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by PCCA
On Monday, April 6, PCCA hosted a webinar about how pharmacies can manage communications and engage with media during the COVID-19 crisis. Our speakers covered many subjects, including how to navigate crisis communications, contacting and working with local media, the #CompoundingHandoff movement — in which pharmacies compound hand sanitizer and donate it to local first responders and health care providers — key messaging pharmacies can use in our current situation, and best practices for using social media during the pandemic. Many of the examples and principles the speakers covered are relevant for a wide range of situations as well. Here is a brief overview of what they shared with viewers.
Crisis Communication and Engaging the Media Mark Edgar, senior vice president at Hill+Knowlton Strategies and a former newspaper editor, gave the audience a high-level view of how to navigate crisis communication. He started by covering the 3 Cs of Crisis Communication, an approach that not only can be followed now during the pandemic, but also in other business areas.
The 3 Cs of Crisis Communication
He also explained how compounders can best reach out to local media to share how their compounding pharmacy is part of the solution during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is important because it highlights your efforts to help your local community in a time of crisis, which people will remember in the future. The first step is to identify reporters from local newspapers or TV stations who are covering the impact of the crisis.
Then, contact these reporters by email and share any news updates on your expanded operations, what you are doing to support the community (such as a donating hand sanitizer) and how you have responded to safely serve your regular customers. Share PCCA’s #CompoundingHandoff press release. Local media outlets are actively are looking for these kinds of local angles, but they won’t know about your good work unless you give them a heads-up.
Finally, Mark presented a media interview checklist to help compounders prepare to speak with a reporter.
Media Interview Checklist
Communicating When an Employee Is Diagnosed with COVID-19 Kim Speairs, PCCA Director of Communications and Engagement, went into more detail on messaging during a crisis. She reiterated the importance of the 3 Cs of Crisis Communication, saying that those three actions should guide every communication you put out during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. She then walked viewers through a specific situation: when one of your employees is diagnosed with COVID-19. Before communicating in such a situation, though, you must first contact your local health authorities and follow their guidance. Then, you should gather all the facts, and after that, you can begin crafting your key messages, focusing on the 3 Cs.
Kim also shared some simple best practices for communicating with your employees, patients and practitioners in this kind of situation.
Best Practices for Crisis Communications
Finally, Kim provided guidance on different ways you can communicate with your employees, patients and practitioners. Importantly, she said that you should always start from the inside and then move out: communicate with your team members first, then share with your patients and practitioners.
Lizzie Harbin, PCCA Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, Education and Human Resources, walked viewers through the process for our #CompoundingHandoff movement. Compounding pharmacies all over the United States and Canada have been giving back to their communities as part of this movement, while raising awareness of the crucial role that compounding has in those communities.
Lizzie also shared some key talking points that compounders can use.
Key Messages Pharmacies Can Use during the Pandemic
Best Practices for Social Media Sharing
Sarah DeCarlo, PCCA Marketing Manager, covered best practices for sharing the work you are doing during the novel coronavirus pandemic on social media. She walked viewers through examples of social media posts from pharmacies across the country and explained why they were effective. She then provided some key points to keep in mind as you plan, execute and post your own #CompoundingHandoff stories (below). Finally, she shared additional ways that you can connect with your community through social media.
Best Practices for Your #CompoundingHandoff on Social Media
These are just some highlights that your pharmacy can use as you navigate communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can learn more by viewing our free webinar about Communicating during COVID-19 on YouTube, and we’ve included a link to the webinar slides as well as communications templates, customizable social media captions and much more in the video description. We also have links to these and other helpful resources related to the pandemic on our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center. To see a step-by-step infographic about how you can participate in the #CompoundingHandoff movement and an example from a compounding pharmacy who has done it, see our blog post 4 Steps for Donating Compounded Hand Sanitizer to First Responders.