, the number of choices is the problem. If you try to do too many you are likely to fail.  If you try to adopt programs you don’t have a passion for, or for which your market place is not ready, or that someone else is already doing, you are not likely to succeed.    

Which brings me back to the starting point.  If you want to speed up, slow down.  Take time to examine your strengths, understand your passions and evaluate your trade area.  Then carefully choose one or two programs and get started. 

It is possible to run a profitable community pharmacy.  Its not easy, but it is possible.  I know, because I get to see them when I travel.  The one thing that is true for each of them, they are doing something else besides filling prescriptions fast and accurately. 

Here’s hoping something you read here will help you do more and be better.   

Do Ads Still Work?

I get asked every so often, "Why don't my ads work?"

My answer, "If your ad isn't working it means you are running a crummy ad."

First, let me document that ads still work.  Have you seen the pillow guy's ads?  Yea, he's become a multi-millionaire selling pillows.  Or, how about the company that sells rubber car floor mats for five times as much as they cost at Auto Zone?    

These ads seem to work just fine.  So, what's the trick? So, here's the formula: 

        1. Have something; Good To Say

        2. Say it; Exceptionally Well

        3. Say it : Often

        4. Say it: In The Right Place

I realize this list is a bit like the NFL football coach telling his quarterback to throw a touchdown pass.  That's always the objective, but eleven other guys are working real hard to keep that from happening. 

Still, here are some more detail.  

Have something good to say means finding what it is you do in your pharmacy that truly matters to your current and prospective customers.  Hint, it's not, we've been serving the XYZ community for 50 years.  It's not, fast, friendly services.  

Try to find a hot button, something that truly speaks to your current and potential customers.  The two biggest examples I know of in the current market are; pouch packaging and medication synchronization.  

But both of these examples bring to bear the second rule, say it well.  If you are using the words adherence or compliance or synchronization in your ads then you are not, saying it well.  Consumers don't understand these terms.  

Headlines like: Too Many Pill Bottles, Too Little Time?  Or; Do You Ever Wonder If You Already Took Your Pills Today?  These headlines avoid "jargon" and speak to real concerns of "some" of your patients.  

Once you find a headline, topic and message that resonates keep using it. You and your team will soon get tired of hearing it and want to come up with something new.  Try to resist that temptation as long as you can.  

Finally, say it in the right place.  Ah, that's a real challenge.  The local newspaper, radio or cable TV station are always options.  Facebook is popular.  But the first place to start is in the store.  Window banners, shelf talkers, bag clippers, buttons for the staff and even door hangers placed on homes in your vicinity are all good places to start.  

I am a big fan of personalized email and even better, snail mail.  Sending a truly customized message to 10 patients a week telling them about the service you provide, and and how it will help them, is a time tested approach.  This takes time, but if done in a sensible manner and built into the job description of specific staff members, will pay off handsomely.  

Here's my one last thought.  The ability to do all the above is not a skill many pharmacy owners have.  Say it well means you keep it short, sweet and simple.  It means you come up with clever graphics that grab peoples attention. And, it means you come up with a call to action that gets people to call, or visit your pharmacy and ask questions.  I suggest you find an ad/marketing agency that can help you do this.  Because, ads do still work, and finding ways to build demand for services that generate the profit you  need is essential to your success.  

Something I Learned In A Class I Took From Stephen Covey

With all the challenges facing independent community pharmacy it’s easy to become overwhelmed, discouraged, and, dare I say, burnt-out? 

Perhaps some perspective will help you more effectively handle this challenge.  Years ago, it was my privilege to attend Brigham Young University and take a class from an impressive, but yet little know professor of Organizational Behavior, Stephen Covey.  In 1973, the idea for his blockbuster book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, was not even on his radar screen.  But, some of the concepts he taught in my class ended up in his book.

One was a concept he called, A Paradigm Change.  At the heart of this idea is to take the same facts, but look at them from a different perspective.   

In, The 7 Habits, Covey illustrates the concept by telling how he took a subway ride on a business trip to New York City.  On the ride was a man with 2 young children.   The children were behaving badly, jumping on the benches and making a nuisance of themselves.  Covey says he looked at the father with disdain wondering how it was he did not control his kids.  As he did so the father looked up and realized what had been happening.  He apologized and explained that he and the children had just come from spending the night at the hospital where their mother had just passed away. 

Instantaneously his attitude changed, even though none of the facts had. 

So, you say, what’s your point?  

The phone rings and one of your techs says she can’t come in today.  Patients give you anxious looks wondering why it is taking so long to get their prescription even though your IVR texted them that it was ready.  Workloads are up and profits are down.  

For these and numerous other reasons industry observers are often heard to say the future of retail pharmacy is bleak. 

But, is it really? When I hear predictions that independent pharmacy is dead, I think back on the first sales calls I made only months after listening to Covey’s lecture on paradigm change.  Within weeks of graduating, in August 1973, I started working for the J. B. Roerig Division of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. My first task was selling a line of cough and cold products to independent pharmacies in North Dakota.  As I made my calls, I was shocked to hear so many owners complain about how bad the future looked for them.  The reason, the makers of Robitussin changed their policy and decided to let chain drug stores sell the line.  

For forty-nine years I have been told independent pharmacy was dying.  Yes, I know that since 1973 tens of thousands of them have closed.  And, in the past few years that same trend is occurring in chain pharmacy.  The facts can’t be denied, things are tough.  Yet, somehow, some owners take these same facts ,but by looking at them differently, they find ways to make their pharmacies profitable.  I know, because I get to talk with talk with many of them on my podcast,  www.PharmacyCrossRoads.com

Take, for example, Shahida Choudhry, PharmD, owner of The Palms Pharmacy in Tampa, Florida. She opened a brand-new, start from scratch, pharmacy six years ago and is doing so well she is already planning to open another.  Part of her secret is sourcing unique front end products and finding effective ways to network with prescribers in her community. You can check her out at: https://www.thepalmspharmacy.com/

Then there’s Kyle McCormick, PharmD, owner of Blueberry Pharmacy in the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania area.  He has gone to an all generics, all-cash, membership model. That’s right, no PBM hassles. McCormick is meeting with so much success he is now helping others emulate his model.  Check him out at: https://blueberrypharmacy.com/

These owners, and hundreds of others, all have the same challenges but they have found a way to undergo a paradigm change by finding new, more and better ways to move forward.  Maybe you do something new and unique in your community.   

If You Own A Pharmacy You Need To Know About The DSCSA.

Pharmacists are the guardians of medications.  You know what they do, how they interact with one another and can often help prescribers find the best one for your patients.   But there is one other, perhaps even more critical thing, pharmacists need to do to make sure people get, take and actually benefit from the medications their doctor prescribed; is the medication in the bottle on your shelf actually real?  

That's what DSCSA is all about.  The acronym stands for Drug Supply Chain Security Act and its core purpose is to designate ways pharmacists can be sure the medications they dispense are real.  Counterfeiting of drugs is a real issue and the counterfeiters have become expert at finding ways to place their fake drugs into the supply chain.  That's where DSCSA comes into play.  

Passed nearly 10 years ago the regulations, up to this point, have affected mostly manufactures and distributors.  They have had to develop, with the help of industry standards and trade organizations, ways to authenticate and trace prescription medications in the supply chain.  The results of this have been most visible to retail pharmacies as the pedigree documents that come with your orders.  

While much of that "up stream" work has been done and the pressure is now on retail pharmacy to develop policies, tools and systems to assure that the products they purchase are in compliance with the new regulations.  And with more and more pharmacies utilizing secondary suppliers this process is becoming more important
and more complicated. 

I just did a podcast with two experts who talk about what this means to retail pharmacies.  It runs for about 40 minutes and includes comments from Perry Fri, EVP of the Healthcare Distribution Alliance and Leon Nevers, Director of Procurement for HEB, a world class grocery chain with pharmacies in Texas.  

You can listen to the podcast using this link:  

https://traffic.megaphone.fm/CSN2107439901.mp3?updated=1654533358

The BIG takeaway is that your primary wholesaler can help with this but you shouldn't count of them to provide you with all the tools you need.  And, the time to get started in now!  You can do that by talking with your wholesaler rep. to see what he/she can tell you and by accessing some documents prepared by the Healthcare Distribution Alliance at:  www.HDA.org/issues.

Here's hoping this information helps you prepare for the policies and procedures you'll need to put in place to meet the regulations which go into effect - with penalties - in Nov. 2023.  

Here's A New Acronym That Could Improve Your Profits

 A few years ago, I attended a pharmacy CE session that impressed me.  The featured speaker was not a pharmacist nor did he speak about pharmacy. 

He owned a small chain of hair salons and he espoused a customer service technique called, F.O.R.D. I think the idea he shared was ingenious and feel to share it here. Indeed, I’d like to see some pharmacy management system company find a way to build the capability of using it into their software. 

As you’d expect his business management system kept track of appointments, the salon’s pricing schedule and calculated the commissions to be paid to each stylist. But in his business, the speaker said, relationships where paramount, so he’d added the ability for the system to house other information that helped his staff build relationship. 

Here’s what they put in, under the acronym of F.O.R.D.:

1.     Family: names of spouse, children, pets, etc.

2.     Occupation: What kind of work do they do, what company, how long there, etc. 

3.     Recreation: How do they like to spend their free time; skiing, bingo, reading, etc.

4.     Dreams: What do they wish they could do; have kids, travel, get married, etc.

So, here’s an example; the receptionist gets a call from Mary Jones asking, “When is the soonest you can get me in to see Wanda?” The receptionist says, “Let me check,” and then while checking casually asks Mary Jones, “What’s up, why the rush?” Mary explains her mother passed and she needs to leave in two days for the funeral. The receptionist tells her there are two times available tomorrow. Mary Jones selects one and the receptionist books the appointment. But that is not all, she also adds a note in the customer relationship module under, the family tab. 

When Mary Jones comes in, Wanda has reviewed the note, expresses her condolences and chats about Mary Jones’ mother.  A relationship is strengthened because the system captured and shared the information. 

Now another example; Sally Smith comes in on her regular visit and while chatting mentions she is up for a promotion.  Wanda makes a note under the occupation tab. When Mary comes in eight weeks later, she asks for an update on the promotion and offers congratulations or condolences.

Whenever a new person comes in the stylist is trained to ask how the new person heard about the salon. The reply is entered into the system for management review. But if the new person indicates a current customer suggested the salon the stylist adds that into the customer relationship management module for the referring customer.  The next time the person who referred a friend comes in the stylist thanks the person and is authorized to provide the customer with a small gift, a bottle of shampoo, or other item the salon features.   

You get the idea, get, capture and appropriately use all the information you can on your patients. People rarely leave their stylist because a new salon opened down the street. When it come to independent community pharmacy your very much like the hair salon, personal relationships are the backbone of pharmacy. Always remember, pharmacy is a people business.  

You Can Learn A Lot Just By Listening

As "The Road Trip Guy", I have long been a fan of  Yogi Berra, the  baseball Hall of Fame player and erstwhile philosopher.  One thing he is reported to have said is, “You can observe a lot just by watching.”  Borrowing from that statement I’d like to suggest that 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 calls for me to spend about 30 minutes interviewing a successful owner who explains how programs, products or services they use help them be more successful.  And, I am happy to report there are still plenty of successful owners we can all learn from. 

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.  But there are clear advantages to audio. 

PharmacyCrossRoads is a member of, The Pharmacy Podcast Network (PPN).  PPN hosts more than 40 pharmacy related programs and posts them on Spotify, Apple/iTunes, Google Podcasts and more.  No matter what device you use you can subscribe and listen to PharmacyCrossRoads when and where you choose.     http://www.PharmacyCrossRoads.com 

I hope our paths cross on one of my podcasts soon and that as you listen you'll pick up tips that will help you do more and be better.  

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.  

Two Things I Learned On The Road That May Help You Do More and Be Better

So, thanks to Liberty Software I just took my 12 major pharmacy road trip.  I formally visited four remarkable pharmacy owners in four southern states; Flower Mound Pharmacy in Texas, Caldwell Drug in Arkansas, Kirby Whitten Drug in Tennessee and Roche Pharmacy in South Carolina.  

Like independent community pharmacies all across the country the people running the pharmacy, the services they offer, the physical facility they operate from and the communities they serve are all different.  That makes for an interesting road trip, and because each of them is going to market in a slightly different manner it makes for a great way for others to learn from these owners.  

I learned a lot, and articles I have written for a couple pharmacy journals will cover some of the highlights.  For now I really want to share two thoughts for pharmacy owners all across the country.  

1. The future of independent community pharmacy is bright.  True, the glare of the son may make it hard to see but the fact is that creative, energetic owners are making good things happen and making money.  Perhaps the most important thing is they are changing - or, I'd rather say they are - improving.  I heard one owner says something like this. "If you try something new and it doesn't work, then try something else."  Try some new, do a little bit more, be different than your competitor and strive to be better tomorrow than you are today seems to be the attitude of all four of the pharmacies I visited.  

2. I have a neighbor who writes for a magazine that is read by independent auto repair shops.  We marvel at how many of the same issues confront both industries.  He taught me to look for something he calls the "invisible competitive advantage."  

I saw this "invisible" advantage in action in all four of my southern pharmacies.  What you are looking for is the atmosphere that permeates the pharmacy.  Are they happy, do they smile, do the talk to each other with courtesy, clarity and respect.  People can simply feel the electricity in the air - or the lack thereof - when they walk in the door.  If you don't have it you will loose customers and forget about getting word of mouth referrals.  

Finding ways to build a team is a challenge.  But it can and must be done and it has to start with the owner and other key staff members.  Take some time off together, away from the pharmacy, and really listen to your team, apologize for past mistakes and ask for suggestions on how you can make your pharmacy a better place to work.   Then, make some meaningful changes.  

As I close I truly don't want you to say, oh, another plea for an attitude adjustment.  That's part of any success plan but no, I am calling for more.  I want an action adjustment.  Start doing new, more, and  better.  Soon you'll see new more and better things happening in your pharmacy.  Action begets results, it all starts with you deciding you want more for yourself, your family, your team and your community.  Then you need to implement new, more and better practices, stock and sell new items,  train your people so they know more and can explain your new services with confidence and conviction. Finally, if you try something new and and it doesn't work, try something else.  

We All Make Mistakes

We all make mistakes.  Yesterday I found an old picture of me shaking hands with "Stormin' Norman" Schwarzkopf at the 2001 NCPA Annual Convention in Philadelphia.  Schwarzkopf is the general famous for winning the first gulf war in 5 days.  He was the featured speaker at the 2001 NCPA meeting   

The picture reminded me of a mistake I made at about that time.

You see, a few months prior to the NCPA conference I was the VP Independent Retail Sales for  the AmeriSource Drug Company.  In August of 2001 AmeriSource and Bergen Brunswig merged.  The October, NCPA meeting, was being held in Philadelphia, also the headquarters of the newly combined company, and it was a BIG deal for the company,

The two senior management teams worked hard to make sure the launch of our new company went well.  In an August planning session we wondered what type of "give-a-way" we could hand-out in the booth.  I had always liked box cutters.  They were small, had a little "heft" to them and they were a functional tool for a pharmacy owner to have.  So we bought 5,000 box cutters with the AmerisourceBergen logo imprinted on them.  They were to arrive in late September, in plenty of time for the convention being held in October.  

The quicker reader will spot the irony immediately; but for the rest of you, here is the mistake.  On September 11, 2001, terrorists took down four commercial airliners by killing the flight crews with box cutters.  When the freshly printed box cutters arrived in my office late in September I shut my door and pondered - what do I do now?  Eventually I went in to see my new boss, he came from the Bergen side of the merger so we were not yet well known to each other. We looked, we mused, he said an expletive and then we agreed that the box cutters would not be used at the upcoming convention.  

We exhibited at the convention in October.  I have no memory of what we gave away.  We had our first AmerisourceBergen national sales meeting in Nov.  Dec. was pretty hectic as we worked to know our new colleagues.  In early in January, 2002, my new boss invited me to sit and chat. To be clear, it wasn't just the box cutters, there are lots of reasons - but the box cutters didn't help.  You see, during that meeting my new boss told me the newly combined company no longer needed my services.  I walked out the door and in a few weeks and became a consultant.  

But, I kept a handful of box cutters.  I used one to open a box the other day.  I like them, they are small, they are hefty and they do a great job of cutting open boxes.  But, ordering 5000 for the convention was a mistake, not in planning, or thinking, but in the fact that; life happens!  Bad things happen to good people.  

The real point is, as a pharmacy owner, as a parent or a co-worker, you are going to make mistakes.  Sometimes the consequences are minor, you adjust and you move on.  Other times the consequences are huge.  But, the response is still the same, you adjust and you move on.

Here's hoping something I shared here will help you Do More & Be Better.