pharmacy marketing quarterly spring 2014

PMQuarterly.com | Spring 2014

Making the Most of Networking

The Perfect Recipe for Promoting Your Pharmacy

3 Questions

Compounders on Capitol Hill

freedomrxinc.com • 877.839.8547

Join us in Newport Beach, CA on June 27, 2014 for our first destination CPCSI course!

Call us at 877.839.8547 or email us at [email protected] to sign up!

DO IT RIGHT! If you bill third parties, it’s a fact, you will be audited. As a CPCSI member, our consultants will provide you and your staff the guidance needed to properly follow the PBM contracts, manuals and updates. Our consultants also assist with audit reviews, responses and disputes with PBMs. CPCSI will give your pharmacy the competitive advantage of successfully billing third parties correctly. Call us today to learn more about CPCSI and how Freedom is more than your supplier.

Knowledge. Support. Supply.

CPCSI – Helping YOU Navigate Third-Party Billing.

freedomrxinc.com • 877.839.8547

Join us in Newport Beach, CA on June 27, 2014 for our first destination CPCSI course!

Call us at 877.839.8547 or email us at [email protected] to sign up!

DO IT RIGHT! If you bill third parties, it’s a fact, you will be audited. As a CPCSI member, our consultants will provide you and your staff the guidance needed to properly follow the PBM contracts, manuals and updates. Our consultants also assist with audit reviews, responses and disputes with PBMs. CPCSI will give your pharmacy the competitive advantage of successfully billing third parties correctly. Call us today to learn more about CPCSI and how Freedom is more than your supplier.

Knowledge. Support. Supply.

CPCSI – Helping YOU Navigate Third-Party Billing.

Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly is published

four times per year as Spring, Summer,

Fall, and Winter. Online subscriptions and

print editions are available for purchase at

PMQuarterly.com/magazine

Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly makes all

attempts to publish accurate information;

however, this publication may contain

technical inaccuracies or typographical

errors. The reader assumes all risk concerning

the suitability and accuracy of the information

within this publication. Pharmacy Marketing

Quarterly assumes no responsibility for and

disclaims all liability for any such inaccuracies,

errors or omissions in this publication and

in other documents referred to within or

affiliated with this publication.

Spring | 2014Volume 3, Issue 11PMQuarterly.com

4 A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

6 RxCHAT WITH SCOT MAITLANDPodcast with Todd Eury

11 THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR PROMOTING YOUR PHARMACYBy Fiona Sartoretto Verna

12 MAKING THE MOST OF NETWORKINGBy Loren Kirk

14 KNOW YOUR NO’S AND MOVE PAST THEMBy Scot Maitland

16 FOUR REASONS WHY IT’S TIME TO SUCK IT UP AND UPGRADE YOUR WEBSITEBy Carl Britton Jr.

18 COST-SAVING TECHNOLOGY SERVICES FOR ENHANCED COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONBy Daniel DiStefano

20 COVER STORY:COMPOUNDERS ON CAPITOL HILL– WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BE PREPARED! An Interview with David Miller and Cynthia Blankenship

By Scot Maitland

26 3 QUESTIONS FOR... Amanda Landsaw Director of Marketing at Freedom Pharmaceuticals

Erin Michael Regional Sales Manager - Western US, PCCA

30 MARKET WITH THESE UPCOMING OBSERVANCES

30 THE PHARMER’S MARKET Get the buzz about Buzzy®

Contents

EDITORIALScot Maitland, [email protected]

[email protected]

DESIGNDianne Stone

PHOTOGRAPHYDax Dobbs

SPECIAL THANKS TOMarilyn MaitlandJohn Di Veglio

PHARMACY DESIGN WORLDWIDEwww.sartorettoverna.com [email protected]

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A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Welcome back readers!

For many of you, winter has been resistant to let go of it’s freezing clutch. But I’m happy to report that spring is here and that means that Compounders on Capitol Hill is right around the corner.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with David Miller and Cynthia Blankenship from the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists to talk about this year’s CCH. Believe it or not, it is the 20th Compounders on Capitol Hill. The interview is a real page turner and the event is sure to be one that everyone will be talking about. And here’s the kicker, even if you don’t compound you’ll still want to read it! If you haven’t registered yet, call IACP at 281.933.8400. The issues coming up affect us all. As an added bonus, Cynthia was kind enough to share some of her favorite eateries in the DC area!

In this issue we’ve also got some great articles on how to promote your pharmacy (page 11), tips on networking (page 12), the four reasons why you need a new website (page16) and how to save money using technology (page 18). I’m also thrilled to have been interviewed by Todd Eury again. If you’re not familiar with the #Rx Chat, definitely read the interview on page 6. Then be sure to tune into Twitter each Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST. Topics change weekly from marketing to technology to legal concerns.

And finally, you’re probably wondering why I’m on a wrecking ball. In March, I attended South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive. I just couldn’t resist the photo opportunity (although I did pass up a photo with Grumpy Cat across the hall the line was around the block!) I thought this picture was fitting because the way to move forward in business is to smash through old paradigms and rebuild with a focus on being better. That’s one of the driving forces of Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly. We’ve got some big plans to grow the magazine. We’re looking to make it more interactive. And we want to increase value. I want to encourage you to smash through the things that are holding you back from having the best life and the best work possible. So enjoy the articles in this issue. They’re packed with good information, but more than that, they’re packed with actionable information! So read them, take action and grow your business!

Here’s to spring! Here’s to making change at Compounders on Capitol Hill. Here’s to the health of your pharmacy!

4 Spring 2014 | PMQuarterly.com


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A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Each Wednesday, at 12:30 p.m. EST, something exciting happens on Twitter! It’s the RxChat, a twitter chat discussion about the business of pharmacy. Each week is a different topic and the subjects generate a lot of great discussion. Last month I sat down with Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly Publisher, Scot Maitland, to talk about marketing for your independent pharmacy.

Todd Eury: Today’s RxChat theme is right up our alley and something that hits close to home, marketing your pharmacy business and we had to have Scot Maitland to help us with today’s RxChat Pharmacy Podcast. How are you doing today Scot?

Scot Maitland: I’m doing great Todd. Thanks for inviting me to participate.

TE: I’m going to jump right in, our first question is “How are you currently promoting and marketing your pharmacy?”

SM: I think that for those in the space, I see a lot of pharmacies using social media and I think that’s fantastic. But what I’m most excited about for independent pharmacy owners is that for the first time, since probably the 1950, the playing field is level from a marketing standpoint. Things like social media are actually are more powerful for an independent pharmacy than for a chain. You actually get to speak to your specific community. Whereas the chains have one account that addresses the entire United States of America. Well, what’s important for someone in Austin, TX may be very different to someone in say Pittsburgh, PA. I recently attended South by Southwest, an interactive conference here in Austin, and I had an opportunity to hear Gary Vaynerchuk speak. Gary is the author of several books including Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. One of the things that he said that just resonated with me is that we usually think of content as King. Let’s just generate awesome content and push it out! But what I took away from this experience at SXSW is that context is King. That’s the most important thing because the audience that’s on Instagram is different from the audience on Facebook and I think we can all agree that the audience on Twitter is very different from the other channels as well. So it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.

TE: I like that. The national chains may have to move forward with a marketing plan that comes from their corporate headquarters and then of course they push it down through all 50 states. So independent pharmacies, you guys have a huge advantage in knowing your community, knowing your customers, knowing your marketplace and then moving forward with the strategy that fits. And that brings us to question two Scot,

“What services do you offer and do all of your patients know about everyone?”

SM: This is really an interesting question because I believe that the role of the independent pharmacy is going to become even more specific that has before. 20, 30 years ago you could get a pretty much an identical experience at an independent pharmacy as you could at a chain pharmacy. They had photo processing booths, they sold cigarettes, soda pop, you could get your prescription filled, a greeting card section, a magazine section. I think you’re going to see the savvy pharmacy owner getting super specific about what it is they offer. I like to use this analogy, you can be like the sun and give everyone a base tan, or you can be like a laser and blow stuff up. So when it comes to the services you offer, the more you offer the harder it is for your patients to what you do. There is no magic pill, but there is an equation that I think pharmacy owners can use. Identify the things that you really enjoy doing, that you feel really passionate about doing and the things that make money. And then look for the customers, patients and prescribers that want those services. Because when you can do that, your patients will definitely be interested in what’s going on and very interested in what services are offered.

TE: Right! We all have to keep evolving. We have to keep up with the tools and the usage of these tools, that is moving forward all based on so many of the rich things that you are already bringing to the table as a pharmacy owner. So this brings us up to the next question, “How do you figure out who your target market is? And that’s definitely a huge open-ended question, but take a stab at it Scot.

SM: Okay so, Todd you and I have talked about this before, and I think there are some amazing opportunities out there to look at other brands and see what are they doing that is attracting a loyal following with their customers. Because you, me, everyone reading this interview, we’re all somebody’s target market. Somebody has done the research to figure out who we are and why we would be a good customer for their business. I’m going to use the example of JetBlue. I pretty much will fly JetBlue whatever I can. And I’ll actually pay a little bit more to fly JetBlue for a couple of different reasons. Number one I can usually get a direct flight. I hate having to switch planes. Number two there’s no first-class. I feel special when I get on the plane. Number three they have free TV and music on the flight. These are things that are important to me. I feel like when I get on JetBlue, they made this experience just for me! Now on the flip side that you might think, well Southwest Airlines, they don’t have first class either, so why doesn’t Scot fly them. It’s

#RxChatRxCHAT WITH SCOT MAITLAND

Continued on Page 8

by Todd Eury | @PharmacyPodcast


because they don’t have assigned seats and I want to

know where my seat is. I bring this up because, when it

comes to target markets, you need to be specific. Saying that you want to work with women in between the ages of 25 and 55 is huge and it doesn’t say anything. We need to start getting super, super, super specific about who our target markets are. Once you understand your customer and know what makes them tick and know that what makes them happy about coming to your pharmacy, then you can start finding other customers like him or her.

TE: And I would add to that Scot, make sure you have a plan in place. You get on social media, and sometimes I am guilty of this, you’ll start trying to answer some tweets and the next thing you know you’ve spent two hours there. So have a plan in place. And by having and doing that you’re going to save some money and time.

SM: Absolutely! And you actually hit on something that’s really important. Just because there are all these different social out there, doesn’t mean you have to be signed up for every single one of them. Maybe your pharmacy doesn’t belong on Pinterest. Maybe there isn’t an audience for Twitter. Maybe Facebook doesn’t make sense for you because you’re just not getting any engagement. You need to look at where your people are connecting. But I’ll tell you, everyone in my opinion should have some type of electronic newsletter or blog. Here’s why, at any time Facebook or Twitter can cancel your account. It’s rare that it happens but they can do it, they own that account. But you own your newsletter and you own your blog. So one way if you’re feeling you can’t do social because it’s too overwhelming, that’s okay. But then look at how can you get in front of your audience and an e-newsletter may be a really great way to do that. You want to encourage your staff to invite everyone to sign up for the newsletter, because you need permission, but then offer your employees rewards for making sure they ask that question. For those of you who don’t know my friend Lauren Onsa, I spoke with her recently at the Educational Conference. Her presentation, Marketing isn’t a Department, it’s a Culture hit the nail on

the head. This is something that needs to be ingrained into your pharmacy’s culture. You’re all marketers. From everyone who answers your phone to fills a prescription to everyone who cleans the store. These are all touch points with customers to market your business.

TE: That of great point and a perfect lead-in to a question four which is “What services could you add to improve the appeal of your pharmacy?”

SM: There are two things I have to say about that. Number one, I hope everyone will be coming to the NCPA Trade Show this year in October. It’s going to be here in Austin and of course I want everyone to see where I live and enjoy all that Austin has to offer. But when you think about a trade show, there are all these people selling you stuff and they get you all excited about the newest and latest things. And there are some really funky things that I think are awesome like the NoseFrida which is a great product for pharmacies that have a clientele of families with newborns and family planning. But I think before you jump into anything like services to add, there are several questions that you need to ask yourself and I’m going to run through them real quick. What will you sell? Is it a consultation service? Maybe you love BHRT, but you live in an area where the majority of your people are young and fit. BHRT is not going to be super important to them. So you’ve got to figure out what it is that you’re going to sell. Then you’ve got to ask, Who is going to buy it? Because if you have no one to buy it than it’s not a business, it’s a hobby. Next up is How will your business help people? We’re all tuned into WIIFM, What’s In It For Me? So when you do offer a new service, people need to understand how it benefits them rather than them thinking “Oh this is just another way for me to part with my money.” Then you need to figure out What are you going to charge? And this can be really daunting, especially if it’s something that’s brand new or a service based offering. What’s your time worth? What will people actually spend? Then, How will you get paid? Is this a service that you’ll try to bill for insurance or is it cash based? How will your customers learn about this new offering that you have? Again this goes back to marketing. Do you have a newsletter set up? Do you have a strong following on social? Are there opportunities to go do speaking engagements that can draw a crowd. And then this is my probably one of my favorite questions. How are you going to encourage referrals? We just assume that people are telling people about what a great experience they are having at your pharmacy. But are we asking them? You need to actively ask them for referrals. If someone comes in gushing because you gave them a compounded medication that their cat took and they didn’t get scratched or bitten, I can guarantee that person is happy. And that is the best person to say “Do you know of any other cat owners that can benefit from this service? Here’s our card, do you think you could give it to them? Could you give this to your vet?” We’ve got to toot our own horn. And finally the one thing I want to add to all of this is What are your metrics for success? Metrics don’t always have to be the money. They could be! It could be I want to make a $100,000 from this service. And that’s fantastic. It could be that I want to get five people signed up for the initial program and that’s fine too. But you need to have something to measure it so that you know you’re successful. And it’s ok to change these goals, but at least have some.

7 QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE ADDING A NEW SERVICE

1. What will you sell?

2. Who is going to buy it?

3. How will your business help people?

4. What are you going to charge?

5. How will your customers learn about this new at you have?

6. How are you going to encourage referrals?

7. What are your metrics for success?

Continued from Page 6


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TE: That’s a great point. If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve or what you want to achieve, and that’s all part of a plan, then you’re really not going to be able to obtain it because you don’t know what you’re shooting at. Scot mentioned this and I’m encouraging every pharmacy owner reading this, every marketer that’s reading this, get outside of the pharmacy business. Please, go to another industry and measure five of them, ten of them. Go to restaurants over a period of two months or three months. Or go to car dealerships or go to dentist’s offices and see what they’re doing to differentiate themselves. Pull things outside of the pharmacy market and start to use some of them and research that.

Thank you Scot for participating in RxChat. To join us, just hop on to Twitter each Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST. You’ll need to be logged into Twitter during the chat sessions. Just search for the “hashtag” #RxChat to mark the twitter conversation. It’s very easy to participate. You can participate or just observe.

Todd Eury is the PIC - Podcaster in Charge of the

PharmacyPodcast.com. RxChat is a collaboration

between the Pharmacy Podcast and RxWiki.

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One of the most important aspects of running a pharmacy in today’s market is communicating to customers that they can find precisely what they are looking for. It is a vital part of any business, yet is often overlooked. Customers respond well to positive and clear communication of what’s on offer, and as you may already be aware, it is important to try to exceed their expectations in this regard. So, it is fundamental that independent pharmacies create a unique identity in the promotion of the product lines, and services that they have tailored specific for their customer, differentiating themselves from the high volume chains.

Discounts are no longer a viable driving force. Nowadays, it is a well-proven fact that products sold with a retail mark-up of less than 45% generally do not produce sufficient revenue. Value-for-money products are at the center of any business; and this is true for customers of a modern-day pharmacy that — in addition to medicines — offers solutions for general health and wellbeing (preventative cures, beauty, hygiene, supplements etc...).

What’s the best way to combine revenue with a promotional strategy? Well, with a carefully thought-out promotion plan, and so here are some suggestions that have come about through studies of how people interact in a pharmacy:

1. Create a 6-month promotion calendar establishing a month-by-month promotional plan, determining which products to highlight based on seasonality, sales objectives, and placement inside the pharmacy.

2. Promote leading brands.

3. Discount at 15% or above (discounting at lower rate is generally not perceived by the customer as a true discount).

4. Clear communication of the promotion: before and after price should always be clearly visible, including the discount percentage, and the date the promotion ends (usually, between 21 and 30 days maximum).

5. The colors used for discounts should be standardized: the best colors to use are red and yellow.

6. Place offers in the pharmacy “hotspots” housed in special displays, and not on the standard pharmacy shelves.

7. Create promotional displays that attract the customer’s eye, giving the feeling that there is a large selection of products on display, and inviting people to take a further look.

8. Displays should always be neat and tidy (disorder is the main inhibitor for impulse purchases).

As you may know very well already, the customer comes first. Independent pharmacies can only respond to the competition posed by large volume chains by focusing on personalization, and providing superior professionalism, creating a unique identity, by becoming distinguished through a particular field of expertise.

Our task then is to create an environment that shoppers want to stay in, by increasing the services offered and advocating more interaction with the products, all in a professional atmosphere that generates positive energy, but as you might have guessed by now this covers yet another chapter of success that we wish to discuss with you, our client — the independent pharmacist!

Architect, landscape architect and painter Fiona has lived for several years in the United States where she worked on the East Coast. Married with two small daughters she travels all around the globe researching innovative concepts in retail pharmacy. Currently she is one of the owners of Sartoretto Verna Pharmacy design worldwide (http://www.sartorettoverna.com/) that has its headquarters in Rome, where she lives.

Discounts are no longer a viable driving force. Nowadays, it is a well-proven fact that products sold with a retail mark-up of less than 45% generally do not produce sufficient revenue.


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THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR PROMOTING YOUR PHARMACY

by Fiona Sartoretto Verna | @pharmacy_design

11PMQuarterly.com | Spring 2014

We have all been invited to networking socials, networking roundtables, and networking lunches, and networking cocktail mixers. Executives, politicians, leaders, and the world’s most successful people offer their suggestions as to how one would make a friend out of a stranger or collect the most business cards. Pharmacy conferences and expositions tout these opportunities as the key benefits to market to attendees and there is always a spot on the conference evaluation for you to indicate how you felt about those precious opportunities.

But what is networking? To most, it seems networking has been reduced to the activity of showing up, shaking hands, and collecting business cards. The true value and purpose of networking has been lost.

Networking is about establishing connections.

Dale Carnegie literally wrote the book for connecting with people, building a fruitful network, and, in many ways, achieving less than six degrees of separation between you and Kevin Bacon. Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is to networking as what Emily Post is etiquette: the modern standard. Although it was first published in 1936, the work’s core elements of how to establish connections have remained applicable with some minor revisions.

Well-established and valuable connections are the glue that holds any network together. This glue is essential to the effective use of your network and the ultimate development of your business, advancement of your career, and engagement and enrichment of your life. Making this glue stick requires an investment of time to practice and learn, requires exertion and skill. It requires proactivity and action. But above everything else, it requires action.

Below are the 9 action verbs necessary to establish a connection with those people that you meet.

1. Prepare. Being prepared is not just for boy scouts. Whether you are on a plane headed to your spring vacation or walking through an exposition hall being lured in by pamphlets and free pens, always be prepared to discuss who you are, learn more about whom you meet, and exchange business cards. These interactions void of expectation will likely yield unexpected results.

2. Practice. I am not afraid to admit that I talk to myself in the mirror to practice my facial expressions, body language, eye contact and brief introduction of myself. This practice reinforces these subconscious behaviors and boosts my confidence so I feel ready to learn more about the other person.

3. Get. Get on. Get out there! Networking and building connections can occasionally occur in the corner of a loud bar or in two adjacent bathroom stalls, but it doesn’t occur because you aimlessly waited for it to occur there. Overcome the feelings of intimidation that are set off by proactivity the networking by practicing the basics of conversation and conversational behaviors.

4. Draw. Think of the width of your shoulders as the epicenter of a tractor beam drawing people in, to talk to you, as you approach them. Your positive body language will establish a connection before your first words are spoken.

5. Remember. Remember your manners, charm, and your smile when you first meet someone. A positive interaction with those that keep these things in mind is far more memorable and valuable to the establishment of a connection.

6. Listen. How do you learn more about them? Listen. Establishing a connection with anyone requires more listening than talking. What’s their story? What are their interests? Ask insightful questions that inquire about their goals, their passion, and their ideas.

7. Learn. I am a particularly egotistical person and it is my humble opinion that most people are also to some extent egotistical. Ask those you meet open ended questions about topics other than the weather and your dinner plans. These types of questions are politely probing and memorable to the person you are meeting and the knowledge you gain from asking these questions will serve as a deeper connection to the individual.

8. Add. Add value to your conversation and interaction by sharing a memorable story, an article you read recently, or an interesting antidote. Keep things light, humorous, and relevant.

9. Appreciate. Reinforcement of the connections you establish is completed through appreciation. Following up with your connection expressing your appreciation of the conversation, company, and the value of their connection.

Loren Kirk is a student pharmacist at the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. He has served as representative leader for the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacist (APhA-ASP) and the Tennessee Society of Student Pharmacists (TSSP). His future career path will follow the opportunities available and relevant to compounding, outsourcing, and quality management.

MAKING THE MOST OF NETWORKING

by Loren Kirk | @lorenmkirk


You and your patients have our every assurance.

Your patients look to you for the highest standards of ethical AND conscientious fulfillment. It’s integral to who you are – and to who we are. At Letco Medical, we dedicate ourselves daily to earning your confidence by fulfilling your most challenging demands. We want you to expect more from us. We want you to look to us for the ultimate in trustworthy execution. We have faith in ourselves and our approach and know our accomplished group of professionals are in perfect sync with the standards that define your company.

Our management, sales team, and support staff serve you proudly with myriad years of combined compounding experience. We are an FDA registered cGMP facility with VAWD accreditation. Call us and together let’s put our integrity to work.

800.239.5288 • letcomedical.com

Letco Medical Core Value #2 :

Integrity

IntegrityQuality #3 #4 #5 #6


You and your patients have our every assurance.

Your patients look to you for the highest standards of ethical AND conscientious fulfillment. It’s integral to who you are – and to who we are. At Letco Medical, we dedicate ourselves daily to earning your confidence by fulfilling your most challenging demands. We want you to expect more from us. We want you to look to us for the ultimate in trustworthy execution. We have faith in ourselves and our approach and know our accomplished group of professionals are in perfect sync with the standards that define your company.

Our management, sales team, and support staff serve you proudly with myriad years of combined compounding experience. We are an FDA registered cGMP facility with VAWD accreditation. Call us and together let’s put our integrity to work.

800.239.5288 • letcomedical.com

Letco Medical Core Value #2 :

Integrity

IntegrityQuality #3 #4 #5 #6

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Hearing “NO” is terrible. Actually I take that back. Probably the most difficult thing is anticipating the word “no”. As humans we have this uncanny ability to imagine what will happen before it does. This is great if you’re brainstorming or forecasting. But not good when going out on a sales call.

The secret to dealing with “no” is to understand that “no” doesn’t mean you personally. “No” can mean a lot of different things. Yes, sometimes they don’t want what you’re selling but it could be that they’re just having a bad day, they have other things on their mind or they’re behind in their work. The biggest competitor you have out there isn’t the guy or gal down the street. It’s the status quo. After all, how often have you thought, “well if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”? But first you need to get past the unsettling sound of “no”.

The following is an exercise that was inspired by a workbook for Dan Pink’s book To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. In Mr. Pink’s book, he shares the following:

• 1 in 9 workers still earn a living in traditional sales. • The other 8 in 9 are engaged in “non-sales selling.”

We devote upward of 40 percent of our time on the job to motivate others to take action (selling)!

Start this morning off by preparing to tally your “no’s” so you can move past them! Make a note of the number of times you hear someone say the word “no” or some form of it and circle below.

At the end of the day ask yourself this question, of all the “no’s” you heard today, which was the most surprising?

Why do you think that was? How does it feel knowing more about “no” and what impact will it have on your day tomorrow?

We all sell, but knowing more about “no” will make you a better a sales person and give you the confidence to move forward!

Hearing “NO” is terrible. Actually I take that back. Probably the most difficult thing is anticipating the word “no”. As humans we have this uncanny ability to imagine what will happen before it does. This is great if you’re brainstorming or forecasting. But not good when going out on a sales call. So let’s take those lemons and turn them into lemonade!

Scot Maitland is the Publisher of Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly and the Founder of Tacit Almonds, LLC. His latest project is Pestle Packing Sales, an eight-week program designed to teach independent pharmacy owners and their marketers how to sell.

KNOW YOUR NO’S AND MOVE PAST THEM

by Scot Maitland | @PMQuarterly

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I’m gonna be honest with you. The website you’ve got set up for your pharmacy? Yeah, it’s not so great. Especially for anyone trying to access it from their smart phone or tablet. I’m talking a full on nightmare of tiny print, incomprehensible links, and outdated graphics. Seriously, you’ve got to get it together!

Fortunately for you and your pharmacy, I’m not just here to barge in, tell you everything you’re doing wrong and then leave you without anything to back up my accusations! I’m just not that kind of a guy! In fact, I’ve put together this list that will not only explain why updating your website to be more 2014 friendly is a good idea for your business, it will also tell you why it’s a fantastic idea!

Thus, without further ado, I present to you…

Four Reasons Why It’s Time To Suck It Up and Upgrade Your Website

Reason Number Four: So You Wanna Be A Pharmacist… We’re gonna start at four and work our way up to the most important reason because of a little literary device called “building suspense” (Also known as, “the author’s attempt to keep you reading until the end of the article”). So hold onto your lab coats, because it’ll only get more compelling from here…

Let’s get started with a good ol’ fashioned pat on the back. You’re a pharmacist! You’re helping sick people get better, confused people get answers, and saving parents from screaming kids with your sweet, magic cough syrups! How awesome are you?!

That being said, you may now find yourself facing a conundrum. How do you get the word out that you’re in the business of making lives just that much moredelightful? I’ll tell you how (told you I wouldn’t leave you hanging).

You need a fantastic, up to date website that’s easily accessible from multiple devices. These days, it just doesn’t cut it to have a site where people can sit down in front of their big honkin’ monitors and poke around with their full keyboards and separate mouse with personalized, “Spring Break 1986” mouse pads. Instead of going bigger with our screens, we’ve chosen to go smaller, which means that loading up your website with the coolest clip art and wacky fonts from Windows ’98 is going to make navigation from a smart phone or a tablet a complete catastrophe. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to streamline.

Picture this: you’re out running errands. Between keeping track of the kids’ schedules, plus your significant other’s, remembering what was on the grocery list that you left at home, and worrying that you might have left the garage door open when you left, you suddenly remember that you need to get your prescriptions refilled. You nearly flip out

for a second because it’s all too much and you just can’t take it anymore… but then you breathe a sigh of relief. This will actually be the easiest part of your day, and all thanks to your pharmacy’s smart phone friendly website that makes taking care of the prescriptions for you and your entire family seem like pie in the sky.

Or, at least, that’s the way your pharmacy’s website should be making people feel. If it adds to your patients’ stress levels, especially considering how hard people have to push themselves to make ends meet these days, you might have just lost business.

Reason Number Three: Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You (or, in this case, Confuse It) Let’s face it: none of us are getting any younger. And the older we get, the more technology seems to take off into crazier and more bewildering directions. Who doesn’t long for the days when you could turn on your computer, go make dinner while waiting for it to boot up, and then actually have dinner, help the kids with homework, put them to bed, and get back to your desk before the Internet had finished dialing up?

No one. No one longs for those days. Technology has made a new home for itself in our pockets, and while we’re all glad that it decided to start running around with us, it has to be said that it can be confusing and overwhelming at times.

This can be especially true for your older patients. You know, the ones who have supported you from day one and love the personalized and professional services you, as an independent pharmacy, can provide? And as part of those services, shouldn’t you try to make your website as accessible as possible to those who’ve been in your corner the longest?

Streamlining and upgrading your pharmacy’s website will do just that. By creating a site that is small screen friendly, buttons and fonts will become larger, making them more visible to tired eyes. Simplifying your site will also make navigation much simpler, allowing patients to easily find the information they need without spending an hour working their way through misleading links and pages.

As an independent pharmacist, you are undoubtedly (and most likely deservedly) proud of the level of service you offer your patients. In today’s society, updating your website means the same thing now that outfitting your office with a multi-line phone system meant twenty or thirty years ago. It’s simply the next step to quality service.

Reason Number Two: Kids These Days We totally judge books by their covers. We need to be okay with that fact, and move on. And the younger generations are absolutely the worst about it. They’ve

FOUR REASONS WHY IT’S TIME TO SUCK IT UP AND UPGRADE YOUR WEBSITE

by Carl Britton Jr. | @InTheirFace


www.PharmacyPodcast.com

.com

T HE L EADING W ORD IN [email protected]

grown up with everything covered in flashing lights, shiny metallics, and boy bands (who were usually covered in flashing lights and shiny metallics). More importantly, the only world that they’ve ever known has been one where technology adapted itself to fit their demands. They are the technological trendsetters, and they are the future of your business.

Which means, you’re going to have to cater to them (Hey, I said I’d offer solutions, I never said you were gonna like them). If they try to access your pharmacy’s website and find grainy, outdated graphics, a meandering layout, and realize they can’t find your hours and contact information by clicking one button, you’ve most likely lost them. The whole point of the progression that technology has taken has been to make our lives easier, and the people that have grown up with that idea do not take kindly to inconvenience.

Reason Number One: The Big One Alright, folks. It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. I’m about to unveil the number one most important reason why you should not only update your website and make it mobile friendly, but why you should also want to and be absolutely pumped about it…IF YOU DON’T, YOU WILL GET LEFT BEHIND.

It’s as simple as that, really. This isn’t some flash in the pan trend. You will not be wasting your time or money by investing either of those things into this project. Mobile technology is here to stay, and unless you are actively out to run your independent pharmacy into the ground so that you can finally pursue your lifelong dream of becoming a Tibetan sherpa, you need to get onboard.

Let’s look at the numbers. A study called “State of the Mobile 2013” completed by supermonitoring.com (and later summarized into a fancy infographic by AF-Studio.pl) reported that “50% of mobile phone users…[used their] mobile as their primary internet source,” and “72% of tablet owners purchase online from their tablet each week.” Additionally, “mobile web adoption is growing 8 times faster than web adoption in the 1990s and early 2000s.” (http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/infographic-2013-mobile-growth-statistics/)

And your pharmacy’s website isn’t mobile friendly? Are you kidding me?! People, these numbers are from a global survey, and considering that the US can probably consider itself to be strikingly wealthier then most countries, it seems to me that a lot of this data probably came from American mobile users. In other words, your patients.

Look, facts are facts. If you want to compete in today’s market, you’re gonna have to amp it up, and make your website into something 2014 would be proud to claim as its own. I’ve given you the facts and the reasons, so do with them what you will.

As long as “what you will” involves a major overhaul of your pharmacy’s website. Good luck, and Godspeed.

Carl Britton, Jr. is President and Founder of In Their Face Marketing, an online marketing firm with a primary focus on Independent Pharmacy. He is the author of Facebook for Independent Pharmacy a book that can be used as a “how to” guide for community pharmacist getting started or wanting to improve their Facebook marketing.


Marketing is an essential component of independent pharmacy growth. As chains expand and add additional services to fight for their market share of pharmacy business, independent pharmacies rely on traditional services such as compounding, medication therapy management, and medication delivery. In order for independent pharmacies to maintain a presence, it is ever so important to utilize marketing to convey these principal services to patients and providers. Managing your team becomes increasingly difficult with increased demand for more employees dedicated to marketing the pharmacy. The use of technology can help augment this situation.

Technology advances everyday, providing new opportunities for marketing management than ever before. The key to managing a marketing team of any size is to maximize communication and organization. The advent of cloud services available on the Internet such as Google Drive, DropBox, and Box.com allows us to utilize these remarkable tools for boosting both these elements.

Communication is imperative in any business role. Pharmacies are usually very busy allowing for limited time for communication between the marketing team and management. A way around this is to utilize the Internet. For managing the marketing team I have discovered some cost-saving short-cuts to enhancing communication.

The aforementioned cloud services, also allow for enhanced organization. The days of file cabinets and folder boxes filled to the brim with hundred of pounds of paper is over. These cloud services can provide teams of people with instant access to thousands of files on mobile devices, tablets, laptops, and computers at both work and home.

First, lets talk about how I utilize Google Drive for marketing team management and communication optimization. Google Drive is available for free to anyone with a Google account. You can access Drive through the “apps” once signed into Google. In the situation of needing to set-up a spreadsheet of physicians in the area to provide a team member with information. You create a new spreadsheet and then create a form utilizing this spreadsheet. Create and fill out the fields that are required, typically name, address, phone, fax, etc. By filling out this form you will populate the spreadsheet, which you then can share with your team member by utilizing Google’s share option. Your team member will now have access to a list of physicians or places for them to investigate.

Furthermore, say you want to track your marketing team’s progress. To do this we also create a spreadsheet and subsequently a form. The form will include the information of where the team member visited, a scale rating of 1-10 of how successful the visit was, and then finally a section

COST-SAVING TECHNOLOGY SERVICES FOR ENHANCED COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONby Daniel DiStefano | @DDPharmacy

Feature Google Drive DropBox Box

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2 GB 10 GB

Download to Mobile

Password Protected Files

File Size Limit 10 GB 25 MB

File Encripted

Public File Share

File/Folder Collaboration


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for comments about the visit. Utilizing the scale of 1-10 will help determine the priority of a follow-up. You can access the back-end of this spreadsheet to further track all team members’ activities and send the link to the form to the team member. These are just two of the many available tasks that can be done utilizing the free Google Drive service.

Having access to a variety of information, especially on the road is a burden. Like I stated before, we can have access to thousands of documents on one of many available online data sharing services called, cloud sharing. You may have heard of one of the many available cloud services such as iCloud from Apple, DropBox.com, Box.com and again, Google Drive.

The latter three services I find to be the most friendly for the purposes of this writing. By signing up for these services you are given a finite amount of space on the host’s data servers to store any type of documents, further organizing them into folders, as they would be on the computer. These stored documents can later be accessed on a plethora of devices. Personally, I use an app called Documents 5© on my tablet to access all my cloud service accounts for work and school. This comes in handy when a team member is out on the road and needs access to a document to answer a question from

a potential client. The benefits to using these cloud services are that you can limit sharing to certain folders with certain members, and track those who get access to specified information. Therefore, by streamlining organization and further optimizing accessibility, your team members will always be prepared and ready to answer questions on the fly. Spending a ton of money on enterprise management systems is an unnecessary liability for many smaller independent pharmacies. The possibilities are endless and these are just some select examples of how you can use these cost-saving, organization optimizing and communication enhancing technology options for your pharmacy today.

Dan is currently a P3 pharmacy student at Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. Beginning work at Jersey Shore Pharmacy Compounding while still a senior in high school in March of 2009, Dan has developed a niche in compounding, obtaining invaluable experience and knowledge. At school, Dan is recognized as a leader of many organizations. In 2011, Dan was nominated and won Emerging Leader of the Year Award on his campus, and continues to provide his leadership abilities throughout his current activities. Throughout the next year Dan will be advancing his pharmacy career by completing rotations within

Specialty Pharmacy.

Feature Google Drive DropBox Box

Free Storage 15 GB (for entire account

2 GB 10 GB

Download to Mobile

Password Protected Files

File Size Limit 10 GB 25 MB

File Encripted

Public File Share

File/Folder Collaboration


Scot Maitland: David, it’s great to have you back in the pages of Pharmacy Marketing Quarter and Cynthia, welcome! This is the 20th anniversary of Compounders on Capitol Hill (CCH) and I want to start the interview off with sharing with our readers what is the one priority, the one thing, that everyone should be aware for this year’s CCH?

David Miller: Thanks Scot, obviously last year we were looking at legislation and wondering what might happen in terms of a congressional response to the New England Compounding Center (NECC) tragedy. Now we’ve got the law, we know what it says. All of our attention is focused on how the law is being implemented by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We’ve already seen that the FDA’s actions, and even some of their written statements, clearly indicate that they are not going to follow the instructions Congress gave them. And as much as IACP has been, and always will, encouraged its members to follow the law, we also have a very serious obligation to ensure that our legislators, on the legislative branch, are aware of and take action to control the administrative branch, the executive branch, if they are overstepping their bounds, and not following the direction they have been given by Congress. For compounders, that’s extremely serious. But even more so for pharmacists who do compounding, regardless of their practice setting, independents, hospitals, etc. this law, and how the FDA interprets it, affects every single instance of compounding. So that swipes across the entire pharmacy profession. And everyone needs to be aware of that and think about how quickly a right of the profession could become over regulated due to excessive zealousness of a federal agency.

SM: So since this affects all practice settings, will this CCH have more of a presence of the chain pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, Rite AID?

DM: I would say that we have, obviously been communicating and working on different coalitions with some of those major chains. I think the challenge, Scot, is that they don’t fully understand that this law, the Drug Quality and Security Act, affects them. If I’m doing a couple of compounds a month in a Walgreens or a couple of compounds in a Publix, you may think that this law is for those big compounders, the one’s that do this every day. That’s not true. We are seeing a lot of collaboration from the medical community. The ophthalmologists, dentists, veterinarians, certainly the American Medical Association, that Cynthia is working with, surgical centers, nurse practitioners, are realizing “Wait a minute, this law impacts me as well!” So I think all pharmacists are going to recognize that their compliance with this law is a greater impact than they ever imagined it would be.

Now having said all of that, the implementation of the Drug Quality and Security Act and the complexities associated with it, is IACP’s number one legislative priority for this year. We had a midterm objective, one that was started this year with the focus occurring in 2015. That has actually been accelerated, not only for IACP but other pharmacy organizations, and that’s another major initiative that’s going to help all of the profession. It’s the controlled substances and the legislation.

Cynthia Blankenship: Yes, Congressman Thomas Marino has introduced HR 4069. What that does is, on its face, is it requires any pharmacy that’s also registered as a wholesale distributor of controlled substances to do mandatory background checks on all employees who have access to controls. In addition, it sets up a work group on the rescheduling of hydrocodone to study the effects of that and monitor patient access of the drug being rescheduled. We’re working diligently, since it opens up the Controlled Substances Act, to get constructive transfer, which is an initiative we’ve worked on for years. The National Community Pharmacists Association is incredibly supportive of and APhA is incredibly supportive. Right now our pharmacists have to provide those substances to the patient. We feel that it would be safer for the patient, if we were able to send that to the doctor for administration. That’s what we’re trying to get included in that bill.

DM: We have been presented with an opportunity to resolve the issue and the dilemma of pharmacists and physicians trying to maintain the integrity of the drug supply system which is blocked, if you will, by the DEA’s interpretation of whether or not we are permitted, as pharmacist to dispense a medication, or actually deliver a medication to a physician’s office for controlled substances use.

SM: That’s a lot going on and more than I think most people realize. So thank you for all of the hard work on your end. So back to CCH, obviously a pharmacist wants to come with their white coat pressed and ready for Hill Day as well as plenty of business cards. But what else should pharmacists come prepared with this year?

DM: Well I think there’s two things. Number one they should come with a working knowledge of the Drug Quality and Security Act. And the way that they can do that is to tap into any of the resources including some of the continuing education webinars that IACP has available on our website. They need to understand the basics of the law. That’s number one. Number two, they need to be thinking about and pay attention to and if necessary bring examples from their own state. We’re already starting to see confusion at the state board of pharmacies and their perception of their authority and

COMPOUNDERS ON CAPITOL HILL– WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BE PREPARED!An Interview with David Miller and Cynthia Blankenship

by Scot Maitland | @PMQuarterly


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It’s the oldest “saloon” in DC opening in 1856 and the interior is rich with history. Tourist gather to see the interior that reflects the history of this establishment and to try to get a glimpse of the Representatives, Senators, and members of the Executive Branch that frequent this restaurant.

Best Southern Food: Green Pig Bistro http://greenpigbistro.com/

I know Southern food, and the cornbread at Green Pig Bistro is about as close to Southern cornbread that you can get. I strongly recommend starting with the cornbread with maple butter, and moving on to the fried chicken or pork chop.

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This is one of my favorite places in the city. Founding farmers offers a huge menu that fits every person’s dietary preference with vegetarian meals, gluten free meals, etc. Brunch is spectacular – I would highly recommend the Eggs Florentine or the chicken and waffles.

Italian: Filomena http://www.filomena.com/

Home of the “pasta mamas,” Filomena sits in the heart of Georgetown and offers homemade pasta. After dinner, you can take a stroll right down the road to catch a show at one of my favorite Jazz clubs, Blues Alley. http://www.bluesalley.com/

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Across the street from the White House, this rooftop and terrace bar, called P.O.V., has one of the best views in the city.

what they think the FDA will be doing. The Drug Quality and Security Act was billed as resolving the gray areas, providing a clear line of responsibility for making sure that the regulatory bungle that occurred between the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy and NECC is not repeated. Unfortunately the Drug Quality and Security Act has actually created more gray areas, more uncertainties for lack of clarity and being able to talk to a legislator about what has occurred or is occurring back at home in the home state with the state legislature and the state board of pharmacy we think that’s an incredibly valuable and necessary message to bring to Washington DC. “Congressman, my own state doesn’t know whether or not it has authority over these outsourcing facilities.” “Congressman, my state says it’s okay for me to do office use compounding and dispensing, but the FDA says I can’t.” We really need congressional assistants and in saying, this is what the law says, this is what we intended, and again it goes back to what I was saying before about making sure that the FDA is doing what Congress told them to do. Speaking as an association the thing we find most troubling about this law, is that it once again places pharmacists as the healthcare professional who is on the hook for complying with the law and yet the law is not clear. And because of that, it means that we as professionals who want to do the right thing, are placed in a really untenable position of having to guess “Is what I’m doing going to get me into trouble?” “If my state says it’s okay but the federal government says not, what’s right?” There’s no excuse for that, there’s absolutely no reason that a respected professional like a community pharmacist or a hospital pharmacist or a long-term care pharmacist should ever be having to question whether or not something they’re doing is legal solely because we don’t have good law.

SM: Independent community pharmacists already wear so many hats. And from what you’re saying now they’re having to second guess which can lead to frustration and grief as well as stress which can lead to an opportunity for a mistakes because there is just fear and you can’t run your business on the fear of making a mistake.

DM: I had an interview with a reporter who is following up on a statement from Senator Alexander in an FDA oversight meeting. And he asked a question, that it had come to his attention that there were several states that were enacting laws to require registration of this new created 503b outsourcing facility category. And that is true, Florida, Utah and Colorado, and Senator Alexander was saying that’s not supposed to happen. Well Senator Alexander is wrong because he isn’t appreciating that Congress almost 30 years ago passed a formal law that required all the state’s to permit, license and oversee distributors and wholesalers and manufacturers of prescription drugs in the states in addition to the responsibilities of the Food and Drug Administration in doing the same. So we have a long-standing history with our boards of pharmacy that says if you’re a wholesaler, manufacturer or distributor, not only do you have to be registered with the FDA, you also have to be registered with each state in which you do business. Our state boards of pharmacy are saying “Well golly, a 503b outsourcing facility sure looks like a manufacturer. They’re certainly in the business of distributing drugs, that’s in the definition of what they are, so therefore under this Prescription Drug Marketing Act and our own state laws, we’re supposed to be overseeing and regulating these guys too.” I’m bringing this up because this is just one more example that this law was ramrodded through in such a short period of time in a substitute for other legislation, Senate 959, House Bill 3089, that had been worked on for months and months and months to deal with these discrepancies and it is incredibly sad to see one of the lead sponsors of the legislation,

WE ASKED CYNTHIA FOR HER PICKS ON SPOTS THAT CAN’T BE MISSED IN WASHINGTON D.C. AS A “FOODIE” SHE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING!


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on the Senate side, clearly not even understand the implication of the enactment of that bill. And now here we are after afterwards four months after the law was signed into effect and the senator doesn’t understand that his law conflicts or his opinion of the law conflicts with existing law that Congress passed in 1987.

CB: And I found Commissioner Hamburg’s (the top official of the Food and Drug Administration) response alarming. She says she didn’t know of any instances where states are running into problems, or where pharmacies are running into confusion. That’s really disappointing to me. They’re communicating to FDA regional offices the confusion that’s out there and if she’s claiming there aren’t any cases of confusion, I think that that’s alarming.

SM: Well I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to our readers. As a new member of the IACP team you’ll be meeting quite a few new folks. Can you tell us a little bit about what you were doing before and your role at IACP?

CB: Absolutely, thanks for asking. I am a former health staffer, so I came straight out of law school to do a fellowship on the senate side with Senator Blanche Lincoln. She let me dabble with quite a few different issues, and I really took a liking to health care. When that fellowship was over, Congressman Marion Berry had a position that was opening up that would be his senior advisor. Not only for his personal health care agenda, which he had served on every healthcare conference since he came to Congress, but also for the Blue Dogs (a caucus of United States Congressional Representatives from the Democratic Party who identify themselves as moderates and conservatives) which he was Co-Chair of. I served in that position until his retirement, so through that, I spent the majority of my career on the healthcare reform, particularly on the house bill under him. When he retired and healthcare reform had passed, I moved on to work with Congressman Tim Walz office. As his Senior Adviser, I handled most of his committee work. Having worked with Congressman Berry, who is a pharmacist, I’ve had the opportunity to know pharmacists for quite a while now. So I wanted to continue my career in the pharmacy industry and joined the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) as their Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs. A short time after, we were in the middle of compounding tragedy. I came to NCPA to really help advise on healthcare reform and help steer pharmacists through that, but with the tragedy, that’s what I ended up working on. Working on that bill for a year and a half with both Senate help and House Energy and Commerce. I really enjoy working for the pharmacy industry, I love our pharmacists, and I definitely think that what they do is such an asset to ensure patient access and I wanted to continue my work. There was an opening at IACP with Sarah Dodge leaving and I jumped at it to serve on this side and continue working on compounding with Dave and the team.

SM: Well, welcome!

CB: Thank you! So I’ve been doing healthcare for awhile and pharmacy issues and I’m excited to continue doing that.

SM: And we certainly appreciate having you and the energy that you bring to these issues. It’s important to get people pumped up and I think CCH is such a unique event to bring people together. It’s a combination of marketing, legislative issues as well as business development and then on top of that the Rx Mixer. And so Cynthia is definitely a new and welcomed addition to CCH, is there anything else our readers should know about?

DM: I want to throw something in here too. Cynthia mentioned it, and I think pharmacy is still just beginning to understand, how the Affordable Care Act is going to impact the compounding space. And reimbursement, long-term, is a major initiative for IACP. But this year we will actually have some great presentations both from federal perspective, but also the state perspective. We’re bringing in Rebecca Snead, who heads up the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, to talk about what she’s seeing with the state exchanges, the accountable care organizations and how prescription benefits for those that are enrolled in the Affordable Care Act programs is going to change in the next couple of years. So I would say that one of the things that we’ve tried to do with CCH in the past couple of years, and with this our 20th Anniversary, it’s a good example, is not only focusing on issues that are in front of us today, but also to be educating and lay the ground work for understanding issues that we are going to be dealing with in the future. And I think, Scot, I differentiate CCH from other association and businesses, what we call fly in days. This is where you come in and lobby a bill or you come in and you deliver a message. IACP and CCH is about the long haul. This is not “Just come on in, here’s a few statements and you go up on the hill and what ever we told you to say, you say.” While there’s some value in that, the real value in participating in our meeting is that you’re looking at, and I’m sorry this is the pharmacist in me speaking, a longitudinal approach to a chronic problem. Which is we need to manage this each and every day. You can’t just treat or deal with a problem or a symptom when it appears. You have to be doing some prevention and with prevention comes education and watchfulness.

SM: We just launched a new program at Tacit Almonds called Pestle Packing Sales and one of our points is “If you don’t schedule it, then it’s not real.” And it seems to me that it’s important for pharmacists to take action when they get home by scheduling time each day, each week, each month to stay educated so they can be doing the prevention, education and watchfulness that you mention.

DM: There’s two things that are important and tied directly to it. You know, as a pharmacist, I don’t like politics, I don’t legislation, I don’t want to go to CCH, I don’t want to go up on the Hill. Most people feel that way, so one of the things that we have is Virtual Hill Day, which premiered in 2012. So you don’t want to fly to D.C., you don’t want to go up on Capitol Hill, you can still make your voice heard, simply by going in the day before, or Hill Day or the day after, and take our information that is the same as what’s being given out on site, click a few buttons and send your voice and your message to Capitol Hill, just as your colleagues are doing face-to-face. So

Continued on Page 24


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• Improving dispersibility and solubility of

active ingredients to enhance performance

• Increasing activity against biofilms

• Enabling an extended beyond-use date

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you’re absolutely right, take 30-minutes to educate yourself, read, click a button and do! That’s number one. Number two, I’m very excited about this, Dagmar (Anderson, Director of Marketing & Communications) has done an amazing job, but we now have and we’ll be unveiling at CCH, a completely brand new consumer education and activation website. So that all of our patients who receive benefits from compounds, can not only go and get information and become better informed about compounded medication, but when we have issues about them, as patients, care givers, family members, pet owners, etc. those folks will be able to also speak up and support us in what we’re trying to do to take care of them. So if I want to get into tactics? What I need you to do is set a little bit of time every week to read about what’s happening legislatively in the state and national level. Take advantage of programs like IACP’s Virtual Hill Day. If you’re a compounder, to express your opinion and can help enroll your patients in this new consumer website. So very simple things you can do that have huge impacts and benefits.

SM: So this sounds like a really great opportunity to get the marketer involved as another reason to connect and visit with a prescriber.

DM: Exactly.

SM: You and I have talked about this before where some marketers just want to drop off a list of every kind of compound that they can make. And that shouldn’t happen. It’s about building relationships and I can’t think of a better way to build relationships than to say “Hey doctor, we’ve got this service now that we can sign up your patients for to get them access to quality information.” That’s going to make an impact and build a relationship.

DM: As you and I have talked, Scot, it’s one thing to have an idea and it’s another to do something about it. Things like sending an email through our system. Telling your patient that they can visit for more information so that they have a voice too. All of that is very simple, low cost, no cost actions that you can take to get out of your comfort zone and without interrupting the flow of your

practice. All of your team and colleagues can do. It’s been designed to share, it’s not just for IACP members, it’s for anyone that wants to support what’s happening legislatively at the Federal level with CCH as well as our collaboration with the state associations at the state level. And again, it doesn’t take you out of your comfort zone.

SM: Right, although I’m all for pushing people out side of their comfort zones because that’s where the magic happens. But this is a great way to do something small that has a big impact. Now you and I have talked in the past about possibly bringing your marketer to CCH since they’re job is about building rapport and connecting with people. Is that something a pharmacist should consider, bringing their marketer to Hill Day as another representative?

DM: Let’s put it this way, if you’re thinking of going to CCH you need to be bringing them for sure or having them participate at home with the Virtual Hill Day. And that is your marketer, who is reaching out and representing you, your pharmacy technician who’s livelihood is also impacted by all of this. And absolutely, most importantly, any pharmacy student that you have either as an employee or who is on rotation with you. And when I say you should bring them with you or have them participate from home, again, something that is very innovating that IACP has done, and it’s an acknowledgment of the fact that, the world has changed, we’re very busy people, we’re focused on taking care of patients, we don’t always have the luxury or the money to bring five, six, seven people to the meeting, our events and education team actually records all of the programing that we do at CCH so that people who are back home can watch it, they can listen, they can learn, they can become informed and they know how to take action! So yeah bring your marketer, bring your tech, bring your student pharmacist, bring a colleague. And for whatever reasons you can’t, show them the stuff and let them get engaged as well.

SM: Well thank you so much and looking forward to seeing you both at CCH!

Compounders on Capitol Hill is May 17 - 20, 2014 in Arlington,

Virginia. Register today by visiting IACP online at IACPRx.org/

CCH or call 281.933.8400.

PREPARING FOR COMPOUNDERS ON CAPITOL HILL

1. If you haven’t registered for CCH, call 281.933.8400 and register today

2. Order plenty of business cards

3. Come prepared with instances you’ve experienced where you don’t know what the law says you can and cannot do

4. Engage your staff to participate in the Virtual Hill Day at http://IACPRx.org

Continued from


What is your favorite pharmacy event (not including your own) and why?

My favorite pharmaceutical event is IACP’s Compounders on Capitol Hill. This event allows pharmacies, suppliers, and everyone in between to take a proactive stance in the

compounding industry. Freedom Pharmaceuticals has attended and exhibited at CCH for a few years now. The event provides time to build valuable relationships with new and longtime customers and vendors in a casual atmosphere. The experience of attending and exhibiting at CCH is extremely valuable for our company and the compounding industry as a whole.

What tips do you have for our readers about attending conferences?

When attending conferences, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone! I really enjoying stepping away from our booth and looking at all the new booths at the shows. It is amazing to see how much the industry has grown over the years, and it’s not stopping!! There is something to learn at every booth that is participating at that conference. Networking is another thing I always make a point of doing. Don’t be afraid to get out and ask questions. A lot of information gets thrown at you at conferences. Be a sponge and always think of how it can be applied in your everyday life. You go to conferences

to learn and network… So do just that! In our careers, we never want to remain stagnant and conferences are a great place to broaden your horizons on every level. Even if you pick just one a year to go, take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. If it weren’t for the conferences I go to, I wouldn’t get to see and connect with all the wonderful attendees, such as yourself!

Tell us about your signature event and who should attend?

Our signature event is our Annual Seminar. This September we will be hosting our 3rd Annual Seminar in Dallas, TX and we have quite the event planned! It will be held September 19-20, 2014 at the Omni Hotel in Dallas. This is our first time to take our one-of-a-kind seminar on the road and we are excited for the journey! In the past, it has been a one-day event, but this year, it has grown into a two-day seminar. Our Annual Seminar is a great opportunity for independent pharmacies to dialogue with key opinion leaders in the compounding industry, in addition to networking with colleagues from around the country. This event provides a wide array of education and hands-on interaction that is beneficial for compounders at all levels. If interested in attending Freedom’s 3rd Annual Seminar, please check out our website (www.freedomrxinc.com) or call us at (877) 839-8547.

What is your favorite pharmacy event (not including your own) and why?

It has to be Compounders on Capitol Hill. It’s always a lot of fun, especially the Rx Mixer, and a great way to raise money for IACP.

What tips do you have for our readers about attending conferences?

For the educational sessions, make an action item list. Whenever you hear a piece of useful information or an actionable idea, write it down in that one list. Then, when you get back to your pharmacy, review it with your staff. Also, check out who’s attending the expo and their booth numbers before you arrive. Have a written list of questions to ask each exhibitor you are visiting. Be sure you are clear about what time frame you want to be followed up in. Next week, next month, etc. That way you set the timeline, not them.

Tell us about your signature event and who should attend?

Of the 115 online and in-person events we put on each year, the one event that any PCCA member should put at the top of their list is PCCA’s International Seminar. It’s the industry’s biggest event and covers all aspects of compounding so it’s ideal for almost any staff member. We have specific clinical and training tracks for pharmacists and techs as well as a marketer track designed to help drive business. Also, we’ve moved to a new, bigger hotel this year so you’ll have the opportunity to share, network and “come together” with 700 of your fellow compounders. Actually, “come together” is our theme this year since this event has always been about reconnecting with old friends, meeting new ones and sharing ideas. Members often tell me that implementing just one of the many ideas they come home with pays for the whole seminar. PCCA members can register and get more information at pccarx.com/cometogether.

3 QUESTIONS FOR ...

AMANDA LANDSAW Director of Marketing at Freedom Pharmaceuticals@Freedomrxinc

ERIN MICHAEL Regional Sales Manager - Western US, PCCA@PCCARx


Where: Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention CenterTulsa, Oklahoma

Description: Establish your pharmacy as a local health & wellness support center. Education, resources & marketing that will help improve your patients' outcomes & your pharmacy's success. CE sessions will include a variety of topics: Reducing Your Stress; Nutrient Depletion; Andropause; Women’s Health & BHRT; Making Money with MTM Services; Successful Weight Loss Programs for Your Pharmacy & more!

CompoundingWhat’s Happening?

Oct 31-Nov 1

12 hours of CE for Pharmacists & Pharmacy Technicians

Early Registration Fees:ACA/ACVP Member - Pharmacist - $499 Non-Member – Pharmacist - $599ACA Member – Pharmacy Technician - $425Non-Member – Pharmacy Technician - $525

WellnessWhat’s Happening?

Aug 22 - 23

Where: Royal Sonesta Harbor CourtBaltimore, Maryland

Description: Educational & legislative updates for your compounding pharmacy. CE sessions will include : New Federal Regulations & Laws, Are you Prepared?; Sterile Compounding & Recently Passed Laws; This Works for Me!; Marketing Your Pharmacy & Staying Out of Trouble; Dosage Forms; USP Update and more!

Premium Level I Sponsor

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WELLNESSWHAT’S HAPPENING?

COMPOUNDINGWHAT’S HAPPENING?

Visit www.ACAInfo.org for more information

Fagron, Inc. - 2400 Pilot Knob Road - St. Paul, Minnesota 55120 - USATel. (800) 423 6967 - Fax (800) 339 1596 - [email protected]

fagron.us

Leading advanced dermatological careFagron successfully created a revolutionary concept for advanced, individualized dermatological therapy and care: Fagron Advanced Derma. Fagron Advanced Derma offers unique benefits based on the latest scientific knowledge in pharmaceutical compounding for dermatology.

With Fagron Advanced Derma, patients receive a total solution for both tailor-made prescription compounding and basic skin care:

• Different bases for different skin types• Vehicle design based on the latest insights concerning tolerance of ingredients used in dermatology

• Often used in patients with vulnerable and sensitive skin types, formulated with ingredients that most skin groups tolerate. • A compatibility table is designed to help you search for compatible vehicle and APIs/dermaceutical ingredients (DCIs) combinations.

Contact Fagron now to discover Fagron Advanced Derma’s total solution.

Fagron Advanced Derma

Contact

(Tel) 973-618-1660 (Fax) 973-618-0650

84 Bloomfield Avenue, Pine Brook NJ 07058

Pbmauditlawyers.com [email protected] [email protected]

Frier Levitt LLC is a healthcare boutique law firm. We provide comprehensive legal services to healthcare providers, including Compounding and Specialty Pharmacies, Outsourcing Facilities, chemical manufacturers, PSAOs, GPOs, physicians, large physician group practices, ACOs, laboratories, surgery and imaging centers and other healthcare related businesses. We advise clients on the recently passed Drug Quality and Security Act (H.R. 3204).

Frier Levitt’s Pharmacy Law Group is led by firm co-founder, Jonathan E. Levitt, who is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney and recognized as a “SuperLawyer.” The Pharmacy Law Group is comprised of 18 attorneys with deep legal and business experience in all aspects of pharmacy law and operations. We speak your language and understand how State and Federal laws and regulations impact your bottom line. Our attorneys frequently lecture nationally on healthcare topics.

FOCUS ON PHARMACIES

Fagron, Inc. - 2400 Pilot Knob Road - St. Paul, Minnesota 55120 - USATel. (800) 423 6967 - Fax (800) 339 1596 - [email protected]

fagron.us

Leading advanced dermatological careFagron successfully created a revolutionary concept for advanced, individualized dermatological therapy and care: Fagron Advanced Derma. Fagron Advanced Derma offers unique benefits based on the latest scientific knowledge in pharmaceutical compounding for dermatology.

With Fagron Advanced Derma, patients receive a total solution for both tailor-made prescription compounding and basic skin care:

• Different bases for different skin types• Vehicle design based on the latest insights concerning tolerance of ingredients used in dermatology

• Often used in patients with vulnerable and sensitive skin types, formulated with ingredients that most skin groups tolerate. • A compatibility table is designed to help you search for compatible vehicle and APIs/dermaceutical ingredients (DCIs) combinations.

Contact Fagron now to discover Fagron Advanced Derma’s total solution.

Fagron Advanced Derma1 0 T H A N N U A L R X M I X E R P R E S E N T S :

B E N E F I T I N G T H E I A C P F O U N D A T I O N

SUNDAY, MAY 18 , 2014 ~ 6 :30PM – MIDNIGHT�Crystal Gateway Marriott, Grand Ballroom, Arlington, Va.

106.13.147 IACPF RX Mixer – Half Page 4/c Ad (7.375 x 4.85”) • bertsDesign 713.825.5002

©2013 International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists Foundation. All rights reserved.

2014_RxMixer_IJPC_HalfPg_Ad_r_Layout 1 10/13/13 5:46 PM Page 1

Market with these Upcoming ObservancesLearn More at PMQuarterly.com/marketing-observances

May• Arthritis Awareness Month

• National Celiac Disease Awareness Month

• National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

May 5 Hand Hygiene Day

May 5 - 11 National Pet Week

May 6 National Nurses Day

May 16 National Bike to Work Day

May 11 Mother’s Day

June

• Gay Pride Month

• Adopt a Shelter Cat Month

• Men’s Health Month

June 1 National Cancer Survivors Day

June 1 - 7 Sun Safety Week

June 9 - 15 Men’s Health Week

June 15 Father’s Day

June 30 Social Media Day

June 20 Take Your Dog To Work Day

July• Juvenile Arthritis

Awareness Month

July 1 Canada Day July 4 Independence Day

July 20 - 26

National Zoo Keeper Week

July 20

National Lollipop Day

Have you heard the buzz about Buzzy®?

Flu season may seem like months away but now’s the time to start thinking about your strategy to grow that area of your business. A 2012 study by Target found 23% of adults who do not get immunized avoid shots because of needle pain and fear.

Buzzy® is a handheld, affordable, reusable pain relief device. Proven to decrease needle pain from IVs, Buzzy’s cold and vibration can help for burning biologic shots, stings, splinters, first aid, and even itching!

For more on Buzzy, contact [email protected], follow on Twitter @Buzzy4shots or check out their website at www.buzzy4shots.com to learn more!

The Pharmer’s Market brings you new ideas, products and services to your pharmacy. Have a suggestion for a future Pharmer’s Market profile? Email us at [email protected].

THE PHARMER’S MARKET

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Choose Your Compounding Ingredients

Wisely

Finest Compounding Chemicals Available – We are dedicated to providing only the fi nest quality API’s, excipients, and bases available. You will have confi dence using DPI products knowing they have been tested by an outside independent laboratory before distribution.

Exceptional Service – We offer outstanding customer service, and it’s our mission to make sure your compounding pharmacy’s needs are the highest priority and met with decisive, innovative and timely solutions.

Aggressive Prices – You need the best price without sacrifi cing quality to maintain the success of your pharmacy. DPI operates a streamlined business model with a “no frills” approach. Call us today to place an order or to learn more about DPI.


Market with these Upcoming ObservancesLearn More at PMQuarterly.com/marketing-observances

July• Juvenile Arthritis

Awareness Month

July 1 Canada Day July 4 Independence Day

July 20 - 26

National Zoo Keeper Week

July 20

National Lollipop Day

THE PHARMER’S MARKET

DIVERSIFIED PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTSFINE CHEMICALS • PROVEN VALUEdpipharmarx.com • 877-842-4716

Choose Your Compounding Ingredients

Wisely

Finest Compounding Chemicals Available – We are dedicated to providing only the fi nest quality API’s, excipients, and bases available. You will have confi dence using DPI products knowing they have been tested by an outside independent laboratory before distribution.

Exceptional Service – We offer outstanding customer service, and it’s our mission to make sure your compounding pharmacy’s needs are the highest priority and met with decisive, innovative and timely solutions.

Aggressive Prices – You need the best price without sacrifi cing quality to maintain the success of your pharmacy. DPI operates a streamlined business model with a “no frills” approach. Call us today to place an order or to learn more about DPI.

PHARMACY MARKETING QUARTERLY

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The new portfolio of Dispensers was engineered for accuracy with a medical structure, yet designed to

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patients to easily and accurately dose medications. The first of its kind on the market, these dispensers

feature UV Resistant View Windows for added convenience. This new line offers a diverse selection of

dispensers, such as pumps, jars, pens and syringes, so pharmacists can best meet the needs of their patients.

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pharmacy marketing quarterly spring 2014

Documents

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