What’s the value of your pharmacy?

• How can you truly understand the monetary value of your business?
• If a national chain wants to purchase your pharmacy, what are they truly after?
• How can you prevent from having to sell-out?

Marketing magazine focused on improving community pharmacy businesses unite efforts with industry podcast to educate marketplace

Apr 5, 2012 — Austin, TX headquartered publication Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly and Pittsburgh, PA based Pharmacy Podcast have joined forces to inform privately owned independent pharmacy businesses about the importance of well designed marketing plans, industry news, and interviews all focused on helping to improve community pharmacy nationwide.

Pharmacy Podcast Founder & P.I.C. (Podcaster in Charge) Todd Eury stated, “With the recent news about the Express Scripts & Medco merger and the possibility of the pharmacy insurance landscape making business even more difficult for our subscribers – any market advantage, planning, education, or information that can assist an independent pharmacy business is good. Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly understands the plight of privately owned pharmacies from experience and we look forward to delivering useable content and dynamic interviews to pharmacy owners.”

Scot Maitland is a partner of a local community pharmacy in Austin, TX and is the Founder and Publisher of Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly. PM Quarterly is a magazine and e-Zine focusing on creative and better marketing strategies for pharmacy owners. “It’s just natural that Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly and Pharmacy Podcast would find a common thread to work together. Both organizations are passionate about independent pharmacy as a business and as a place of healthcare.”

The two organizations plan to heavily utilize social media to reach their readers and advertisers. Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly can be found on the web at: http://www.PMQuarterly.com  and website is: Pharmacy Podcast http://www.PharmacyPodcast.com  

About Pharmacy Podcast

Headquartered in Greater Pittsburgh Pennsylvania – In March of 2009 Pharmacy Industry Innovator – Todd Eury, Executive Director of the Pharmacy Technology Resource, founded the Pharmacy Podcast Show and dedicated the programs to his pharmacy industry contacts, prospects, and customers. The Pharmacy Podcast Show is about good useable content, information, and innovative ideas that we believe will help privately owned pharmacy businesses. Their programs are dedicated to Independent Retail, Long-term Care, Specialty, Small Chain, – Pharmacy Businesses and have content for each of these specific pharmacy business models. The Pharmacy Podcast Show is about dynamic people in the pharmacy industry making a difference for our profession. Follow Pharmacy Podcast on Twitter @PharmacyPodcast or visit them at http://www.PharmacyPodcast.com

Contact: Kelsey Ripper Pharmacy Podcast Marketing Coordinator 412-735-1617 Publisher@PharmacyPodcast.com

About Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly

Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly is the only pharmacy publication dedicated solely to providing marketing and sales information to independent pharmacies. The magazine is available as a print subscription, online and as a digital download. Founded in 2011 in Austin, Texas, Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly is the creation of Scot Maitland an independent pharmacy owner (Live Oak Pharmacy), writer and international speaker on the subject of marketing, social media and communications for health care professionals. To learn more about Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly or to read the latest issue online for free, visit http://www.PMQuarterly.com

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Sometimes we rarely get out of the pharmacy. It’s difficult with filling prescriptions, managing inventory, handling HR you know the drill, multiple hats. One of those hats though is your marketers hat. And The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is a great way to market your pharmacy by giving, not getting. 

This year, the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is taking place on Saturday April 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. all across the United States. Make up a simple on sheet page that explains what the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is. How it’s a great opportunity to get rid of any expired or unused samples that physicians may have received from drug reps. Also mention that this is a great opportunity to educate patients on the prescribers’ blog, Facebook page or Twitter account. Maybe include some information on why it’s important to dispose of medications properly (both environmental and for the safety of children and teens.) Of course make sure your logo and contact information is listed as well and let them know if they have any questions about prescriptions or options to feel free to contact your pharmacist. 

For more on giving to get, we recommend reading The Go-Giver by Bob Burg & John David Mann. To learn more about the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day and to see a list of locations visit us at Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly. 

Guest Blogger:

Scot Maitland is the Founder and Publisher of Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly and Co-Owner and Director of Communications at Live Oak Pharmacy in Austin, TX. 

Links: 

The Go-Giver: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159184200X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=pharmmarkequa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=159184200X

Pharmacy Marketing Quarterly Blog Post: http://pmquarterly.com/2012/04/03/national-prescription-drug-take-back-day/

The Pharmacy Technology Resource Twitter Feed @RxTechResource has received its 2000^th Follower last night. @DangerFroggy  is a local D.J. in Pittsburgh PA. My tweet to Jeremy was:

 @DangerFroggy 2000th #TwitterFollower Congratulations!! This tweet & $3.85 Buys U a Grande Caramel-Macchiato @Starbucks

What have we learned in the last 2000 followers?

First, Twitter is an extremely valuable tool for just about anyone in business.

If you don’t already know – Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as “tweets.” Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s subscribers, who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter Web site, Short Message Service (SMS), or external applications. Read more →

Be Your Community’s Healthcare Provider Expert

Register for one of our upcoming live webinars:

Tuesday evening at 7 PM and every Thursday morning at 11 AM.  http://www.KeepYourPharmacyOpen.com

In most all social settings, one may find it impossible to disconnect themselves 100% from the WorldWideWeb.  This, in most cases, means that they are using or at the very least glancing at some sort of social media. 

In fact, statistics show that 50% of people online are following one brand or another through social media. 

Small businesses, such as the local pharmacy need to capitalize on this tool in order to not only help themselves, but help their community as well!  By bringing in local business to their location they can give back to the community and help it thrive.  Many times, especially in the past few years, it has been all too familiar to see a local pharmacy run out of business.  Once, vibrant and busy communities have now become somewhat of a, “ghost-town.”

Maybe that term is a bit exaggerative; however, it is no secret that local business is being gobbled up by the big chain companies and mail-order pharmacies. How much money do they put back into the community?

Possibly a little bit of change, but nothing as compared to the local pharmacy.  Not only does the local pharmacy contribute to keep your hometown alive and kickin’ along with the other local business, but it creates treasured relationships.  One cannot say the same about mail-order prescription packages or the pharmacist behind the glass and counter at Wal-Mart. At least, I would not think that possible?

Keep Your Pharmacy Open is here to help these Independent Pharmacies let their information to be known.  We all need to fulfill a prescription at one point or another, and what better way to reach the ever increasing tech-savy population to let them know what the local pharmacy can offer?  This turnkey solution will get a store the attention and recognition that is well deserved as an independent pharmacy.  Without taking up an entire day monitoring comments, tweets, messages, etc. this marketing tool will not allow a pharmacy owner to say, “I do not have time.”

Generate more attention for the local pharmacy and help the community by using Keep Your Pharmacy Open.