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Perceptions of Community Pharmacy from my Facebook Friends

Posted by Benjamin Coakley on Wed, Aug 14, 2013 @ 08:55 AM


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I recently polled my 978 friends on Facebook about whether or not they use an independent 
community pharmacy, and why. As you probably would suspect, the answers varied differently between them depending on their own personal and family situations.

However, there are two primary things that stuck out in my mind as I read these comments. The first is the misperceptions in the market place about what pharmacies can or cannot be used. There were many comments referencing the fact that people did not know they can use an independent for their prescription needs.  Side note: I mentioned this to a community pharmacy owner and he said he thinks that the pharmacy logo printed on the insurance card creates the perception that only that pharmacy can be used.  The second thing is the perception that chain stores are more convenient that independent stores.  The word convenient was mentioned multiple times in the responses from my friends that use the chains.

After reading these responses, I started thinking about things we can learn from this experience.  The first is that it is important to understand perceptions in the marketplace. If there are misperceptions and these are clearly understood, then independents can focus their resources on education to combat these misperceptions.  The second is that the chain stores are really good at marketing.  They have dedicated teams of people that are always thinking of creative ways to spread their message.  Unfortunately, most independents do not have a significant amount of time, energy or money to focus on marketing their pharmacy.  However, marketing is extremely valuable and should be a part of your routine.

So, how can you use this information to help your pharmacy?  There are three things that I can think of right now.

  1. Ask your Facebook friends to use your pharmacy - Facebook is a great way to connect with thousands of people.  It is a great way to share information about your pharmacy and to ask for new business.
  2. Ask your patients why they use your pharmacy - This will give you great insight on why people come in your pharmacy.  You may find out reasons you never imagined that you would like to share with other people.
  3. Start Marketing - If you do not have the time, energy, money or skills to creatively market you pharmacy, then outsource it to someone else. There are many companies out there that specialize in helping independent pharmacies with their marketing plans.

We are constantly looking for new ways to help community pharmacy.  That starts with understanding the issues facing community pharmacy.  We created a survey to help with this. Please take a few minutes of your time and fill this out.  We cannot thank you enough for your help.

Take the Helping Community  Pharmacy Survey Today

Where does this wisdom come from?

The content of this blog is inspired and substantiated by our experience helping independent community pharmacists enjoy financial independence during and after their life in pharmacy. When a pharmacist reaches out to us for information and help, we endeavor to give them as much free value as is possible. In addition to providing educational and strategic planning tools (like The Career Path Builder), we invite qualified pharmacists into our formal discovery process.

The first step of the process is completing The Inspired Goals Workshop. This 90-minute session enables us to deliver a detailed and personal Inspired Independence Blueprint. The blueprint provides a personalized roadmap for achieving your goals and enables you to fully understand the value of joining The Inspired Independence Program.

If you wish to learn more about any aspect of our work, the free value we offer, or to be considered for The Inspired Goals Workshop, visit our web site at www.waypointus.com or call 843.873.4420 and ask for Ben or Matt Coakley.

At Waypoint Pharmacy Advisors, we take care of you!

Topics: community pharmacy owner, community pharmacist