Cardinal Health

At Cardinal Health RBC 2018, Doug Hoey, president and CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association, discussed the “The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Pharmacy Owners,” encouraging attendees to be proactive in the marketplace and their communities.

At the Cardinal Health RBC 2018 Opening Session in San Diego, pharmacy owners heard about the ways they can work together to bring change to the current reimbursement model.

Jana Bennet, owner of two Medicine Shoppe pharmacies in North Texas, shares how Cardinal Health’s point-of-care testing program, which now offers two new tests that cover chronic care conditions, has helped her improve her pharmacy.

For retail independent pharmacists, participating in a 340B program can help increase access to affordable medications and strengthen the pharmacy’s relationship with its community.

Phil LaFoy, pharmacist and co-owner of Blount Discount Pharmacies, which has locations in Alcoa and Maryville, Tenn., said that digital tools — a website that allows for prescription refills and a mobile app with similar capabilities — are one of the main ways independent retail pharmacies can stay competitive.

There are many programs available at Cardinal Health RBC 2018 that can be implemented to maintain the profitability and productivity in the pharmacy. However, the largest margins and greatest profit-per-square-inch metrics are generated not behind the bench, but across the front end.

More than 32.6 million Americans live more than two miles from the nearest pharmacy. That distance not only serves as a significant barrier to accessing prescription medicines, but also contributes to the growing nonadherence problem in the United States. TelePharm, a Cardinal Health company, helps pharmacists overcome those medication barriers by facilitating the opening of telepharmacies as part of a turnkey solution set for interested pharmacy operations.

As expert healthcare providers in their communities, independent pharmacists are part of the front lines of care to help combat the opioid crisis. Through its Generation Rx program, created in partnership with The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in 2009, the Cardinal Health Foundation partners with pharmacists and their communities in this fight by extending its prevention education reach and providing support for drug take-back initiatives, safe prescribing practices and strengthening community collaborations.