Elements Magazine - Vol.2 Iss.2 June 2013 by Elements magazine

ELEMENTS

Knowledge is Power

Insight on pharmacy and business topics from the speakers at the upcoming 2013 PBA Health Conference

SEASONAL STRATEGIES

Use the time of year to boost front end sales

PHARMACY SOFTWARE Choose the right software for your business VOL. 2 ISS. 2 | JUN 2013 | PBAHEALTH.COM

ELEMENTS

The Magazine of PBA Health

Contents

8 | Boost front end sales at your pharmacy when you use the changing seasons to guide your merchandising strategy.

24 | PBA Health’s customer service department can help you purchase products more effectively. Learn more about the people who help your business run smoothly.

departments 5 News: The latest industry updates that matter to your

20 More For Your Money: Get the Most Out of Your Returns

6 TECHNOLOGY: Online Refills

22 COMMUNITY: Working Smarter, Not Harder

community pharmacy.

This technology can make everyone’s life a little easier.

8 Bricks & Mortar: Seasonal Strategies

Use the seasons to boost your pharmacy’s front end sales.

Best practices for receiving the most credit for returned products. Refocus your role as pharmacy owner from employee to executive for business success.

28 Outlook: How to Choose the Right Pharmacy Software

Tips for purchasing or switching to new pharmacy software.

18 ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Color Swap

A new study finds non-adherence tied to changes in color of generics.

Notes: Searching Made Easy

30 Find the pharmacy products and services you need.

features 10 Synthesize

Learn more about the speakers featured at the 2013 PBA Health Conference.

ON THE WEB //

24 Customer Service: More Than a Department

Learn more about the friendly voices you hear when you call PBA Health.

Explore exclusive online content to improve your business at www.pbahealth.com.

How to Compete with $4 Generic Programs Many patients today choose big box store pharmacies because of their $4 generic programs. Discover how your pharmacy can compete. Find the article on the ScriptCard section of pbahealth.com.

Writing a Business Plan in 5 Easy Steps A well-written business plan can help your pharmacy develop and succeed. Follow these simple steps to write a new plan or to update your current one. Find the article on the Marketing section of pbahealth.com.

10 Ways to Purchase Better Purchasing your inventory effectively will help your pharmacy stay profitable in today’s market. Here are ten ways to improve your buying today. Find the article on the ProfitGuard section of pbahealth.com.

Local Community Free Vitamin Club Easy as 1, 2, 3... • 30ct (1 month) children’s or adult vitamin with your label to give out free of charge. • Give them out to the families in your community and the individuals have to come back to your store for another months supply of vitamins tied in to your Rx program. • 100’s of clients are participating in this wonderful program and seeing results. • We do it all for you: Artwork, Label Printing, Packaging, Advertising Materials, and Shipping at no cost to you. • SPECIAL OFFER TO PBA HEALTH MEMBERS: PBA will issue a $100.00 in house credit on 1st shipment of PL vitamins. Place the Poster on your front door & other high-traffic areas.

Use the Circulars to distribute in Stores, Health Fairs & Schools.

Place the Poster on your front door & other high-traffic areas.

Use the Circulars to distribute in Stores, Health Fairs & Schools.

NEWS

The PBA Health warehouse takes a number of preventative measures to maintain the integrity of refrigerated product orders during warm months. PBA Health Takes Precautions to Protect Refrigerated Products During Summer Heat As the weather turns hot, it’s more important than ever to ensure that pharmaceuticals requiring refrigeration stay protected. When you order through the PBA Health warehouse, you can feel safe knowing that we complete a meticulous process to ensure the integrity of all refrigerated products coming in and shipping out of the warehouse. When we receive refrigerated products into the warehouse, they immediately take top priority over other tasks. We check to make sure the products are not warm before we receive them, and then we quickly put them away into an assigned refrigerator. All refrigerators in the PBA Health warehouse contain sensors that maintain a temperature between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature deviates from that range, the sensor sets off an alarm to notify personnel. All refrigerators are also on back up generators in case of an electricity failure. To ensure that refrigerated products arrive at your pharmacy quickly and safely, the PBA Health warehouse takes a number of precautions. From May to October, we consistently check the outside tem-

perature to determine if we need to add an additional gel pack to refrigerant orders. We also only ship refrigerant orders Monday through Thursday to avoid an order sitting in a terminal over the weekend. As well, we start assembling refrigerant orders at the end of the day to eliminate any unnecessary time that products are out of the refrigerator before our common carriers arrive to pick up orders. PBA Health and NCPA Highlight Disadvantages of Preferred Networks PBA Health recently partnered with the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) to create a study that reveals how Medicare Part D preferred networks don’t always offer the cost-savings they promise. NCPA included the study in a commentary to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Since Medicare Part D preferred networks became effective in 2010, prescription drug plans run by PBMs have increasingly formed preferred pharmacy networks as part of their Medicare Part D plans. These preferred network plans were meant to offer prescription drugs to Medicare Part D beneficiaries at significantly reduced prices compared to other

Part D plans. The savings generated by these plan networks were then supposed to be passed through to the beneficiary and to Medicare. After analyzing and evaluating various Medicare Part D plans using the CMS Medicare Plan Finder, TriNet, PBA Health’s third party services department, found that preferred network plans don’t always save patients money. Many times, non-preferred pharmacies actually offered less expensive prices than those offered through preferred network pharmacies. TriNet, in cooperation with NCPA, complied these results in a study that compared patient costs when using a preferred pharmacy versus a non-preferred pharmacy across several different Medicare Part D plans. The study noted the many instances where patients were paying more at a preferred pharmacy than they would have if they had used a non-preferred pharmacy. NCPA then included this study in a commentary to the annual 2014 Draft Call Letter put out by CMS, a notice that includes preliminary changes to Medicare for the following plan year. After reviewing the 2014 Draft Call Letter, CMS referenced the study in its 2014 Call Letter, noting that it will contact the plan sponsors identified in the analysis and look into the matter. To find out more about inconsistent preferred network cost savings, read the full article, “How TriNet Works For You: Medicare Part D Preferred Networks” on the TriNet section of www.pbahealth.com.

Get daily news updates on issues that matter to your community pharmacy by following us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pbahealth and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pba_health.

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TECHNOLOGY prescription records, making it easy for patients to manage their prescriptions online or to print off records to show to their doctors. Many online refill solutions even allow you to set up text message or email refill reminders for registered patients. Besides making your patients’ lives easier, online refills can also streamline operations at your pharmacy. Fewer phone calls and online refills that go straight to your pharmacy’s computer system will help your pharmacists and technicians stay organized and it will free up time.

Online Refills This technology can make everyone’s life a little easier By Kelsea Nore

As a businessperson and a pharmacist, you know all too well that unfilled prescriptions and impatient patients waiting on their refills can be a headache you’d rather avoid. To streamline the refill process, many community pharmacies offer automated prescription refills via phone, so patients can just call and refill their prescriptions by pushing a few buttons on their keypad. Now, they can do it with a few clicks of their computer mouse. As patients today become more technologically savvy, you have another refill option to consider—online refills through your pharmacy’s website. Added convenience A web-based refill service adds convenience for patients with 24/7 availability. They can refill their prescriptions at 2 a.m., 2 p.m., whenever. By just entering a few pieces of information, such as name, birthday, prescription number and contact information, your patients can quickly refill their prescriptions from their home computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Some online refill services even allow patients to create an account, so all they need to do is enter their username and password each time they want to refill their prescriptions. These accounts can even store patients’

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Better adherence Online refills can also benefit your patients health-wise. Every year, more studies are released with data proving that medication adherence is a major driver to keep health-related costs down and to improve patients’ health. As it turns out, offering online refills is a simple and convenient method to encourage patients to adhere to their medication regimens. A 2012 study (‘Impact of an Online Management Account on Medication Adherence’) published in the American Journal of Managed Care calculated adherence by “measuring the proportion of days covered” and found that the “results indicate that patients who have utilized an online account have significantly greater medication adherence across 7 out of 8 therapeutic groups studied, as well as overall, compared with non-users.” The same study also found that “the users group had a higher proportion of patients achieving the 80% adherence mark, which can be crucial for chronic illness management.” When patients have the ability to stay involved with their medication management and to do it at convenient times for them, their adherence rates and correspondingly, their health, improve. Business savvy Online refills aren’t just helpful for your patients, this service is also beneficial to your business. Patients are beginning to expect this kind of technology from their local pharmacy—you can bet national chains and big box stores already have it in place. Check with your pharmacy’s software vendor to find out the options for you. Many pharmacy software companies today offer turnkey online refill solutions that are compatible with your current system. Better yet, some even have options for smartphone apps, too. The American population is modernizing—and fast. Community pharmacies that want to stay ahead are smart to embrace this new technology.

We have pharmacists seeing green.

Get a better discount on brand & generic purchases.

Take a fresh look at purchasing when you use Negotiator, PBA Health’s new online service that offers pharmacies like yours a market-competitive discount on an orderby-order basis. With Negotiator, you decide what and how much you want to buy and you decide how big your discount will be. It works like this: Negotiator offers additional discounts on the mix of brand and generic in the entire order. You’ll also receive brand and generic recommendations as you purchase, which optimizes your cart for bigger and better savings. You’ll be able to make informed decisions regarding your purchases because we show you our everyday non-discounted price and the discounts we’re able to offer for each individual move you make. Our Specials and Popular Items feature

announces reduced prices and will add additional value to fast-moving products. And you don’t need to sign a contract to use Negotiator, either.You can get the discount without a commitment. Negotiator enables you to purchase back-up or low-inventory products in the market as you need them from our VAWD-certified warehouse with consistent availability on over 4,000 products. You’ll receive your order quickly with free overnight shipping. Call 800-333-8097 today to learn more and schedule an online demonstration. You’ll like what you see. 6300 Enterprise Road Kansas City, Missouri 64120 P 816-245-5700 F 816-245-5708

BRICKS & MORTAR

Seasonal Strategies Use the seasons to guide your merchandising strategy and boost front end sales By Kirsten Hudson

Even if your front end doesn’t drive a lot of profit, it does drive a large part of your pharmacy’s image. Many community pharmacy owners today think that because they can’t compete on price with big box stores and national chains, they shouldn’t invest in their front ends. Your patients likely disagree. Patients expect a front end at their pharmacy. When you don’t have cough drops on hand during cold season or allergy OTCs available during spring, your patients may see your business as less valuable—and go elsewhere to fill their prescriptions. Your community pharmacy doesn’t have to break the bank to offer a valuable front end. Simply rethink how you approach your front end. One way to do that is to use the changing seasons to guide your merchandising strategy. When you have the front end items available that your patients need—when they need them—you can increase front end sales and improve patient satisfaction with your store. Here’s how to use the seasons to drive sales. Plan ahead Accurate seasonal planning can increase sales, decrease surplus stock and improve patient satisfaction with your front end—even if your prices are slightly higher than the chains. You need to plan budgets and submit orders to your vendors or wholesaler before each season hits. That

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way, during flu season, for example, you’ll have plenty of OTC products available on your shelves the moment that first patient walks in feeling sick. When you order your front end items before each season starts, you’re more likely to hit those high spikes of traffic and to boost sales. Change your displays Don’t just assume that your current product displays are enough. Highlight seasonal items with big displays, pull those items to the front of your store and don’t be afraid to move stock around. When you offer more interesting and dynamic displays, you’ll enhance the in-store experience for your patients, which encourages them to stop by your pharmacy more often. Smaller pharmacies often don’t see the value in visual merchandising. If you’re skeptical, test it out at your store! Create a seasonal display, and then track the product sales during the display’s existence. See if it boosts revenue or if there’s no change. The answer may surprise you. Arrange items in multiple places Place seasonal items in different spots around your front end—even if you have a small storefront. Patients can miss items on a first walk through. They might walk right

BRICKS & MORTAR

past a big display of sunscreens by the front door, but then pick up a bottle when they see a smaller display again near the pharmacy counter. Also, be sure to place seasonal items near high traffic spots, like your waiting area or pick up counter. Clean and declutter Your seasonal displays won’t appear as inviting if you don’t maintain the appearance of your overall store. Simple enhancements like bright lighting, wide aisles, attractive signage and modern décor will improve the overall look of your front end and create a better store experience for patients. Also, pay attention to how items look on your shelves. Make sure everything is clean and orderly. A common pitfall for community pharmacies is to stock one or two items of a wide variety of front end products. Doing so leaves the patient feeling like your pharmacy is out of stock on a lot of items or like your pharmacy is going out of business. Instead, stock fewer varieties and more products.

Organize your promotions Plan the types of items you’re going to promote for the entire year. That way you have a set plan of when to change displays and what seasonal items to feature at what time. Plan something for every month. Think vitamins at the beginning of the year when people are trying to get healthy, allergy relief in the spring and sunscreen in the summer. You can also supplement your displays and promotions throughout the year with holidays like National Diabetes Month or American Heart Month. Take advantage of vendor know-how If you want to get even more out of your front end, draw on your vendors’ merchandising expertise and promotional ideas to help increase sales. PBA Health partners with a number of vendors for pharmacy front ends. As a PBA Health member, you can even receive special pricing and discounts through certain vendors. Check out our directory of vendors online at www.pbahealth.com.

What not to do in your front end… • Don’t place items too high on shelves, especially if you have elderly patients. • Don’t place stand-alone signs in aisles. It disrupts the continuity while patients shop. • Don’t venture too far into stocking gifts and non-health related items—unless you have a good market for them. Your pharmacy’s core business is healthcare and should represent that. • Don’t clutter your store with too many signs, merchandisers and other fixtures. • Don’t start a promotional display and leave it up forever. Fresh promotional material that changes often is key to capturing patients’ interest.

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The 2013 PBA Health Conference offers something for everyone

The 26th annual PBA Health Community Pharmacy Business Conference and Seminar will take place July 12-14, 2013 at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Our theme, Synthesize: Transforming Pharmacy for the Future, nods to today’s evolving healthcare industry. Not only will attendants learn about the latest topics in community pharmacy during the day at the PBA Health Conference, they can also relax and enjoy our exciting events in the evening and explore what the Kansas City area has to offer. The weekend starts with a golf tournament and an opening night banquet, which is followed by a lively vendor exhibit.

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This year, attendants will also be able to cheer on major league soccer team Sporting KC, winners of last year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in the newlybuilt Sporting Arena. Or, attendants can spend an evening high rolling at the Hollywood Casino at the Kansas Speedway. Seats are also available for a dinner theatre production of ‘The Buddy Holly Story” at the New Theatre Restaurant. At this year’s conference, you’ll learn about the assortment of elements you need to form a more successful and viable business for the future. Get ready for the great opportunities and experiences you can expect at this year’s conference.

Bruce Kneeland, national account manager for Epicor Software Solutions, has consulted and worked with independent pharmacies across the country for more than 40 years. As an industry expert, Kneeland will discuss what community pharmacists can do to grow their businesses in today’s market during a presentation at the 2013 PBA Health Conference.

Bruce Kneeland Mr. Kneeland specializes in helping companies better understand and more effectively work with small chain and independent pharmacies. He currently works as national account manager for Epicor Software Solutions, Inc., where he coordinates with industry companies to market their products and services. How did you get into your line of work? I graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Communications. I was recruited out of college by Pfizer to be a drug representative. From there, I migrated to working with independent pharmacy. How long have you been doing this job? I’ve been calling on, working with, writing about, and consulting to independent pharmacy for 40 years. What do you like best about your career? I feel as if I am helping the general public, too. After years of working in this field, I am convinced people are better off dealing with pharmacists, who often go above and beyond to provide enhanced care. If you were to emphasize one important area within your expertise that every independent pharmacy should be paying more attention to, what would it be and why? Pharmacists need to stop looking back at how it ‘used to be’ before PBMs and mail order, and start looking

forward to how it is now. They can provide information, services and products beyond the classic dispensing that truly help people. In doing so, they can also find ways to be compensated. It is hard, admittedly, but it can and must be done. What do you see as the main areas of opportunity for independent pharmacies in 2013-2014? Many pharmacists are clearly aware of the growth opportunities that HME and DME can provide. However, too many pharmacy owners think they need to accept insurance to be in this business. This is not necessarily so, as this business can be built around many smaller products that never need to involve the insurance companies, such as walking canes. Another big area is aids for daily living, such as bathroom enhancements. Plus, all you need is someone who understands the market and who is an effective salesperson. What can attendees expect to learn by attending your presentation at the 2013 PBA Health Conference? Dozens of pharmacies are doing the things mentioned above. It is not a dream or a myth. It’s a reality. What are you looking forward to most at the 2013 PBA Health Conference? I’m looking forward to meeting old friends, making new ones and being energized by the program.

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Choose products that are great not only for advertising but also for public relations! Customers contact us directly every year asking to purchase our calendar and almanac if they no longer receive them from their local business. People love our products! PBA Health Members Receive: • 50 Free with every 500 ordered •2% New Customer Discount • 5% Discount when payment accompanies order by July 1, 2013 It’s not just your ordinary calendar! With Handy Hints, recipes, weather forecasts, sunrise/sunset times, fishing reports, and other fascinating information, your customers will refer to these calendars (and see your name) all year long! Customers tell us they could not plant their gardens without this almanac! Similar to the Farmer’s Almanac, this farm and garden almanac includes astronomical information, horoscopes, farm and garden bulletins, weather forecasts, and Handy Hints sent in by our readers.

SEE OUR PRODUCTS FOR YOURSELF! Call 800-423-7158 today for a FREE SAMPLE. See our listing in the PBA Health directory for an ORDER FORM at pbahealth.com.

Albert Barber Pharm.D., CGP, FASCP As the director of pharmacy for Golden Living, a provider of long-term and post-acute care for residents requiring skilled nursing and assisted living services, Dr. Barber is responsible for medication education and medication-related regulatory and legal issues. How did you get into your line of work? I started providing consulting services to Hope Homes, a non-profit operator of group homes for mentally retarded adults in Stow, Ohio in 1976. At the time I worked at an independent pharmacy in Stow and we also provided medications for the group home residents. I went on to provide unit dose dispensing and consulting to additional group homes and consulting services to the Akron Health Department while managing a professional building pharmacy in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio in the mid-late 1980s. In 1989, I started working in long-term care for Medic Pharmacy Consultants (MPC) in Cleveland, Ohio. I provided both dispensing and consulting services for MPC. In 1990, MPC merged with Nursing Center Services in Columbus, Ohio to form NCS HealthCare. NCS grew to serve more than 250,000 residents before Omnicare aquired the company. I took a position with NeighborCare and managed consultant pharmacists and nursing consultants before assuming my current role with Golden Living and our new long-term care pharmacy, alixaRx, almost eight years ago. What do you like best about your career? I like the opportunity to improve the care of our patients and residents and to improve their health outcomes and quality of life. I also enjoy educating all members of the patient care team, including patients and families, about medications and appropriate use of medications, especially in older adults. If you were to emphasize one important area within your expertise that every independent pharmacy should be paying more attention to, what would it be and why? Older adults represent the fastest-growing segment of our population and they have very different medication needs and responses than younger patients. Independent pharmacists need to understand these difference and how best to meet the medication and medical needs of these patients to allow them to age in place.

Albert Barber, Pharm.D., CGP, FASCP, regularly consults with older patients to produce better health outcomes.

What do you see as the main areas of opportunity for independent pharmacies in 2013-2014? Helping older adults age in place by providing such services as medication reviews (MTM) and other products and services to allow them to stay in their current home environment. Focus on geriatric syndromes to build a niche market in your community for specialized products and important services, such as home fall evaluations. What can attendees expect to learn by attending your presentation at the 2013 PBA Health Conference? They will learn how to identify, resolve, and prevent medication-related problems in older adults. This is a very significant and growing problem for our healthcare system and independent pharmacists are ideally positioned in their communities to play a key role in the evolving healthcare provider and reimbursement models. These models will focus on improving the outcomes of medical care and proper use of medications across all care settings and especially between care settings (care transitions). What are you looking forward to most at the 2013 PBA Health Conference? The opportunity to share best practices and learn about new business opportunities. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also looking forward to the opportunity to network with innovative pharmacists.

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Scot Maitland Mr. Maitland helped found Hopper Creates, a business that specializes in relationship marketing, business development, and technology solutions for startups, health and wellness providers and non-profits. He is also the owner and publisher of Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly magazine, a publication dedicated solely to independent pharmacy marketing. How did you get into your line of work? I’m a serial entrepreneur and have owned a number of small businesses, including an independent pharmacy. The one common thread, aside from all the businesses being small, is that I really enjoy sharing and helping other people communicate their messaging better. We live in an 140-character world with information whizzing by. There’s no shortage of information and Google is the best free research assistant. But, who’s got the time to sift through all that data to see what makes sense for their business and their customers? How long have you been doing this job? In 2009 I started working with Live Oak Pharmacy. My experiences there lead to speaking engagements with the Texas Pharmacy Association, Professional Compounding Centers of America and Professional Chemists of Australia. In 2012, I rolled those speaking engagements into a new business called Tacit Almonds. Tacit Almonds publishes Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly magazine. In February of 2013, Tacit Almonds merged with another local Austin business, The Lone Star Diva & Company, to become Hopper Creates, LLC. What do you like best about your career? I love to help other people with their businesses. I especially enjoy helping small businesses and non-profits gain a bigger market share through communications and marketing. If you were to emphasize one important area within your expertise that every independent pharmacy should be paying more attention to, what would it be and why? For the first time in more than 50 years, independent pharmacies have as strong of a voice, if not stronger, to reach their patients, customers and prescribers than the chains do. Word of mouth marketing is huge right now because tools like social media and blogging have made it easier for the small business owner to connect directly with customers.

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Serial entrepreneur Scot Maitland will discuss the latest marketing techniques for pharmacies at the 2013 PBA Health Conference.

What do you see as the main areas of opportunity for independent pharmacies in 2013-2014? There was a recent article in the New York Times about how some workout-booster and fat-burning products, sold by retailers, are illegal and may present serious health hazards to patients. I believe ‘nutriceuticals’ are going to continue to be a big boost to independent pharmacy if they’re done correctly and with the same level of care as prescriptions. I also believe that compounding, even with the issues facing it currently, will continue to grow. But again, there is no “magic pill”. Any opportunity that an independent pharmacy takes must be well-researched and well-thought-out for the benefit of the patient and for the practice of pharmacy. What can attendees expect to learn by attending your presentation at the 2013 PBA Health Conference? They’ll experience an exciting presentation that’s going to take their ideas about their businesses, shake them up and put them into a workable one-page plan for when they get back to their pharmacies. What are you looking forward to most at the 2013 PBA Health Conference? For me, the biggest excitement is meeting new pharmacists and entrepreneurs.

voiceTech

™

Motivation. Communication. Solutions.

Offering your pharmacy customers the convenience of telephone, web and mobile technology is the 21st Century way of doing business. If you think about it, this really started nearly 15 years ago when inbound IVR systems where introduced to retail pharmacy. voiceTech's growing knowledge of web and mobile technology plus the data and refill interfaces we have developed with more than 60 pharmacy systems has allowed voiceTech to offer the industry's most complete, automated and intelligent solutions for both inbound and outbound communications services. The inbound and outbound services voiceTech offers can be implemented together or separately and in just about any combination of features / functionality to create the technology solution that best suits your pharmacy needs.

Intelligent Outbound Messaging By Text:

By Call:

By Email: Laurel Pharmacy John Doe

Reach customers with proactive messages. • Refill Reminders • Ready for Pickup • Health Awareness Messages Sophisticated two way interface confirms Rx status

and submits requests directly to your pharmacy system for both inbound and outbound services!

Robust Inbound IVR

For over a decade, inbound IVR technology has been cited in pharmacy publications as providing the “biggest bang for the buck” when it comes to streamlining pharmacy workload and increasing productivity. And the added customer convenience helps keep patients loyal and compliant. voiceTech - IVR Benefits are numerous!

www.voicetechinc.com • 800-325-2017 • sales@voicetechinc.com • May 2013

Steve LeFever Due to high demand, Steve LeFever, the chairman of and presenter for Business Resource Service’s Profit Mastery University, will return to the PBA Health Conference for the third year in a row. How did you get into your line of work? In the late 1970s, I was an officer at Seattle First National Bank. I was the key figure in developing the most successful Business Advisory Services group of any bank in the USA. I tailored their Profit Mastery program to the needs of small and mid-sized companies. In the mid-1980s, I opened my own high-growth company and learned that if you want to be able to manage business growth, you must be able to measure business performance. You do this by identifying the “key drivers” of both profits and cash flow. After successfully selling that business and earning an MBA in Finance, I now take those hard-earned lessons and my dynamic approach to financial management on the road more than 200 days a year. How long have you been doing this job? For nearly 30 years. During that time, Profit Mastery has been presented to more than 1.5 million business owners, 20,000 bankers and 20,000 CPAs on three continents in eight languages. What do you like best about your career? Every day we receive phenomenal feedback from our customers and sponsors telling us that Profit Mastery has had a profound and positive impact in their networks and in their individual companies. We have a large collection of personal stories about how Profit Mastery has opened people’s eyes and completely changed the way they do business. That is a wonderful feeling. If you were to emphasize one important area within your expertise that every independent pharmacy should be paying more attention to, what would it be and why? Focus on inventory as it relates to cash flow and understand the cash flow implication of inventory turns. There also needs to be a focus on margins. These three financial areas are the foundation of the successful financial management of an independent pharmacy. What do you see as the main areas of opportunity for independent pharmacies in 2013-2014? In addition to traditional prescriptions and OTC products, I believe that there is an emerging opportunity in two specific areas: pharmacy health services and compounding. As healthcare becomes more proactive,

there is an emerging opportunity for pharmacists to get paid for services in support of their clients. Compounding, of course, provides gross margins in excess of 80 percent and there is a significant opportunity both with humans and in the pet field. What can attendees expect to learn by attending your presentation at the 2013 PBA Health Conference? For years the focus at pharmacy schools has been on clinical education. Profit Mastery focuses on the business side of pharmacy. We will take on some of those long-standing issues and give PBA Health members the tools and resources to take their financial statements and use them as powerful strategic financial intelligence to make better decisions in a world where the margins continue to be compressed. What are you looking forward to most at the 2013 PBA Health Conference? I really look forward to the incredible connections I make at PBA Health, both personal and professional. The members there are some of the best I’ve ever met and I find that years down the line, they’ll come up to me and shake my hand and tell me how much they appreciate the work I do.

Presentations at the 2013 PBA Health Conference Bruce Kneeland Effective Pharmacy Management: What Others Are Doing That Really Works Albert R. Barber Pharm.D., CGP, FASCP Medication Use in Older Adults: Clinical Challenges & Business Opportunities Scot Maitland How to Market Your Pharmacy Practice Steve LeFever Profit Mastery: Using Break-Even Analysis to Evaluate & Price a Service Model Profit Mastery: Valuing Your Business...What’s It Really Worth?

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ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

Color Swap

Study finds non-adherence tied to changes in color of generics When patients don’t take their medications they potentially compromise their health, and they cause your business unnecessary waste and expense if they don’t pick up their refills. Many reasons lead patients to skip their medications—lack of money, confusion, negative side effects—but could one of the reasons be the color of their pills? A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine says yes. As you know, the FDA requires generic medications to be bioequivalent to the brand name, but the FDA’s rules do not require the generic to mimic the brand’s color or shape. When patients’ medications switch from a brand to a generic or between generic versions, it’s possible for the color of their medications to switch also. According to the study, patients’ uncertainty about whether they’re taking the right medication because of a change in pill color may lead them to not take the medicine at all. The study looked at a national database of medical claims from 2001 to 2006 to compare patients who refilled their seizure medications on time to those who did not. This information included 61,000 patients who were taking one of eight drugs. Those drugs were offered in 37 colors and four shapes. The drugs included in the study were carbamazepine, carbamazepine extendedrelease, ethosuximide, lamotrigine, phenytoin sodium,

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valproic acid, gabapentin and zonisamide. Among the different drugs, color variation ranged from none (all valproic acid pills were orange) to extensive (ethosuximide came in 19 different color possibilities). The researchers found that pill color change made a difference between the number of patients who refilled their prescriptions and those who did not. The study noted that of the 11,472 patients who didn’t fill their prescriptions within five days of running out of their previous prescription, 1.2 percent had their drugs change color. Of the 50,050 matched control patients who refilled their prescriptions, 0.97 percent had a color switch. Those numbers may seem small, but the results are important. “If they are taking nine medicines, they get at least 36 ‘opportunities’ a year to experience a color change,” wrote Dr. Kenneth Covinsky, associate editor of JAMA Internal Medicine, in a note accompanying the study. “This seemingly small risk then starts to appear very substantial.” If you’ve ever had a patient say that only the ‘green ones’ work for him, you know that patients can associate the appearance of a pill with its effectiveness. For this reason and also to reduce confusion if a patient is taking multiple medications, the study’s authors support a reconsideration of current regulatory policy that permits wide variation in the appearance of bioequivalent drugs.

Specialty Conferences 2013 Register for all events at www.americancollegeofapothecaries.com

$499 for ACA/ACVP members July 18-20

Sept 19-21

$599 for non-members Marketing Technology & Strategies with 2 Workshops!

When: July 18 - 20 Where: Westin Memphis Beale Street Hotel Memphis, TN When: September 19 - 21 Where: Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore, MD By: Patricia Storey, RPh and Luke Weatherlow Oct 31Nov 2

STO EY MARKETING

Description: Marketing helps customers and practitioners find your pharmacy, and also helps them feel valued as your patient. Learn how to develop an effective marketing strategy, how to utilize the latest technology, and the most appropriate formats for sharing information. Leave the conference with a customized i-Pad or PowerPoint presentation and social media plan for your pharmacy!

Compounding – What’s Happening?

When: October 31 - November 2 Where: Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel Chicago, IL Description: Educational and legislative updates for your compounding pharmacy. CE sessions will include a variety of topics:

The Difference Between Compounding and Manufacturing; Third-Party Billing/Reimbursement; Formulations – By Disease State; Transdermal Drug Delivery – Human and Veterinary; Ophthalmic Compounding; Contract/Audits/Insurance; Legislative Update; USP 797 and more!

MORE FOR YOUR MONEY

How to Get the Most Out of Your Returns Whether you use a reverse distributor or return products through your wholesaler, returning your pharmacy’s overstock, expired products or near-expiring products for credit can be a good source of revenue, instead of incurring a loss. When you understand what you can and can’t return for credit, you can stop common practices that make products non-creditworthy and you can optimize the way you pharmacy handles inventory. Here are a few general rules for getting the most out of your returns. Minimize damages While many manufacturers, reverse distributors and wholesalers understand that minor damages occur in everyday pharmacy practice, you can take certain precautions to ensure that the products you return don’t suffer damages that will make them non-creditworthy. If you package your own returns, be sure to use the right packaging to protect bottles (especially liquids), creams and other items. One cracked bottle of cough syrup could mean significant damage to other products in the package—and no return credit. Keep packaging in like-new condition Most manufacturers and wholesalers won’t accept defaced products; meaning the outside packaging of a product has been altered in some way. Unlike damaged products, you can completely avoid defacing products. Common forms of defacing products include writing on bottles or placing an inventory label on them to identify already opened products. A better way to identify these products is to place a colorful rubber band around the bottle. Reduce partial products Many manufacturers and wholesalers don’t allow you to return partial products for credit. Before you open an expensive, full item, take into consideration the amount of time until the expiration date. You might find it more cost-effective to return the full item nearing expiration than to open it and return it for partial or no credit. Limit opening packages Like partial products, many manufacturers and wholesal-

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ers also do not accept partial packages to be returned for credit. Partial packages include open products of multiple units within a single package. Try to avoid routinely breaking apart multiple unit packages when you receive them—that way you’ll still have the option to return them for credit. Avoid repackaging When you repackage a product, it immediately becomes non-creditworthy—even in the event of a recall. Before repackaging a product, make sure doing so is cost-effective. If you repackage products often at your pharmacy, consider buying those products in smaller package quantities to reduce the chance of the product expiring before you use it all. Check expiration dates Many manufacturers and wholesalers only credit for short-dated products. A good rule is to pull products six months before expiration to ensure that you’ll receive credit. Other good practices include performing quarterly returns, walking the shelves more often to identify products that are nearing or past expiration and rotating your stock regularly. If you have expired products, some manufacturers, wholesalers or reverse distributors will accept products after expiration—but they must fall into a certain window of time, usually within six months or less of expiration.

Returns and PBA Health PBA Health accepts returns under our broad return goods policy. Here are a few criteria to keep in mind: • Products must be identified on a return authorization provided by our customer service department. • Returns must be received within 30 days of issuance of a return authorization. • Products returned within 90 days of purchase receive full credit; anything after 90 days is subject to restocking fees. • Products must have at least six months before expiration to be returnable.

Merchants First is now We specialize in helping our pharmacy customers with their TPS Certification and 90% rule registration. Q Solutions boards on platforms like Chase Paymentech, TSYS/Vital, First Data (FD) and Global. We also work with most pharmacy POS providers such as Computer Rx, QS/1, Digital Simplistics and FlexTrax. Call us today to learn how our payment processing solutions can fit your pharmacy‘s unique needs.

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We changed our name because our business, just like the services we can offer your pharmacy, is lifting off…and the skies are the limit. Q Solutions is a unique company within the bank-card processing industry. We understand that quality and service are important to customers. Q Solutions is in business to ensure that any card processing you’re doing at your pharmacy works smoothly.

solutions. 513A Mur-Len Olathe, Kansas 66062 Voice: 877-609-6377 Fax: 877-603-6377

Q Solutions, LLC is a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Walnut Creek, CA

COMMUNITY

Working Smarter, Not Harder Refocus your role as pharmacy owner from employee to executive for business growth and success

Are you guilty of working in your business more than you work on your business? As a pharmacist, it’s easy to do. You get caught up helping with all of the day-to-day tasks at your pharmacy. You fill prescriptions, monitor ordering and counsel patients. You also probably often feel stressed and like you’re being pulled in every direction. It’s easy to forget that you’re the executive of your business. You’re the CEO. Your job should be running your business and planning for the long-term. Without these critical thinking endeavors, your business could stagnate. When you realize that you can delegate many of the tasks you once did to your pharmacists, pharmacy techs and other staff, you’ll have more time to think creatively about the future, to figure out solutions for your business and to work on increasing revenues. And, your business will be more apt to grow. “To really grow a business, you have to replace yourself,” said Nick Smock, Pharm.D., MBA, president and CEO of PBA Health. “When I first came to PBA Health, I was managing the operations, finance, sales, marketing—everything. I soon realized that to grow the business and to improve service for our customers, I needed to replace myself with those who were more capable of doing those things.” As a small business owner, you probably can’t com-

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pletely stop working in your pharmacy. You have patients who want your advice and there are other tasks only you can complete. Your job is to find the right balance between the two.

Working in vs. working on Small business owners work in two ways: in their business or on their business. Working in your business means working as an employee would—putting stock on the shelves, ringing up patients’ purchases and filling prescriptions. Working on your business means working to improve your business’ success—planning goals and objectives for the future, coming up with marketing ideas, looking for new business opportunities and mapping out strategies. Although it will take time to transition, here are some tips to refocus your role in your business. Hire well If you don’t hire the right people, then you’ll continue having to work in the day-to-day operations of your pharmacy. Hire pharmacists, pharmacy techs and other employees with the right attitude and capabilities to get the work done, so you won’t be required to monitor them constantly. Hire people who you know will be accountable, make decisions and take responsibility. Small-to

COMMUNITY mid-sized businesses perform better when their employees care about the business. Choose employees who you trust and who you know will want to see your business thrive. Also, let experts do what you can’t. Get an accountant if your books are a mess. Hire a marketing company to design your website or direct mail campaign. Have a pharmacy tech who understands Facebook and Twitter update your pharmacy’s social media pages. Utilizing experts will free up your time and also enable those tasks to be completed more skillfully and efficiently. Train, educate and share experiences If you don’t properly train your employees, they won’t know what you expect of them—and you’ll be forced to constantly supervise them. Train your employees on their tasks and responsibilities, explain what doing a good job looks like, notify them of their top priorities, and be sure to always provide feedback. Clarifying responsibilities will improve workflow and productivity. It will also free up your time to focus on other tasks. But, also don’t forget to learn from your employees. As an owner, you don’t have all of the answers. Ask your team members their experiences, opinions and suggestions to improve your business for patients and for employees. Set policies, processes and procedures To make sure your pharmacy runs smoothly without you being there to monitor every detail requires that you set standard processes and procedures for your employees to follow. Every time something goes wrong, ask yourself how you could avoid that problem in the future. Did a pharmacy tech accidentally make a HIPAA violation? Maybe you need more comprehensive HIPAA training. When a patient is unhappy about a long wait time, what is your procedure? A verbal apology? A discount? An apology letter? Set standards by creating an employee handbook and also write out employee training and procedures in detail. Delegate to your team Once you have the right people and processes in place, you can let go of running many aspects of your pharmacy. Often, business owners think that their employees can’t do tasks as well as or as quickly as they can. While this may be true, staying successful requires that you step away from your business and allow for occasional small mistakes to happen. You can afford to fix occasional mistakes. You can’t afford to lose sight of the big picture of your business by trying to do all of the

As the owner of your business, you need to step away from the daily operations at your pharmacy every once in a while. Take time to plan goals, look for new business opportunities and work on increasing revenues.

little things. Don’t be the factor that limits your pharmacy’s success. Step aside for future growth When you get away from the day-to-day of your business, you’ll be able to more objectively plan for the future and to make strategic decisions. But, you have to want to leave your comfort zone and disengage from everyday operations. Nobody is going to force you. Start by taking a day or two to physically get away from your business every quarter. Use that time to think about the hard decisions as a CEO. “It’s difficult to predict where the direction of pharmacy is going, but as a business owner and a professional, you need to be analyzing, researching and experimenting in order to improve your business,” Smock said. Think about what you can do to increase revenue and stay efficient. Ask yourself what you can do to bring in new patients. Do you have the right employees for each position? What industry trends can you capitalize on? Work on answering the big picture questions more often and you’ll improve the chances for your business to grow and thrive.

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Customer Service More than just a department

By Kelsea Nore

The widest separation between the big box stores and independent pharmacies isn’t size and it isn’t cost; it’s customer service. Patients know that they will be treated like the valued customers they are at their local pharmacy, while their healthcare and medication needs are also met. A friendly, well-run pharmacy, staffed by technicians, front-end salespersons and pharmacists who genuinely care is often the difference that patients notice most when choosing a pharmacy. Good customer service matters. And, that’s why PBA Health’s customer service department works to provide true value—and great service—to PBA Health customers. Meet Our Team For the past four years, customer service representative Tammy Howlett has inputted data, chronicling the previous day’s sales figures. These careful records influence every other department within the company, and help PBA Health team members make the best purchasing and inventory decisions—and pass those savings on to our customers. “It’s interesting to watch the growth that we have had over the years and to know that it’s because we provide great services for our pharmacy customers.

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It’s exciting to know that I’m a part of this,” Tammy said. This anecdote represents the kind of quality and hard work that the PBA Health customer service department performs every day. Tammy, like all of the PBA Health customer service representatives, handles incoming calls, orders and return authorizations on top of her designated responsibilities within the department, such as checking a pharmacy’s credentials and setting up appointments for the IT department to install software for customers. Glenda Masonbrink, who has been with PBA Health for nearly 10 years, helps handle the calls that are made monthly to ProfitGuard members and informs these customers about potential savings and purchasing recommendations. (ProfitGuard is PBA Health’s primary supplier negotiation and purchase management service.) Rachel Cox monitors shipping and tracking for all PBA Health warehouse orders, often calling customers first thing in the morning to inform them of delays or shortages. Holly Morrison keeps careful records of necessary license re-verifications and also initiates FirstFill orders to get customers new products right when they come on the market. Christel Brushwood, the front desk recep-

tionist, greets every visitor to the PBA Health office and answers phone calls to the main line. (You’ve probably talked to her a time or two.) Managing the department is Brenda Wood, who has been with PBA Health for 12 years. While managing both the customer service and inside sales departments, Brenda also oversees ProfitGuard group setup and communication and sits on the Regulatory Compliance Team. Brenda is also the executive assistant to PBA Health vice president, Clark Balcom, COO. Second-in-command is customer service supervisor Jamie Dudley, who administers the day-to-day operations within the customer service department. Jamie also handles new accounts, completes audit requests for customers, and helps with the department’s standard daily functions when needed. What We Can Do For You PBA Health understands that your pharmacy’s orders through the PBA Health warehouse are crucial to your business. Our customer service department works diligently to ensure that all of your questions about orders, delays, shortages and more are answered promptly and effectively. “Our customers know that we’re always willing to go the extra mile for them,” said Brenda Wood, customer service manager. “A member of our customer service team answers every call made to PBA Health. We’ll take orders on the phone, via e-mail or fax—whatever works best for the customer.” Not only can our customer service representatives help your business place and track orders, they can also help you run your pharmacy more efficiently. For example, product returns are an inevitable process in the pharmacy industry. The customer service department at PBA Health can help your pharmacy streamline the process by taking return requests in a number of different ways. Customers can call in their requests, fax them in, or submit them through our website at www.pbahealth.com. Once submitted, one of our representatives will promptly create a return authorization. In the event of a recall, the customer service department quickly informs all stores that purchased the product within the time frame specified. Customer service representatives then send letters via fax with instructions about what to do with the recalled product and where to return it. “We send and collect all of the FDA-mandated recall responses, so you know that your bases are always covered,” said Tammy. If the product needs to be returned to PBA Health, Tammy creates return authorizations for every store that has remaining affected product, but most of the time the

PBA Health’s customer service department makes sure all orders through the PBA Health warehouse run smoothly.

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What do you like most about your job with customer service? Brenda Wood Customer Service Manager “My job is never boring! Every day brings its own set of new challenges—there’s always something going on. Luckily, I have a great team to help me out.” Christel Brushwood Receptionist “I’m sort of the ‘office mom’ around here, and I love that about my job. I field all the phone calls, I organize and order supplies, and I do what I can to ensure that meetings go smoothly.” Brenda Wood, customer service manager, always makes the extra effort to ensure that our customers’ questions and concerns are answered. She has been with the company for 12 years.

manufacturer requires pharmacies to return the recalled product to an outside third-pary returns company. CSOS, PBA Health’s online CII ordering system, also helps pharmacies run their businesses more efficiently. And, you can count on our customer service representatives to help you out if you have any issues. “With CSOS, you can avoid filling out endless paperwork while also ensuring that there are no errors that would require us to cancel lines. And, the orders aren’t limited to only 10 lines like on the paper forms,” said Jamie Dudley, customer service supervisor. “Other added benefits are that orders can be received next-day without the wait time of mailing blanks, and the regulated software keeps careful records so our customers don’t have to.” Making a Difference PBA Health customers know the difference that great customer service makes to their businesses. “The customer service department is always there to help me out,” said Ray Kirk, the head pharmacist at Noel Pharmacy in Noel, Missouri. “They put forth the extra effort, and I appreciate that. I’m told right away if, for example, an order is going to be late, and they even go the extra mile to investigate why and to figure out some other options for me. On top of that, they’re always friendly, which is important, too.” The PBA Health customer service representatives’ eager and friendly demeanor matched with their considerable talents, are just a few reasons why our customers find that doing business with PBA Health is good for their businesses too.

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Glenda Masonbrink Customer Service Representative “It’s great seeing orders from new customers. It makes me aware of how the company is growing. We must be doing our jobs right!” Rachel Cox Customer Service Representative “The best part of my job is interacting with the customers. You really get to know people. It makes my day that much better when I get to talk to my favorite customers.” Holly Morrison Customer Service Representative “Every month we make calls to our ProfitGuard customers to let them know how the pharmacy is doing and it is nice to be able to catch up with them and form a relationship with them. It makes our jobs much more enjoyable and fun to do when a customer sounds happy to hear from us.” Tammy Howlett Customer Service Representative “I love talking to the customers. We make it a point to get to know our customers and oftentimes, those relationships help us solve their problems easier, too.” Jamie Dudley Customer Service Supervisor “My co-workers, of course! The customer service department works well together, and we know how to help each other out.”

Emdeon covers all the bases. Nearly 80 percent of the business end of my practice is third party. They help me get the full reimbursements on my claims. - Larry Meyers Holdrege Pharmacy

Is your pharmacy getting paid everything it should? Without Emdeon’s pre/post editing solution, your pharmacy could be leaving significant claim reimbursement dollars on the table without even knowing it. More accurate claims mean maximum reimbursements and a more profitable pharmacy. Emdeon Edit™can help reduce submission errors in real time by automatically performing a series of pre/post edits on third-party claims when they are sent to the processor. Easy-to-use, online business analysis tools, as well as access to our Emdeon Payer Compliance™claims resubmission tool, make this solution an even more valuable investment for any pharmacy. Discover more. Contact an Emdeon representative at 877.707.0024 to learn how Emdeon Edit can help your pharmacy receive the maximum claims reimbursements possible.

You don’t need one more partner. You need one partner that does more.

OUTLOOK

How to Choose the Right Pharmacy Software By Kelsea Nore

In your pharmacy, the computer is probably the one tool you use more than anything else. This multi-purpose machine is responsible for keeping your daily workflow smooth. But without the right software, your computer doesn’t do much to help your day-to-day operations. You need software that works well and is easy-to-use. The right software can also be the difference between happy and unhappy patients. Whether you’re thinking about switching to a different pharmacy software program or are currently faced with the task of choosing pharmacy software for the first time, you have several important elements to consider. First-time buyers Before you even consider the basic components of your computer, or the software purchase you need to make, you need to think about your pharmacy and the business

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plan you have in place. Do you plan to expand and open more locations? What kind of pharmacy do you run currently? Have you thought about opening a different sort of facility, such as a long-term care pharmacy or a location focused on home medical equipment? Once you have determined the scope of your pharmacy software needs, you may also consider consulting your staff on their technological abilities. If your pharmacy techs are also tech-savvy, they’re likely comfortable with computers, but other employees might need more training. Lastly, you’ll want to spend time consulting with possible vendors. “You want to find more of a partner, not just a vendor,” said Heath Reynolds, director of business development for Speed Script, a pharmacy management systems and services provider. Knowing that your software provider is readily available for questions, concerns,

OUTLOOK

“If a pharmacy isn’t using technology to get ahead and streamline its business, it’s losing customers.”

issues, and training is as important as actually purchasing the software. “It doesn’t matter how good the software program is if you’re not able to get help when you need it, which is why we’ve got representatives available 24/7,” said Reynolds. “We’re always asking pharmacies what we can do to help them out and availability is usually a top priority.” Switching Software If you’re considering switching pharmacy software out of frustration, consider re-opening the lines of communication between your pharmacy and your software vendor first. An in-store training session or an upgrade of your existing software may be a wiser choice than a complete overhaul. However, if you’ve weighed the pros and cons and have decided to switch, here are a few things to consider. Software vendors sell their software in many different ways. Some allow customers to purchase individual functions, such as workflow modules or barcode verification scanners. Other vendors sell their software in tiers or levels of components. Many pharmacies opt to purchase all-inclusive packages. While you may not use every function that the software offers, you may find a use for it in the future (and have an opportunity to expand your business, too). While you’re typically able to purchase the software and services at yearly rates, some vendors allow month-to-month plans as well. One of the most important things you need to do before you switch, upgrade or modify your software is determine how seamlessly your data will convert. Knowing how much information will transfer and how much you will need to reconcile with your patients is important as you prepare to make a switch. Print simple signage or alert your patients using social media, email or phone calls about your transition to a new software program. Patience will be a virtue with your staff, too. Take time

The right pharmacy software can help streamline your in-store responsibilities and keep your patients happy with shorter wait times.

to familiarize yourself with the software and allow your technicians and front-end staff ample time to familiarize themselves with the new software. Be sure to take advantage of the in-store training that many vendors offer. Preparing for the future “The independent pharmacies that are doing well aren’t working harder, they’re working smarter,” said Reynolds. “If a pharmacy isn’t using technology to get ahead and streamline its business, it’s losing customers.” The right pharmacy software can provide added value for your patients. Whether through online refills (a feature of many software programs and a service you can read more about on page 6) or transactions that are as quick and efficient as a few strokes, your pharmacy software can help your business run even better.

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NOTES

Searching Made Easy

Find the pharmacy products and services you need with the PBA Health vendor directory

When you need a product or service for your pharmacy, how do you know what vendor to choose? You likely turn to a colleague or a fellow pharmacy owner for recommendations. Which vitamin vendors have the best quality products? What credit card processor knows about FSA/HSA setup? When it comes to the products and services for your pharmacy, you want to know what has worked for others— and what’s the best choice for your business. Before you try to filter through all of the options out there, take a look at PBA Health’s online vendor directory. It contains listings of more than 60 PBA Health-approved vendors, suppliers and organizations. Meaning, we’ve checked them out for you. From OTC products to switch services to compounding supplies, we’ve found reputable and costeffective vendors and suppliers to provide your community pharmacy with the products and services it needs. Plus, if you mention you’re a PBA Health member, you can receive special promotions, discounts and more.

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Easy to use Our easy-to-navigate vendor directory is fully searchable and categorized. It was designed for you to locate the products and services you need in just a few clicks. You can browse by vendor name or scope out what you need by category. Looking for diabetic supplies? What about a pharmaceutical returns program? It’s all there. You can find everything from billing management services to OTC products to credit card processing services. Time-saving With our vendor directory you can shop on your own schedule. You don’t have to stop in the middle of your day and listen to sales pitches over the phone or spend hours searching the Internet for a service you need. An extensive listing of options is just a few clicks away— 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Cost-effective We know pharmacy owners today have to be budget-conscious. That’s why we work with the vendors and suppliers in our directory to get

pharmacies great deals on their products and services. Whether it’s special pricing or a discount off the first order, every little bit can help your bottom line. Everything you need Each vendor listing in the directory contains detailed information about the product or service and a link to the company’s website. You won’t have to spend a bunch of time searching for contact names or phone numbers, either. The listings in the directory include the contact representative’s direct extension or email address. Once you find that perfect product or service for your pharmacy, you’ll be able to quickly get in touch with the right person to get it to you. Check out the PBA Health vendor directory by going to www.pbahealth.com and clicking on “Directory”.