By Brittany Benson for our “99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy” blog series

The word “plan” is just that, a static blueprint. However, unlike a blueprint for building a house, a work plan or life plan needs to change as circumstances surrounding it evolve. The verb “planning” implies action, a constant morphing of your approach to achieve your ultimate goal. Any plan made needs to stay front and center both as a visual reminder and for adjustment as needed.

The world of retail pharmacy deals with people, and people are constantly changing. Are you prepared or thinking ahead about needs for an aging population and what that means for your store? Do you offer a unique, defined customer experience in the event that new competition opens up down the street? Are you ready to utilize new technology to improve store efficiency and profitability? There are things you can focus on now to protect your future business. Like the medical philosophy, you need a proactive, preventive approach to any plan.

A plan will not complete itself. It requires continual revision and evaluation and comparing where you actually are to where you thought you would be. If the two do not match up, it’s time to see what happened. Did you over- or under- estimate the amount of product needed for a promotional period? If so, adjust your method for estimating needed product for the next promotion. Setbacks are bound to happen; that’s part of the learning process. Because there isn’t a Staples^® “Easy” button for your plan, it will most likely need to go through many revisions to stay relevant as things change. Evaluate your progress against your plan. Keep the roadmap to your goal updated, and you’re one step closer to achieving it.

Brittany is primarily responsible for coordinating manufacturer communications as well as manufacturer research, including new item launches and brand/manufacturer buy-outs. She helps maintain and develop HRG's master item file, including fine line categorization and retail pricing strategies. Brittany interacts with internal and external clients to secure product information related to manufacturers’ package samples, UPC’s, pricing and marketing materials.  In addition, she is responsible for quality assurance of HRG's web content publishing.