THE PCCA BLOG

Let’s Get Social

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 11:00:00 GMT

by Corinn Ponton, PCCA Canada Territory Manager | Sales Support Manager

More than 4.89 billion people — or approximately 59 percent of the world’s population — use social media and experts forecast those numbers to increase to 5.85 billion by 2027.^1,2 As social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok gain more users, getting social is a great way to promote your pharmacy, compounding business and brand.

A social media presence also offers great insights on what your customers and others say about your business, helps create “word of mouth” referrals, builds your brand identity and helps develop customer loyalty.

But with so many existing and upcoming social platforms, you’re probably wondering where to start. As with all marketing, you first need to identify who you’re talking to and where they reside in the virtual world.

Know Your Audience. Pick Your Platform

Understanding your audience is key to your social media success and will help you create and schedule relevant posts.

Start by identifying and classifying all potential audiences. For example:

Community (audience includes the general public and potential customers in your area)
Prescribers (audience includes doctors, nurse practitioners and others who refer or may refer patients to your pharmacy)
Favorites (audience includes folks who continuously purchase and/or loyally support your pharmacy)

After you identify potential audiences, decide which one you want to “target” first. For example, if you’re targeting your community, consider creating a Facebook page that showcases your pharmacy and staff participating in community events. If you’re targeting prescribers, consider social media sites dedicated to healthcare professionals such as Sermo, Doximity or Daily Rounds, where you can share your participation at provider conferences or showcase providers attending your pharmacy’s events (i.e., special lectures, consultations, etc.).

Be sure to look at the different social media sites and review the content to make sure it’s right for you and your pharmacy. Comparing platforms, as well as taking notes of why you like or don’t like the site will save time, money and potential embarrassment. You can also get ideas for content, including captions, videos, photos and graphics, by viewing different sites.

Goals, Strategy & Resources

As with all business plans, you want to set goals, create a strategy and tap into resources that can help you start and maintain your social media presence.

First, know what you want your social media presence to achieve. It helps to be as specific as possible. For example, do you want to:

Increase community recognition?
Increase general pharmacy sales?
Educate your community about the benefits of personalized medicines?

Second, create a strategy to achieve your goals. For example:

To create community recognition, participate in local events, sponsor a youth group or create an annual food drive with donations dropped off at your pharmacy.
To increase general pharmacy sales, consider hosting lectures on nutrition, weight loss or skin care at your pharmacy.
To educate your community, think of hosting a booth at special-interest events to explain how compounded medicines help special-needs patients, cancer patients or dermatology patients.

Third, tap into existing resources that aid in achieving your goals. For example:

Use creative design tools such as Canva or Snappa
Look into social media management tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, Planable or Sprout Social
Access Marketing Resources tools on the Members-Only website > Marketing Resources > Digital > Social Media Posts for free tutorial videos, pre-designed graphics and more

After you establish your goals, strategy and access the right resources, the next step is to create content.

Create Interesting & Concise Content

It’s important to recognize that social media posts emphasize visuals — photos, videos and graphics — over text. Use your smartphone to capture images from events and post the most interesting photo on your social media platform. Write captions to explain the visual. Captions should be brief and generally written in a conversational tone and style.

As a general rule, avoid medical terminology — including abbreviations and acronyms — unless you know your target audience understands the words, abbreviations or acronyms. This includes doctors, nurse practitioners, veterinarians and other healthcare professionals who are not compounders.

It’s also important to recognize that many businesses successfully use social media to create emotional connections with their audiences. Creating an emotional connection with virtual strangers may sound strange or even silly. That connection, however, can easily translate into transactional dollars.

According to Gair Maxwell, an international keynote speaker, author and social media guru, “Attention is currency. Why? If you can get eyeballs and hearts paying attention to whatever it is you’re promoting, you win.”

Ideas, Insight & Resources

PCCA Members can access more ideas and helpful insights on our Members Only Website. After logging in, click here to watch an interview with Gair Maxwell. Members in need of additional support can also attend our Marketing & Sales One-Day Virtual Conference on September 14 to learn the latest marketing tactics and hear special segments on social media marketing. Register here. And remember, PCCA Members, to access Marketing Resources on our Members Only Website!

Now you’re ready to make your mark and establish your presence in the virtual world. Have fun, express your pharmacy’s unique personality and get social with the rest of the world!

The complete version of this article originally appeared in PCCA’s members-only magazine, the Apothagram.

References

Ruby, D. (2023) Social Media Users in the World — (2023 Demographics). Accessed 03.20.2023 athttps://www.demandsage.com/social-media-users/#:~:text=There%20are%204.9%20billion%20social,in%20 terms%20of%20user%20base
Sheikh, M. (2023) 50+ of the most important social media marketing statistics for 2023. Accessed 03.20.2023 athttps://sproutsocial.com/ insights/social-media-statistics

5 Ways to Leverage the Shop Small® Movement for Your Pharmacy

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 12:20:41 GMT

By Sarah DeCarlo, PCCA Marketing Manager

In 2010, American Express founded Small Business Saturday^® to encourage holiday shoppers to patronize locally owned businesses instead of retail chains. This holiday is each November on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and it has gained a level of popularity that rivals Black Friday in many communities across the country.¹ Shoppers are gratified knowing that most of the money they spend at small businesses — 67 cents of every dollar — will stay in their communities.²

As consumers have become more passionate about supporting local businesses, American Express has shifted its focus from an annual holiday to a year-round initiative in the form of their Shop Small movement. This has especially taken flight since the coronavirus pandemic began, as shoppers have rallied around supporting the many small businesses that are struggling during this time.

Independently owned pharmacies are in a prime position to leverage this growing trend. Here are five tactics — and lots of resources — you can use to bring the Shop Small momentum to your pharmacy.

1. Create or Claim Your Google My Business Listing

It isn’t just important that your pharmacy be listed on Google My Business — it’s critical to getting new customers through the door. After all, 46% of all Google searches are for something local, and 84% of searches on Google Maps are by keyword (like “pharmacy”) instead of by business name. ³

Setting up your Google My Business listing is free and fairly simple, and it is one piece of the puzzle to help ensure that your pharmacy can be found in Google Maps and Google search. Through this listing, you can share a business description and your hours of operation, answer customers’ questions, and more. Just make sure to check back from time to time to update your listing as things change — nothing is more frustrating as a consumer than showing up to a business during its listed “open” hours to find that it is closed!

Are you ready for a master class on effectively using Google to market your small business? Kevin England, CEO of Vonazon, shared keen insights on this topic during our 2020 Marketing & Sales Virtual Conference. PCCA members can watch the entire conference, including Kevin’s presentation, on PCCA Play .

2. Promote Your Pharmacy as a Small Business on Social Media

When consumers think of supporting local businesses, it’s often in the form of eating at a family-owned restaurant or visiting their nearby mom-and-pop shop. Routine errands — like picking up their prescriptions — can get overlooked. So use your social media platforms as a reminder.

Showcasing the people behind your pharmacy, how your pharmacy was established and how you serve your community are key ways to tell your story and create a personal connection with local customers on social media all year round. Don’t forget to include photos or videos as well as relevant hashtags, like #ShopSmall and #ShopLocal. And if your pharmacy sells gifts or boutique items in addition to filling prescriptions, make sure to communicate that in the weeks leading up to Small Business Saturday — especially if you’re offering any promotions or sales.

If you don’t have a lot of time to create social media posts, American Express offers a free Shop Small marketing materials download . PCCA members can also download a wide variety of pre-made social posts for free on our Marketing Resources page .

3. Ask for Online Reviews — and Keep Your Eye on Them

Did you know that 82% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and only 53% of them would patronize a business that had less than a four-star average?⁴ Online reviews allow you to amplify word-of-mouth marketing by making your current patients’ voices available to all the other potential customers in your community. However, many shoppers don’t think to write a review of a businesses unless they’ve had an unpleasant experience, or unless you ask them to.

Get in the habit of asking your most loyal customers to leave your pharmacy a review on Google or Facebook, and make sure to check your reviews from time to time to keep track of your rating. Even at the best of businesses, bad customer experiences can happen, so try not to get offended if you receive a negative review. Ninety-seven percent of review-readers also read businesses’ responses to reviews,⁴ and seeing an apology or calm explanation from you could go a long way.

Google offers businesses free customizable marketing materials that can help you promote your pharmacy or turn your five-star reviews into marketing collateral.

4. Add Your Pharmacy to the Shop Small Map

Google may be the ruler of online searches, but many shoppers dedicated to supporting their communities find new businesses to patronize using the Shop Small Map. Hosted by American Express, this interactive map features a variety of small businesses that consumers can quickly and easily search for in their communities. American Express promotes this map on behalf of all the featured businesses, especially around Small Business Saturday. It’s free to create your listing as long as your pharmacy accepts American Express credit cards. You can find all the details here .

You can also follow the Shop Small movement on Instagram or Facebook for promotional photos and videos that you can share on your own social media channels!

5. Support Other Local Businesses and Organizations

Shopping small yourself is a simple way to show current and potential customers that you care about your shared community, thereby setting yourself apart from big-box chains. Because COVID-19 has had such a negative impact on the restaurant industry, supporting local dining is extremely popular. Treat your pharmacy staff to lunch one day and tag the restaurant you ordered from in a social media post! You can also contact other businesses in your community to swap flyers or marketing material for a mutually beneficial promotion.

Get involved in local organizations, too. If your neighborhood has a local arts or farmers market, see if you can participate — especially if your pharmacy focuses on overall health and wellness. Partner with local nonprofit groups to organize donation drives in your pharmacy, or encourage your staff to volunteer as a team. Each of these ideas will help establish your business not just as another company, but also as a fixture in your community.

Interested in learning how to work with other businesses in your community for mutual growth? Check out our recent blog post, “ Strategic Alliances: A Community Approach to Business Growth .”

References

1. U.S. Small Business Administration. (2019, December 3). Nearly $20 billion spent by Americans this Small Business Saturday ^® [Press release]. https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-newsroom/press-releases-media-advisories/nearly-20-billion-spent-americans-small-business-saturdayr

2. American Express. (2018, November 13). Another reason to Shop Small^®on Small Business Saturday ^®: Approximately 67 cents of every dollar spent at a small business remains in the local community [Press release]. https://about.americanexpress.com/all-news/news-details/2018/Another-Reason-to-Shop-Small-on-Small-Business-Saturday-Approximately-67-Cents-of-Every-Dollar-Spent-at-a-Small-Business-Remains-in-the-Local-Community/default.aspx

3. McCormick, K. (2020, September 25). 10 ways to rank higher on Google Maps in 2020. The WordStream Blog. https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/07/02/how-to-rank-higher-on-google-maps

4. Murphy, R. (2019, December 11). Local consumer review survey. BrightLocal. https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/

Strategic Alliances: A Community Approach to Business Growth

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 13:12:47 GMT

By Bill Letendre, MSPharm, MBA, PCCA Vice President of Pharmacy Management Services

Attracting new patients to your compounding pharmacy continues to be the greatest challenge facing compounders in the pandemic. As we continue to operate in this environment, I suggest that one of the most powerful marketing tools is a strategic alliance. A strategic alliance can be broadly defined, for our purposes, as a reciprocal relationship between businesses that helps each of them to achieve their long-term goals. Many business professionals agree that strategic alliances provide a competitive advantage for those firms that recognize the benefits of such relationships.

One example of a strategic alliance would be promotional initiatives with health clubs in your community. Obviously, the current climate requires a variation of this option based on whether the facility is fully opened or not. Another option could be an ongoing promotion with an organic food purveyor. Perhaps the local businesswomen’s organization might jointly sponsor a women’s health educational program offered using the Zoom meeting platform. The goal is to get your compounding pharmacy mentioned in the same breath with other recognized community health care-related organizations.

If you are unable to recruit for a strategic alliance in the health care sector, seek other upscale retail establishments in your area. For example, most communities have clothing boutique shops or gift and accessories shops. These businesses promote their goods to the same demographics that you want to attract to your pharmacy. Allowing them to promote their specialty shop and promote your health seminar to their customers is an example of a tactic. Both organizations will benefit from that kind of partnership.

At a recent marketing meeting, I listened to a presentation by an expert who promoted the use of gift certificates in lieu of coupons. It was his opinion that a referral-based business is more likely to attract new clients by offering gift certificates rather than a discount coupon. This makes sense for a compounding pharmacy. Here is a step-by-step example of how you could accomplish this.

First, contact an organization in your community that would make an ideal strategic alliance partner. Propose to them that you will offer their patrons a gift certificate for a complimentary 15-minute nutritional supplement assessment consultation or a complimentary 15-minute health assessment consultation. These consult appointments can be scheduled at your convenience. The 15-minute session can include requiring the patient to complete an assessment questionnaire first, with the rest of the consult time devoted to reviewing the assessment document. Your conclusion might include scheduling a full consult, or it might include the suggested nutritional supplements to fill the patient’s needs based on what has been described on the assessment form.

This provides your pharmacy with a new potential customer. For your strategic partner, you have provided one of their customers with a valuable health assessment and an opportunity to give the customer some promotional materials your partner has provided, thus reinforcing both of your businesses. This is simply one example of how a strategic alliance might work for your pharmacy. There may be countless others that you can brainstorm with another vendor that can benefit both parties.

The goal is to identify complementary providers and vendors in your community that see a strategic alliance as beneficial to their business.

I recommend starting your strategic alliance plan by identifying three businesses in your community and testing this concept with at least one of them within the next three months. You need to be creative to keep your list of new patients growing. Using a strategic alliance as a marketing tool may be the answer.

Bill Letendre, MSPharm, MBA, PCCA Vice President of Pharmacy Management Services, has been honored as a Fellow of the American College of Apothecaries, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding (APC). Bill is the recipient of the 2000 APhA Distinguished Achievement Award in Specialized Pharmaceutical Services, the 2004 Texas Pharmacy Association Pharmacist of the Year and the 2005 National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Outstanding Faculty Liaison Award. Past president of the American College of Apothecaries (1982), the New Hampshire Pharmacists Association (1981) and the Texas Pharmacy Association (2003), Bill currently serves as the treasurer of APC, as a member of the Board of Commissioners for the Accreditation Commission of Health Care and as a member of the NCPA Compounding Steering Committee. Bill previously owned and operated six community pharmacies, two home infusion pharmacies and a home care supply company located in the state of New Hampshire.

Key Takeaways from PCCA’s 2020 Marketing & Sales Virtual Conference

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 14:12:19 GMT

By Erin Michael, MBA, MS, CPhT, PCCA Director of Outside Sales

On two consecutive Saturdays in May 2020, PCCA hosted its first Marketing and Sales Virtual Conference (our first ever virtual conference overall, too). Considering how much the COVID-19 pandemic has affected independent compounding pharmacies, we chose to focus on strategies and tactics specifically designed to help them through this crisis and beyond. To accomplish this, we worked with experts in many aspects of sales, marketing, general business development, pharmacy and combinations of all the above — including presenters who currently own their own pharmacies. They guided and engaged with our virtual attendees while imparting countless pearls of business wisdom that they could implement immediately to rebuild business today and in the future. Below is a sample of the expert advice that our presenters offered.

Control What You Can Control during the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 has taken us from a “bear” market to a “bull” market; take advantage of this time when compounders are in a positive spotlight
Take control of what we can control: New prescriptions may be drying up, but prescription refills and supplement sales can be priorities
Move from a broad focus to a micro focus: Identify compounding specialties that are less affected by the pandemic and pursue them
You cannot over-communicate in a time like this (to staff, to patients, to doctors)
For doctors, you’re not providing one particular product; you’re providing solutions, innovation, hope when other therapies have failed — you’re providing your availability as a trusted resource
For patients, let them know you’re open and here to serve them during the COVID-19 pandemic; provide them peace of mind in addition to health care
Stay on top of refill reminder phone calls:
- Monitor data to see who is due for a refill in a certain timeframe
- Frame these calls as a check-in, and let the customer lead the conversation; be empathetic to their needs and concerns; offer other products when appropriate (e.g., nutritional supplements, hand sanitizer)
- Pick the right staff member(s) to do these calls; some people are naturals and some need coaching and a script
- Long-term benefits: This builds relationships with patients (and their doctors); it gives more control over what prescriptions are filled on which days
Use alternative ways to offer refill reminders, such as email or through a smartphone app
Consider creating “immunity kits” that patients can pick up with their prescriptions (hand sanitizer, mask, supplement, protein bar, etc. as a kit)
Consider “sidewalk shopping” (outdoor retail setup in front of pharmacy) if possible

Social Media Is Crucial during the Pandemic

The pharmacy needs a greater focus on social media marketing and patient communications
Communicate recent policy changes: curbside service or drive-thru/shipping procedures; updated hours of operation (on all platforms — Yelp, Google, Facebook, website, etc.)
Be transparent and reassure your patients that you have their safety in mind; be trusted, reliable and flexible
Share social media content that shows how you’re giving back to your community (such as the #CompoundingHandoff ) as well as fun things your staff is doing (which builds trust with your followers)
Share other social media content like relevant articles; Facebook Live videos on properly wearing masks, your reopening plans, etc.; or “Did you know?” video series of little-known pharmacy offerings
Live videos humanize your pharmacy; they are more candid and vulnerable. They get better placement on social feeds and have a higher potential for engagement than regular video
Live videos can and should be longer (the typical 2-minute-or-less rule doesn’t apply); followers get notified when you go live, so 5+ minutes gives them time to tune in
Optimize based on the channel. Your video will be more impactful for an Instagram user when you record in portrait (vertical) vs. landscape (horizontal) because Instagram users are primarily on mobile devices. Facebook has a more even split between mobile and desktop, so landscape is used more often
Feature retail products online, such as vitamins/supplements, gifts, cards, wrapping supplies, puzzles, tea, coffee, seasonal products

Virtual Meetings with Prescribers Are an Unprecedented Opportunity

The pharmacy salesperson/marketer needs a completely virtual transition for physician visits
You normally have 2–3 minutes with a doctor when you visit their office, but virtual meetings give you 30 minutes uninterrupted; virtual meetings are also more cost effective
Don’t forget: Your prescribers are going through the same situation that you are. They are business owners. They’re looking for new ways to reach out to their patients and provide for the future, too. Share your creative best practices and your knowledge of the economic resources available with them
Educate primarily, sell secondarily — provide guidance and insight right now as a trusted advisor because prescribers are hungry for education
What you need: Zoom (or similar) account; Outlook (or similar) calendar request; digital or print invitations with relevant materials (and goodies!); your compounding pharmacist/pharmacy team
- BONUS: PCCA Science research (public), FormulaPlus^™ formulas with extended beyond-use dates (for PCCA members with Clinical Services access)
Pro tips:
- Send them materials beforehand (email content or mail a binder)
- Support a local business by sending the doctor lunch during your meeting
- Turn on your camera and encourage doctors to do the same (it’s more personal)
Consider using clinical PowerPoints on Zoom
- BONUS: PCCA members can access our customizable presentations on the PCCA Marketing Resources page
If you’re a marketer, you could have the pharmacist join you on the call — you have a captive audience, and you are going the extra mile to earn their business
Scared of doctors turning down your meeting request?
- Invite them through a variety of channels (phone call, email, mail, fax)
- Practice your elevator pitch and tailor it to their specific needs
- Rejection is redirection; “no” means you need to get creative and find a different angle that works
Offer virtual workshops on key clinical topics to doctors (and patients)
A virtual meeting is not just a single opportunity. Keep meeting with doctors (build relationships, educate on new compounding specialties, etc.)
Always follow up:
- Find opportunities to reconnect with doctors, especially new doctors (for example, if you have a positive patient story to share)
- Share notes you took during the call
- Send a thank-you with links to your website and social media pages

Virtual Consultations with Patients Are a Must

Don’t just expect patients to come to you; advertise your consultation services (local interest groups, publications, social media, etc.)
Again, educate primarily, sell secondarily — continue to inform patients on why they need to maintain their medication regimens, and educate them on the importance of immune system support right now
Consultation set-up process:
- A customer requests an appointment (their health journey begins)
- Every staff member should be able to access the calendar and book a time slot
- Immediately share intake forms and request they be returned 72 hours prior to appointment
- At the beginning of each week, a staff member calls to confirm all appointments
- When the customer comes to pick up their initial therapy, schedule a follow-up consultation (2 months later is good generally); engage them, answer questions, review and adjust therapy as needed
Consider using FaceTime (or similar app) to help your customers have a personal virtual shopping experience from the comfort and safety of their home

And that was just a sample. I was honored to be a part of PCCA’s 2020 Marketing and Sales Virtual Conference. It was inspiring to see so many compounders and marketers come together to help navigate their pharmacies through the crisis that we all find ourselves in. And I hope that you’ve found some strategies and tactics here that you can implement in your own businesses right now.

PCCA members can watch our entire 2020 Marketing and Sales Virtual Conference on PCCA Play. It is free for subscribers, and it is available as a 12-month rental for non-subscribers.

Erin Michael, MBA, MS, CPhT, PCCA Director of Outside Sales, joined the PCCA staff in July 2006. She has been working in pharmacy for more than 25 years, of which 23 have been in compounding and promoting the practice of pharmacy. She previously worked for an independent pharmacy owner and was the general manager of multiple locations. Erin was instrumental in developing and implementing programs to promote and grow the compounding and traditional parts of that business. She holds an MBA in healthcare administration and an MS in hospitality management. She was recognized as PCCA Technician of the Month in August 1999 and California Pharmacists Association Technician of the Year in 2003.

5 Tips for Talking to Prescribers about Quality

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 14:56:38 GMT

By PCCA

It almost goes without saying: Talking to prescribers about customized medication can be difficult. It may take a lot of work just to get in front of a practitioner to discuss compounding, and then you can still encounter more obstacles, depending on whether they are familiar with it, what preconceived notions they may have about it, whether they’ve written a prescription for a compounded medication, or whether they’re already sending their patients to another compounding pharmacy down the street. In this last situation, you find yourself competing with another community pharmacy, and the issue of pricing may come up.

Fortunately, even if you have a competitor who is undercutting your prices, you have an advantage: quality. But if you want to help your pharmacy stand out in a competitive field, it’s not enough to just say that you have quality products. Here are five ways that you can translate your investment in quality into your competitive advantage:

1. Be specific about the strengths of your pharmacy’s compounding, including quality measures, training and years of experience.

Making customized medicine is not the same as dispensing manufactured drug products, so it’s important to inform practitioners of the steps you take to ensure that you produce medication according to rigorous standards. Talk about the quality assurance and quality control processes in place at your pharmacy. You may also want talk about the training you or your staff have completed as well as any special professional achievements or certifications. You could even talk about your and your compounding staff’s collective years of experience in the field. These are all examples of your pharmacy’s dedication to making sure that their patients get the best outcomes from their customized medicine.

2. Invite prescribers to tour your pharmacy.

If possible, you can also invite practitioners to visit the pharmacy and take a tour of your lab. This turns your business from an abstract idea into a physical space they can experience and remember. After all, it’s one thing to tell them about it, but it’s another thing to actually show them.

3. Talk about PCCA to highlight how our high standards go into your customized medications.

Just as you would talk about the care and attention to detail you put into every compound that comes out of your pharmacy, so you can also talk about the high standard of ingredients that went into them. Like we said, compounds are not the same as commercially manufactured drug products. If a brand-name drug works, people tend to assume that a generic will perform comparably. In compounding, however, everything from the active ingredients and the base to the formula, the compounding process and the lab equipment can affect the final preparation. So it’s not as simple as viewing compounds as necessarily comparable to each other.

When discussing compounding options with prescribers, therefore, you should also mention that you purchase your ingredients from a trusted source that has been at the heart of pharmacy compounding for over 35 years. This is because, when you purchase products from PCCA, the ingredients you use in the customized medications that you compound meet The PCCA Standard™, our commitment to going above and beyond what is required every day to reduce risk in pharmacy compounding.

4. Use thepccastandard.com to familiarize yourself with our quality processes, and encourage prescribers to visit the website, too.

We know that our quality processes are a lot to talk about with a prescriber. Fortunately, we’ve developed a resource to help you share why PCCA ingredients can make a difference in your compounds. At thepccastandard.com, you can see how we work with manufacturers to find the best chemicals, and how we verify and evaluate those chemicals once we receive them. You can also learn about how we develop and produce bases as well as all the effort we put into PCCA formulas to make sure they meet the needs of the industry. If the prescriber wants to learn more about the ingredients you work with, encourage them to visit thepccastandard.com as well, where they’ll be able to see that you care about everything that goes into the customized medications you make for their patients.

5. (PCCA Members only) Visit the Marketing Resources webpage and download our new handout for practitioners.

You may already leave your business card and literature that you have about your pharmacy, your products or your services when you’re done visiting prescribers’ offices. This is a good way to make your discussion more memorable by giving them something to refer back to later. But PCCA members also have access to a number of professionally produced marketing tools on the Marketing Resources page, which we update quarterly. One of the newest additions to this page is a postcard that members can print and give to practitioners. It highlights that you use the highest quality ingredients in the compounds you make for your prescribers’ patients, and it encourages them to visit thepccastandard.com to learn more.

Approaching prescribers to discuss customized medication is an important step in growing your business and especially in helping patients get the medicine they need. Whether you are informing a practitioner about what pharmacy compounding is, having a discussion about why they should work with you or even justifying your prices, it can be beneficial to assure them that you compound high-quality medications by being specific about your practices and ingredients. We hope the five tips above will help you do just that.

New Episodes Added to The Mortar & Pestle: A PCCA Podcast — April 2019

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 14:20:02 GMT

The Mortar & Pestle is a podcast for the pharmacy compounding world. Whether you are a pharmacy owner, staff pharmacist, technician, marketer or a patient using personalized medicine, this is a home for you. Co-hosts Mike De Lisio and Sebastian Denison, RPh, along with a guest list of the industry’s most influential leaders, explore a cross-section of topics impacting today’s compounders.

This is your front-row seat to conversations with pharmacists at the forefront of science and medicine; experts in the fields business, marketing and entrepreneurship; and visionary leaders who share the belief that custom medicine is the future.

New Episodes for April 2019

Episode 15: Compounding for Pediatrics with Tricia Heitman
Mike and Sebastian welcome guest Tricia Heitman, PharmD, PCCA Clinical Compounding Pharmacist. Tricia talks about her love for pediatric compounding and discusses potential options for children with autism. She also shares stories from her time with the Clinical Services team at PCCA.

Listen to Episode 15

Episode 16: The Pharmacist-to-Marketer Relationship with Steve Hoffart and Haley Collavo
Steve Hoffart, PharmD, and Haley Collavo of Magnolia Pharmacy join Mike and Sebastian in the studio. Steve and Haley discuss how they work together as a pharmacist and a marketer. They also go into detail about how Steve saw the need to have a staff member dedicated to marketing, and how Haley meets the marketing and sales needs of the pharmacy.

Listen to Episode 16

In Case You Missed It
Listen to our 14th episode with special guest Cheri Kraemer, RPh, who joins Mike and guest co-host Michelle Perreault live at the 2019 HRT Symposium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cheri discusses how she got started in compounding and her journey to receiving the 2018 PCCA Compounding Pharmacist of the Year award. Cheri, Mike and Michelle also discuss the importance of advocacy, networking with other compounding pharmacists and much more. Listen here.