“What covid has taught us is there is value in crisis management. There are always groups in the community in crisis. It could be a small club, a health topic in small areas. It is important to reach out to allied health and community. The more we reach out the more relevant we will stay.”
The above quote was pulled from our Speaking Pharmacy episode with Swarup from 777 (listen here). When he said that in the recording studio, I made a mental note to revisit this. It resonated because I think this is a very similar philosophy to what we teach in our marketing module.
When working with pharmacies we ask them what value do they add to their customers? This of course extends beyond the obvious of dispensing medication. As Pharmacists your scope of work is far more impactful than you might think!
Let’s unpack Swarup’s comment about COVID. Almost overnight, the pandemic changed everyone’s life in a dramatic way. There was uncertainty, confusion, and many questions left to be answered. As Pharmacists you would understand this far better then I ever will, being on the frontline. For over two and a half years you all have been working through this crisis and boy, you were useful! You helped with vaccinations, delivering medications to people in isolation and being the main stockist for facemasks (and so much more!) The community craved your attention in more ways than ever, and you all had no choice but to step up to the plate.
As a pharmacy you looked at the issue at hand (COVID) and planned accordingly on how your team can help. Services were tweaked, opening hours were adjusted and your team had the necessary training. So, what Swarup was inferring is that this type of crisis management plan can be replicated for other health issues within your community.
I believe that Swarup is on the money here. Within your community there would be many health issues and topics that some of your patients are currently navigating. These issues, like covid need an informal crisis plan and furthermore, a strategy on how you add value to these patients as their pharmacy. The more you’re able to help the more loyal your patients will become.
So, how do you find these opportunities?
Within your patient base there would be trends on why people are visiting your pharmacy. Common health issues, services and conversations would be had daily. As Swarup suggests, explore these topics, and expand your scope of service accordingly. As we did with covid, look at what is required for that said crisis and build your pharmacy’s service offering from there. At Peak Strategies, we believe that is a great course of action regarding both patient experience and marketing, because you’re filling the demand of what your patients are needing.
When considering your mini crisis plans, ask yourself the following questions:
How as a pharmacy do I add value?
What services helps this type of crisis?
How do I market to this type of patient?
What additional resources do I need to help my patients?
Once you have addressed the above questions, start building a plan into launching these crisis management plans to your clients.
In conclusion, Swarup’s conversation on the podcast reminded me how important it is for pharmacies to get back to the basics and look at how they can assist patients with their health. Sometimes, we all get on the hamster wheel. Getting lost on what we call the day to day, so it is crucial to step back and reflect where we can.
How do you find these opportunities? Look at your data. What products and services are standing out in your end of month reports? Look at your membership data. What is your main demographic? Can you identify patterns in patients’ behaviours? From looking at your patient data, I believe there would be a wealth of opportunity to help your patients more than you ever have before. Remember to always think and dream big, with your patients at the front of your mind.
Once you know who you are helping and what it is your pharmacy can offer, it is time to create your marketing plan.
Need help with brainstorming your marketing plan? Sign up to our marketing module for 2023!