87. Be a member of industry organizations

By Dawn Vogelsang for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series As a member of several industry organizations myself, I can attest to the enormous value of participating in these associations. State pharmacy associations, national organizations such as the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), and specialty pharmacy professional groups offer … Read more

80. Establish a web presence

By Shawn Theesfeld for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series Does your pharmacy have a website? While many pharmacies have come a long way in website development and offer some pretty sophisticated and well-designed sites, others, like many small businesses, struggle to know where to begin to establish … Read more

88. Offer free tasting samples

By Gail K. for our  99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series FREE SAMPLE! Those two words certainly grab my attention. They’ll do the same for customers coming in or passing by your pharmacy, too. Free tasting samples might seem the mainstay of grocery or club stores, but independent pharmacies … Read more

68. Have fun!

By Steve Brester for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series I have two scenarios to present regarding how the customer service level of a happy person versus an unhappy person might be viewed. Scenario 1 – You walk into ABC Hardware store to purchase some picture frames. You walk … Read more

75. Learn about social media and how you can benefit from it

By Shawn Theesfeld for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram, Vine, Snapchat – how does your pharmacy fit into the social media landscape? First, the good news: you don’t have to be on every social media platform. The bad news: you do have to … Read more

50. Become a specialist

By Dawn Vogelsang for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series As pharmacology and the healthcare landscape become increasingly complex, specialization can be the differentiator your pharmacy, and your personal career, need to thrive. Pursuing added qualifications in specialty pharmacy fields such as Critical Care Pharmacy, Nutritional Support Pharmacy, or Pediatric … Read more

93. Position departments to make the most of cross-selling opportunities

By Colleen Volheim for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series It can be difficult to know how to best position departments in your store to make the most of cross-selling opportunities. You may set a category adjacent to departments where it feels applicable, but it may not be the … Read more

60. Promote slow-movers in a dump bin

By Tara Kaifesh for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series When products are not selling or are close to their expiration date, stimulate sales by placing the items in a dump bin. This gives you one more shot to sell the products before they expire, and can keep you from … Read more

90. Cross merchandise

By Lisa Lopez for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series Cross merchandising is an easy, effective way to build incremental sales in your pharmacy. When you incorporate cross-merchandising strategies, you offer shoppers convenient, one-stop shopping and allow them to add more items to their basket than they might if … Read more

32. Establish a vision for your pharmacy

By Cynthia Lutz for our 99 Ways to Make a Positive Difference in Your Pharmacy blog series With the pharmacy landscape becoming more and more challenging and competitive pressures encroaching upon you, establishing a vision for your pharmacy is a vital component of preparing a strategy for long-term success. If you haven’t thought about your pharmacy’s … Read more