2015 Annual Convention
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Location: Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor 10/11 Title: Creating, Telling and Selling Your Value Story
ACPE # 207-000-15-138-L04-P 0.3 CEUs ACPE # 207-000-15-138-L04-T Activity Type: Application-based Speaker: Marsha Millonig, MBA, BPharm, President & CEO, Catalyst Enterprises Paul Mulhausen, Chief Medical Officer, Telligen, Inc. Wayne Glowac, Chief, Marketing Officer, Kramer Printing Jennifer Bruckart, Director of Outreach and Education, WeCare Pharmacy Carole Hayward, Executive Director, Clear Message Media Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to: 1. Discuss the key elements of a pharmacy branding campaign. 2. Create a brief compelling brand message for your community pharmacy. 3. Discuss the components upon which a collaborative relationship is built. 4. Describe effective tactics to improve the professional relationships between physicians and pharmacists is built. 5. Outline the marketing tools effective in physician detailing. 6. Discuss an effective social media strategy for patient and community outreach to establish pharmacy brand. Disclosures: Marsha Millonig is President & CEO of Catalyst Enterprises and is receiving an honorarium for this program. The conflict of interest was resolved by peer review of the slide content. Paul Mulhausen is receiving an honorarium for this program. The conflict of interest was resolved by peer review of the slide content. Wayne Glowac declares no conflicts of interest or financial interest in any product or service mentioned in this program, including grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, and honoraria. Jennifer Bruckart declares no conflicts of interest or financial interest in any product or service mentioned in this program, including grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, and honoraria. Carole Hayward declares no conflicts of interest or financial interest in any product or service mentioned in this program, including grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, and honoraria. NCPA’s education staff declares no conflicts of interest or financial interest in any product or service mentioned in this program, including grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, and honoraria.
NCPA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This program is accredited by NCPA for 0.3 CEUs (3.0 contact hours) of continuing education credit.
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Learning Objectives
1. Discuss the key elements of a pharmacy branding campaign.
2. Create a brief compelling brand message for your community pharmacy.
3. Discuss the components upon which a collaborative relationship is built.
4. Describe effective tactics to improve the professional relationships between physicians and pharmacists is built.
5. Outline the marketing tools effective in physician detailing.
6. Discuss an effective social media strategy for patient and community outreach to establish pharmacy brand.
Disclosures
Marsha Millonig is President & CEO of Catalyst Enterprises and is receiving an honorarium for this program. The conflict of interest was resolved by peer review of the slide content.
Paul Mulhausen is receiving an honorarium for this program. The conflict of interest was resolved by peer review of the slide content.
Wayne Glowac declares no conflicts of interest or financial interest in any product or service mentioned in this program, including grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, and honoraria.
Jennifer Bruckart declares no conflicts of interest or financial interest in any product or service mentioned in this program, including grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, and honoraria.
Carole Hayward declares no conflicts of interest or financial interest in any product or service mentioned in this program, including grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, and honoraria.
How to Understand and Manage Your
Most Important Asset, Your Brand
Wayne [email protected]
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1) Define the buzz words2) Review the (unscientific) role emotion plays in
your success3) Motivate you to begin writing
your story4) Share a process to help you
create and leverage your story
Objectives
A Brand is the
promises & perceptionsabout your pharmacy.
Brand Management is understanding and impacting those promises andperceptions for maximum loyalty andprofitability.
Your Brand Story summarizes and communicates the heart and soul of your business and emotionally connects your brand with the consumer.
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3,000 advertising messages per day
We Are Exposed to
“Where consumers turn for information”
--Harris Interactive, 10/09
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"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
‐‐Maya Angelou
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Beliefs & values (heart)
The functional benefitsprovided to customers
(head)
Features or processesthat must be provided
(spine)
Most meaningful and most difficult to imitate but the hardest to deliver
Easiest to deliver but least meaningful and most easily Imitated and least interesting
Levels of Brand Association
13 Question Message Strategy
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1) Who?
2) Message?
3) One word?
4) Difference?
5) Why care?
6) Why believe?
7) Inspiring brand insight?
1) Feeling?
2) Call to action?
3) Aperture?
4) Tone?
5) Lingering doubt?
6) Live the brand?
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Positioning
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If You Always DoWhat You Always Did
You’ll Always GetWhat You Always Got
Unknown
Text
To ________________, (your pharmacy)
is the____________________________
________________________________
that will __________________________.
Positioning Statement
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To Healthy Preventers, 25-40, who deeply care about having a healthy mouth
Listerine is the germ killing mouthwash
that gives you the confidence of a cleaner,
healthier mouth.
Positioning Statement
SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStory
Brand Story Telling is and Art & Science
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20 Ideas for Building Collaborative Relationships with Physicians
Dr. Paul Mulhausen, MD, MHS, FACP, AGSF
Chief Medical Officer, Telligen, Inc.
Marsha Millonig, MBA, BPharm
CEO, Catalyst Enterprises, LLC
Your Presenters
Describe the components upon which a collaborative relationship is built.
Explain the common techniques that physicians use to establish trust among themselves and other collaborators.
List the elements that contribute to a physician/pharmacist driven collaborative drug therapy management program.
Describe elements of pharmacy practice that must be better understood by a physician for a collaborative relationship to exist.
Describe tips and tactics that will work best to improve the professional relationships between physicians and pharmacists.
Recall the trap pharmacists fall into when using jargon with physicians.
Learning Objectives
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What is the common covenant that binds pharmacists and physicians
together?
…helping patients…
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Why care about the relationship between pharmacists and physicians?
• People are dying everyday
• ADRs are the 4th leading cause of death
• Opportunity for optimal use of pharmaceuticals & enhanced drug therapy management
Everybody Needs Your Help
The case of Mary Simpson Pharm.D.
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Questions Mary needs answered
• What made her believe Dr. Dall would welcome her as a collaborator?
• What has she done to establish trust and confidence between her and Dr. Dall?
• What “homework” does she need to do to better her case to Dr. Dall?
• How can she prove to him that it is “safe” to work with her?
Everyone needs pals and partners
• An old message for modern times
• “This ain’t a one man team Kid, you ain’t gonna win unless you get a good team behind you”
– Voice of Richard Petty to Lightening McQueen in the Pixar movie CARS
Bringing Cultures Together & Building Teams
• Changing health care delivery models
• Medical homes
• ACOs
• Team‐based care
• Quality‐driven
• Collaborative drug therapy management
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Finding Shared Goals and Values
What are the building blocks of professional relationships and trust?
• Values
• Attitudes
• Training/education
• Confidence
• Adherence to professional ethics
Professional Values
• Help us work on relationships with others
• Identify how we best fit into any professional environment
• Identify how we would like to be of help to others
• Identify how we set priorities to find personal and professional fulfillment
“Life is very rich when you live out your values.”
Mary Louise Anderson,APhA Remington Medalist
Know you have provided value beyond the prescription
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• Competency and trust are assumed
• Seek input from one another
• Allow each other to do their jobs without unnecessary oversight
• Try to learn from success and failure, then move on
How do physicians collaborate with a colleague?
What about physician‐pharmacist relationships?• Studies point to these relationships are being driven by “trustworthiness”
• Consistent behavior over time is the usual trademark for initiating a relationship or looking for support
• Informal dialogue starts a formal collaboration
A tremendous opportunity exists
to make a difference……Patients receive proper diagnosis and treatment only 55% of time.
NEJM June 26, 2003
…96% of physicians felt that diagnostic errors are preventable while half said they encountered at least one per month.
Sandra Boodman, "Doctors' Diagnostic Errors Are Often Not Mentioned But Can Take a Serious Toll," Kaiser Health News, May 6, 2013
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Patients…• Want you to coordinate their care with MDs and others
• Like ability to get information on medications
• Want Rx’s filled accurately and on a timely basis with ability to call ahead
• Like courteous & helpful employees who can answer questions & solve problems
• Like pharmacies that take their insurance card and can help them with coverage issues and questions
Pharmacists are needed in patient care to:
• Assess, counsel, and monitor drug therapy
• Preventing medication misadventures: $177 billion drug morbidity/mortality 2005 up to $290 billion 2009, including non-adherence
• Oversee medication management systems
• Deliver “pharmaceutical care/MTM services”
• Could save over $105 billion annually if made universally available
Avoidable Costs in US Healthcare. http://www.imshealth.com/deployedfiles/imshealth/Global/Content/Corporate/IMS%20Institute/RUOM-2013/IHII_Responsible_Use_Medicines_2013.pdf
Building Collaborative Relationships
Is there a difference between a “traditional
pharmacist” and a “modern pharmacist”?
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• Coordination of individual actions
• Cooperation in planning and working together
• Sharing of goals and problem-solving
• Sharing decision-making and responsibility
• All of the above
Self Assessment QuestionEffective collaboration is based on:
Effective collaboration is based on:
• Coordination of individual actions
• Cooperation in planning and working together
• Sharing of goals and problem‐solving
• Sharing decision‐making and responsibility
Six variables: early to late‐stage collaboration
• Bidirectional communication
• Caring for mutual patients
• Identify win‐win situation
• Adding value to medical practice
• Physician convenience
• Balanced dependence
• Doucette and Brock (JAPhA 2004)
• http://japha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1038277
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• Coordination of individual actions
• Cooperation in planning and working together
• Sharing of goals and problem-solving
• Sharing decision-making and responsibility
• All of the above
Self Assessment QuestionEffective collaboration is based on:
Pharmacist-Physician CollaborationThoughts from the Other Side
• Paul Mulhausen, MD, MHS, FACP, AGSF
Objectives
• Work Effectively in collaborative arrangements and interprofessional teams by understanding the key predictors of successful collaborations.
» Knowledge
» Trust
» Role definition
» Potential conflicts of interest
• Capitalize on new models of care and new models of payment to more fully engage patients and get paid for it.
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Organization of the Discussion
• Save A Life
• Know Your Stuff
• Create Value
• Know your Team
• Find a Home
• Get Paid
Save A Life • Assume the role of engaged
team member
• Reach out to prescribers with concerns
• Physicians find value in pharmacists’ potential to find interactions and catch errors
• Build trust
1.5 million preventable ADEs
$ 177 billion
Know Your Stuff• No knowledge, no trust, no
value
• Bring the skills and knowledge the team needs
• Define areas of contribution
• Know what’s relevant and when to assert your expertise
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Create ValueAdded Value Medication ManagementFormulary management
Medication reconciliation
CDTM
Special populations
• Elderly/multimorbidity
• Serious mental illness
• Multimorbidity
• Transitions
Pharmacogenomics
Achieve quality goals
Clinical quality of care• HHS primary care and CV quality measures
• Prevention measures• Setting‐specific measures• Specialty‐specific measures
Care coordination• Transition of care measures
• Admission and readmission measures
Population/community health
• Measures that assess health of the community
• Measures that reduce health disparities
• Access to care and equitability measures
Efficiency and cost reduction• Spend per beneficiary measures
• Episode cost measures• Quality to cost measures
Safety• Health Care Acquired Conditions(HCACs) including HAIs
• All cause harm
The Six National Quality Strategy Priorities
Person and Caregiver centered experience and
outcomes• CAHPS or equivalent measures for each settings
• Functional outcomes
Federal Value-based Payment Goals
• Sylvia Burwell Jan 26, 2015 HHS Announcement
– NEJM Article/Meeting/Press Release
• New Quality Goals
– FFS payments tied to quality or value
• 85% by 2016
• 90% by 2018
– FFS payments tied to value through alternative payment models
• 30% by 2016
• 50% by 2018
• Health Care Transformation Task Force
– 75% of FFS payments in commercial sector connected to quality by 2020
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Create ValueAchieving Quality Goals in Pay for Value
HEDIS Measures: Commercial, Medicaid, MA payers• Pharmacotherapy for COPD
• Use of Appropriate Medications for People with Asthma
• Medication Management for People with Asthma
• Asthma Medication Ratio
• Controlling High Blood Pressure
• Antidepressant Medication Management
• Adherence to Antipsychotic Medications for Individuals with Schizophrenia
• Potentially Harmful Drug‐Disease Interactions in the Elderly
Medicare/Medicaid Meaningful Use
– Controlling High Blood Pressure
– Use of Appropriate Medications for Asthma
– Use of High Risk Medications in the Elderly
– ADE Prevention and Monitoring: Warfarin Time in Therapeutic Range
– Diabetes: Hemoglobin A1c Poor Control
– Anti‐depressant Medication Management
Create ValueAchieving Quality Goals in Pay for Value
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Create ValueAchieving Quality Goals in Pay for Value
Physician Quality Reporting System– Diabetes: hemoglobin A1C poor control
– Antidepressant Medication Management
– Medication Reconciliation
– Use of appropriate medications for asthma
– Controlling High Blood Pressure
– Use of High Risk Medications in the Elderly
– Atrial Fibrillation and Atrial Flutter: Chronic Anticoagulation Therapy
– ADE Prevention and Monitoring: Warfarin Time in Therapeutic Range
Know Your Team
• Understand team workflow
• Understand team member Interaction
• Understand the patient(s)
• If just starting, find some time to build the relationships
• Be aware of team leadership dynamics
Find a Home
• Nursing Home
• Patient‐Centered Medical Home (PCMH)
• PCMH Neighbors
• Population Health Management Services
• Integrated Health Service Providers
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Get Paid
• Shared savings models
• Accountable care organizations
• Comprehensive primary care
• Chronic care management fees
• Health reform and the movement from volume‐based reimbursement to value‐based reimbursement creates new opportunity for pharmacists as part of an integrated workforce
Collaborative Practice Tools
• CPAs are used to create formal practicing relationships between pharmacists and other health professionals, usually physician
• Allow for collaborative drug therapy management (CDTM) activities
• Enable pharmacists to provide a range of clinical services including initiation, modification, and monitoring of a patient’s drug therapy
Collaborative Practice Agreements
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Elements of a Collaborative Drug Therapy Management Program
• Develops best outcomes by preventing & reducing medication errors, increasing patient safety, and reducing health care costs
• Improves a patient’s QOL through well‐established, successful protocols and initiatives
Do you know…How many states allow pharmacists to engage in collaborative practice relationships?
a. 10
b. 20
c. 36
d. 48
e. All of them
Collaborative Practice• Prescribers (generally physicians, dentists and
veterinarians) in some states includes nurse practitioners and physician assistants, authorize pharmacists to engage in specified activities including adjusting and/or initiating drug therapy
• 48 states have collaborative practice regulations
• Examples: Immunizations, EC, asthma, dyslipidemia, anticoagulant, diabetes, smoking cessation, refills
• http://www.pharmacist.com/collaborative‐practice‐agreements‐vary‐among‐states
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Collaborative practice agreement…
…a voluntary agreement between one or more prescribers and pharmacists establishing cooperative practice procedures under defined conditions and/or limitations
Collaborative drug therapy management…
…refers to the practice where prescribers authorize pharmacists to engage in specific activities such as initiating, adjusting, or evaluating drug therapy
Components of CPA
• Pharmacist agrees to work with prescriber under a written and signed agreement to perform certain patient care functions under specified conditions
• Pharmacist has knowledge, skills, and ability to perform authorized functions
• Document activities in a medical record• Accountability for the same quality measures for all
health professionals involved in the collaborative agreement
• Provisions to allow compensation for drug therapy management activities
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• http://www.aphafoundation.org/collaborative‐practice‐agreements
• http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/docs/Translational_Tools_Pharmacists.pdf
• http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/docs/Translational_Tools_Providers.pdf
• http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/docs/Translational_Tools_Payers.pdf
• http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/docs/Translational_Tools_Decision‐Makers.pdf
Resources
Do you know…How many states allow pharmacists to engage in collaborative practice relationships?
a. 10
b. 20
c. 36
d. 48
e. All of them
20 Great Tips to Build Communication & Collaboration with Physicians1. Create a written plan with clear definitions
Does it have short and long term goals?Is it non‐hierarchical? Does it create value for physicians and partners?Does it may include patient advisors?Is it based on mutual trust? Is it voluntary?
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Idea #2
Focus on the patient as your first and only priority.
Never be afraid to share responsibility and power, healthcare is not about you, its about helping people.
Idea #3
When first discussing a specific patient with a physician do not try and “own” that patient.
Physicians are accountable for the patient’s treatment plan.
Idea #4Get to know the physician’s practice, especially become acquainted with key support staff & practice workflow
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Idea #5 Develop a supportive culture for things to happen
Get some press to indicate you are just as interested as others in “helping people”. Get your staff to buy‐in as to why they are there also. “Helping” has to permeate the entire pharmacy and create an impression.
Staff Engagement: Creating a new MTM Culture
• Hire pharmacists and techs who are passionate about educating patients
• Start the MTM program with a meeting and schedule a monthly MTM meeting to discuss best practices
• Marketing, and delivery teams engagement is essential
• Invest in technology that can make it easier for your team to implement
“I wanted to surround myself with people who believe in the same vision we have, where I can disconnect from the business without having any impact on the quality of the business.”
– ‐Hashim Zaibak
Idea #6
Advocate with state regulatory and policy organizations so clear articulation of roles can be fostered
New business models are changing traditional scopes of practice
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Idea #7Start small and build from there. For example, with an
immunization program or high‐risk medication. Or focus on a particular quality measure.
Once people see a modicum of success, they will tell you what their needs are for the next venture
Idea #8 Develop tools for patients to use with their physicians—they are consumers too. For example, the Personal Medication Record and Medication Action Plan that are part of the MTM service core elements.
Idea #9Use the Internet and other communication technology for quick, easy dialogue & provide physicians with helpful information on a regular basis for treatment plans.
New studies…new drugs…new generics…new formulary items.
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Idea #10 Build/use a system to share patient information and
contribute to coordination of care.
ERx
EHRs
HIE
Goodrich Pharmacy. Inc
• 7 Independent Community Pharmacies
• Suburban to Suburban/Rural demographics
• Professional 850 to 1400 sq ft pharmacies
• 5 in clinic, one stand alone next to clinic and one supermarket pharmacy
• Established in 1864 stores added in 1991, 1997, 2002, 2005 and last 5 years
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Sharing Patient Information• Electronic medical record systems offer a clear
illumination of patient records that pharmacists seldom see
• Shared information that improves MTM assessments and patient outcomes
• MTM documentation in EMR shares pharmacists evaluation and recommendations with other providers
Disease State Management
• Confirm diagnosis
• Confirm provider goals
• Review medication history
• Report progress to primary care provider
• Assess compliance
• Review monitoring history…order labs
• Modify therapy and document care
Idea #11Create value for the physician. Get to know their interests.
Conduct physician surveys.
(Doucette/McDonough JAPhA 2002)
http://japha.org/article.aspx?articleid=1034148
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Idea #12 Detail physicians about your service. Over time, send follow‐
up letters, phone calls, faxes according to physician preference to keep them up‐to‐date.
Idea #13 Check your phone etiquette and that
of your staff. Don’t use medical jargon, you can’t win.
Idea #14
Present professional image in all communications.
Use typed vs. handwritten notes
Use Letterhead not a drug company notepad
Remember anything written may go in a file as legal data
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Idea #15Develop joint statements to share with media
Consider doing so during designation health events
See this Web site for ideas:
http://healthfinder.gov/NHO/
Idea #16
Develop educational programs for physicians & other health professionals
Consider their practice interests
Consider the latest trends
Idea #17Host jointly‐sponsored professional meetings
Why not the Medical Association and the Pharmacists Association ?
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Idea #18Volunteer to work on committees related to drug therapy:
formularies, practice guidelines
Volunteer to work on committees related to HIT and information exchange: each state has effort underway
If physicians see this as part of being a professional and “giving back” why not you?
Idea #19 Volunteer to help with a clinical trial or new treatment
protocol, especially one on drug adherence.
Just ask a manufacturer representative for leads
Work with a college/school of pharmacy: Eg, Iowa’s study the demonstrated Physician‐Pharmacists collaboration achieved better BP control(63.9%) compared to a control group(29.9%)
Carter BL, Ardry GA et al, Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(21)1990‐2002
Idea #20 Make sure all collaborators share in any rewards and
especially recognition.
Never forget that collaboration is built on the perception of your personal trust, commitment and confidence. Do a lot of self‐testing and do it often. If you perceived as a glory‐hound, you will be a lone hound.
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The case of Mary Simpson Pharm. D. (revisited)
Pharmacist collaborating in a LTC facility
Provision of pharmacist consultant services that focused on disease management (DM) in addition to Drug Regimen Review (DRR) found a higher rate of adherence to clinical practice guidelines for 4 of 7 common chronic disease states in long‐term‐care patients compared with patients who received only traditional DRR services.
Horning KK, Hoehns JD, Adherence to 7 clinical practice guidelines, J.Manag.Care Pharm. 2007;(1) 68‐69
And, physician’s are ready…
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Westside Pharmacy
Are you adding value beyond the
Rx?
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Who is this pharmacist?
An “Early Adopter”, he knew as one person that he could make a difference, regardless of his title or position.
West Side Community Health Services is the largest community clinic organization in
Minnesota, with multiple locations in the metro area. We provide innovative and multicultural /
multilingual health care services and education to immigrant and low-income communities.
The kind of care that works - for you, your family and a whole community
Summary• Value Based Payment Models open up new opportunities
for pharmacists to apply their full skill set in the care of patients.
• To fully succeed as part of the integrated health team, pharmacists need to develop an understanding of the skills and attributes that predict successful collaborations:
– Knowledge
– Trust
– Understanding of team roles
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Thank You from Paul and Marsha
[email protected]@telligen.com
Creating, Telling, and Selling Your Value Story
What Is Your Story?
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Turning Your Story Into An Executable Plan
WeCare Pharmacy(opened May 2014)
• Located in Warrenton, VA
• Specialize in compoundingand wellness services
– Bio-identical hormones, vet, pediatric compounds
– Weight-loss clinic
– High-quality vitamins/supplements
– 100% organic skin care line
• 3 FT employees; 2 PT employees
Neighborhood Pharmacy of DelRay(opened July 2009 )
• Located in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia
• Specializing in:
– Compounded medications
– Pet supplements, prescriptions & first aid
– Vitamin & nutritional support
– Flu shots & other immunizations
• 2 FT employees; 4 PT employees
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Make Sure Your Story Supports Your Business Goals
• As you work to tell your story and figure out the best channels for sharing your story, determine what business goals you are trying to achieve.
• Identify those goals and share them with your storytellers (e.g., increase OTC sales, increase number of new customers, or promote new product niche).
• Measure often, and if your storytelling isn’t accomplishing your goals, then asses whether your story isn’t reaching the right people or you need to tell your story in a new way.
What Are Your Business Goals?
After establishing a presence on several social media sites, we determined that the pharmacy needed to be clear about their business goals and what they wanted to achieve with their social media efforts.
In the beginning The Neighborhood Pharmacy set three key business goals:
1. Make the pharmacy easy to find.
2. Build a community. 3. Increase awareness of what they offer.
Who Can Help You Tell Your Story?
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Option 1: Doing It Yourself
• The time required can vary (and it takes longer in the beginning), but it’s important to emphasize that developing original content and promoting it through your marketing activities takes time.
• If you can’t do it personally, consider breaking these efforts down and delegating responsibility for them among your staff. Developing a strategy and sticking to the plan is key to success.
• Learn what tools are available to help you automate as much of your strategy as possible to save you time and money.
Potential Pitfalls: Time, Lack of Focus, and Accountability Among Staff
Option 2: Dedicated Staff Position
• Part-time can make huge impact (15-20 hrs/wk)
• Possible candidates:
– Current/former marketing/PR professionals looking for flexible, part-time work
– Pharmacy technician or staff member
Note: Be sure to carve out specific “marketing” time for them
• Important: Community mindset and marketing know-how are more important than pharmacy/pharmaceutical experience
• Consider compensation package that includes performance-based incentives tied to business goals (# scripts/new pts/new MDs/sync pts)
Potential Pitfalls: Cost, Space in Pharmacy, Determining How/When/Where They Will Perform Marketing Duties
Option 3: External Experts
• Small investment in a consultant or firm can have a powerful effect on your marketing efforts (10-15 hrs/wk)
• Options:
– Per project basis, such as community event
– For a specific purpose, such as setting up social media channels
– To run an entire marketing campaign from start to finish
– Retainer agreement to handle all of your marketing needs within your budget
Potential Pitfalls: Training, Time to Meet, and Getting Feedback in a Timely Manner, and Approval Process
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Are You Telling the Best Possible Story?
Do You Have a Credible Storyteller?
• Training is important. These individualsare representing your pharmacy!– Knowledgeable about pharmacy practice/laws– Know existing relationships– Understand opportunities vs. threats
• Training topics– HIPAA, scope of practice, third-party payers/PBMs, drug
supply chain, anti-trust, FWA, pharmacology, acronyms
• **Handout** Training a Pharmacy Marketer
Do You Have a Credible Message?
• Don’t let poor “packaging” tarnish your story. Present a professional appearance by observing the following for all of your materials:
• Use an appropriate tone (credible, trustworthy, genuine, knowledgeable)
• Create and use quality graphics
• Be Consistent, using the same font, colors, logos and other images
• Create and use templates!
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What Tools Can You UseTo Tell Your Story?
Marketing a BHRT Niche w/ Direct Mail
• Our Business Goal: ↑ BHRT Rx by 20% in 12 mo.Our Story: WeCare Pharmacy is your local expert in bio-
identical hormone replacement therapy. Our pharmacists have specialized training in treating hormone/thyroid disorders. We custom-prepare each BHRT compound using the highest quality chemicals & bases to help patients regain and maintain hormone balance and achieve relief from symptoms.
What We Used To Tell Our Story: Direct Mail
The Direct Mail Solution We Used
• Every Door Direct Mail® by the USPS– Multiple approved vendors
– Allows demographic targeting
– Offers all-in-one solution (design/print/fulfillment/postage)
– Multiple sizes, formats to choose from
– Good turnaround time (2 weeks once art submitted)
– Cost-effective
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Target By Drive Time/Radius
Target By Postal Route
View/Target By Demographics
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The Finished Product
• Jumbo postcard mailed to 2,600 consumers in targeted postal routes (female, 45-64, etc.)
– Educate patients about hormoneimbalance (symptoms, causes)
– Establish pharmacy as local resource
– Introduce our pharmacists
– Cost: $900 ($.35/each)
Managing Your Storytelling
It’s important to develop a consistent pattern to your storytelling. It helps build readership, and it helps your manage the work involved. Here are a few tips:
Determine the frequency you can reasonably handle, such as writing one blog post per week, and stick to it.
Use an online scheduler, such as Hootsuite for managing all of your social media channels, so you can schedule all of your messages for the week at one time.
You do not have to launch several channels all at once. Launch one, such as Facebook, and then add Twitter.
Telling Your Story
• Develop a reliable narrator to tell your story– Use consistent language– Post regularly– Promote across channels
• Create an editorial calendarand stick to it
• Always remember your goalswhen creating content
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Creating a Content Calendar
Now that you’ve committed to blogging regularly, what should you write about? The great news is that pharmacies never run out of interesting health-related topics to discuss.
It’s important, however, to keep track of what you are telling your audience and to make sure that you are hitting all of your key business goals in your storytelling.
**Handout** TOPIC IDEAS
FREE Tools to Help YouTell Your Story!
Social Media Tools
Many social media tools are free and can save you valuable
time. Here are a few for you to use to share your story:
• Hootsuite: Social Media Scheduling platform, www.hootsuite.com
• Google Analytics: Website Traffic Statistics, www.google.com/analytics
• Hashtags: Improve the searchability of your Tweets, www.hashtags.org
• Search Engine Optimization: Google Guide to Getting Started, http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en/us/webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf
• Real Magnet: E-mail and Social Media Platform, www.realmagnet.com
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Is Your Story Making An Impact?
Measuring Results
As you tell your story, you want to know if it is getting through to the people you want to reach, and you want to know if your storytelling is working. Remember the goals of The Neighborhood Pharmacy?
After blogging consistently for a few months, The Neighborhood Pharmacy rose to the top of Google searches for specific and generic searches.
Meeting Your Goals
Building a community is an ongoing goal for The Neighborhood Pharmacy. We measure the effectiveness of our efforts in several ways:
• Increasing number of followers and fans on social media pages
• Increase in sales of highlighted items, such as vitamin supplements or pet first aid products
• Pulling daily reports to chart the number of new customers
• Positive reviews on Yelp
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Start Telling Your Story
The tale of a successful small business is a compelling one, and in our industry, we have the compelling story of helping people live healthier lives.
As you leave this convention, start telling your story. Starting small is fine, but start. Now. It’s a story worth telling. Your community needs to hear it.
Try spreading your story in ways you haven’t tried and then measure the results. You’ll be glad you did and so will your community.
Creating a Content Calendar Knowing that you have to post fresh content to your blog or social media channels and having no idea what to
write about can be a major stressor. You can alleviate some of that pressure by creating a content calendar for
the week, the month, or the quarter.
Aim for a blog post to be 500‐700 words. Include links to relevant sources. Using appropriate keywords for
search engine optimization, so your pharmacy benefits from searches readers may be conducting on a particular
topic.
Below is a sample of a quarterly planning calendar with examples and ideas for content.
Quarterly Planning Calendar
Month One
Week One:
Health‐related post, such as highlighting an awareness issue (e.g., October is Breast Cancer Awareness month).
Ideas include conducting an interviews with doctors, clinics, or non‐profit contacts. Spotlight events in your
community related to the cause, particularly if you are participating in them. Also, consider an interview with
your pharmacist for their advice on medication‐related considerations connected to that particular health issue.
Week Two:
Niche‐related post, such as pet care
Ideas include personal anecdotes about how you’ve used particular products that your pharmacy carries, why
you chose to carry this particular line, spotlight a success story
Week Three:
Service‐related post, such as flu shot availability
Ideas include information on what types of service you are offering, who can receive the service, and what hours
the service is offered; spotlight the need for the service in your area
Week Four:
Product‐related post, such as skin care product
Ideas include why you’ve chosen to carry this particular product, its uses, who could benefit from this particular
product, recommendations from patients who have used the product
Month Two
Week Five:
Seasonal‐related post, such as holiday travel
Ideas include tips for traveling with medications, how to pack your medications for a trip, what to do if you need
an emergency refill, and how to properly store your medications for stability and safety
Week Six:
Niche‐related post, such as vitamin supplements
Ideas include providing information and links on vitamin deficiencies, symptoms to look for, why you carry the
vitamin supplements you do, and success stories from you, staff, or patients on the positive effects
Week Seven:
Service‐related post, such as free delivery in the local area
Ideas include information on where you deliver; how the delivery system works, such as hours available; and
why this is a valuable service to offer in your community
Week Eight:
OTC‐related post, such as reading glasses
Ideas include pictures of the products you carry, making them aware that you carry this product, why they are
unique, and information on the line
Month Three
Week Nine:
Niche‐related post, such as pet first aid
Ideas include anecdotes about a particular first‐hand account of an incident involving use of a particular product,
making readers aware that you carry a particular product, why you recommend it, and caveats, such as
consulting health‐care professionals
Week Ten:
Seasonal‐related post, such as sun safety
Ideas include the importance of using key products, such as sunscreen; the risks involved if products are not
used; what products you carry and why. Include links to news stories and health‐related sites, such as WebMD
or FDA
Week Eleven:
Pharmacist‐recommended post, such as an OTC product
Ideas include a post from the pharmacist’s perspective on why a particular product, such as elderberry throat
lozenges, are a good idea and a useful product to have on hand.
Week Twelve:
Service‐related post, such as counseling services
Ideas include spotlighting the counseling services you offer, describing the private counseling area in your
pharmacy, and how your pharmacist is part of your health‐care team.
Training a Pharmacy Marketer Week One: Introduction to Pharmacy
Overview of services o Traditional vs. compounded prescriptions (if offered) o Nutrition, DME, weight loss, immunizations, MTM, etc.
Pharmacy basics o Prescription processing o 3rd party billing and PBMs o Drug wholesaler(s) o POS and PMS systems o Rx vs. OTC o Controlled vs. non-controlled substances o Pharmacy laws (HIPAA/scope of practice/anti-trust/FWA)
Marketing o What a marketer can and cannot do/say
Staff o Introductions/roles/responsibilities
Compounding basics/introduction to compounding lab (if offered) o Work stations and equipment o Processing a compounded prescription o Preparing capsules o Preparing a suspension o Preparing a solution o Preparing a topical/transdermal o Preparing an oral paste o Other dosage forms
Week Two: Available Resources
Professional memberships Publications (newsletters, journals, etc.) Vendors Local business resources/organizations Pharmacology resources Specialized resources (compounding, etc.) PMS – running reports (top prescribers, top Rx, Rx count, patient count, etc.)
Week Three: Marketing Landscape
Current marketing activities (what’s working/not working) Specialized knowledge (if necessary to market)
Week Four: Start Marketing/Meet Patients and Top Prescribers Recommendation: If possible, have the marketer spend a few hours per month in the pharmacy helping out and observing. That’s the best way for them to get the real pharmacy experience and be able to speak from experience (success stories, patient connection, personalized services, quality of products, etc.).
A New Tool for Direct Mail The U.S. Postal Service offers a program called Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM), which allows small businesses to conduct more targeted direct mail campaigns without breaking the bank. You can choose which postal routes you want to target using interactive maps. The maps also provide key demographic information for each route that may be helpful if you are marketing a product/service to a specific audience (females, young families, etc.). The USPS offers this program in partnership with a number of approved third-party vendors. These vendors also can help you design, print, and send your direct mail piece. To learn more about EDDM and view a list of vendors, visit www.usps.com/business/advertise-with-mail.htm 1. Enter a starting address (typically your pharmacy’s address).
2. Use the Drivetime (5, 10 or 15 minutes) and Radius (1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 miles) features to show you how far
your customers live from your pharmacy.
3. Mouse over a specific postal route to view basic details about the route (number of residential vs. commercial addresses on that route).
4. Click on the Demographics tab and choose from three demographic criteria options (gender, age, household income) to identify the routes with the highest match percentages.
