by Megan Moyer, senior marketing communications specialist, for the Home Health Care Opportunity blog series
It’s well known, and we’ve certainly written many times about the service level at independent pharmacies exceeding what you find at their competitors. Independents take the time to get to know their patients and show interest in their overall wellbeing. This is a primary reason that independents are perfectly positioned to serve home health care patients and their caregivers. This audience is often faced with having to learn – rather quickly – how to manage a new condition that is debilitating to some degree. The good news is there is a very broad selection of products designed to make managing a health condition at home easier and more comfortable for both the patient and their caregiver.
The need for home health care (HHC) will continue to grow. Americans over the age of 60 are projected to be more than 20% of the population by 2050, compared to 13% in 2010.1 The need is there. Consider the demographics of your customers today. How many are over 60? These customers may already be in need of HHC items or will be in the near future. How many are in their 40s and 50s? This group could be caregivers for family members as well as moving into their senior years in the next 20 years.
Some HHC products require counseling for users that didn’t previously know that such items even existed, let alone the proper way to use them to make their life easier. What better for these patients that are stressed, worried, and scared than to be able to turn to their trusted independent pharmacy to help them through the challenges they face.
This is the first in a series of posts on the benefits of adding home health care to independent pharmacies. For a further description of the opportunity, read Drug Store News’ HHC report from February. Sign up to receive the rest of this blog series in your inbox, as well as other updates and information from HRG.
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