The five game-changers unveiled at ThoughtSpot 2016
Following the ThoughtSpot 2016 tradeshow, operating as a Good Neighbor Pharmacy is about to become both an easier and more profitable undertaking given the number of key enhancements and opportunities introduced at the show.
Altogether, there were four enhancements introduced at ThoughtSpot 2016 that are expected to have a measurable impact on pharmacy operations, and one tool launched to help independent operators bridge the gap between community pharmacy and their legislators on issues of health access and services.
ABC ORDER
The enhancement that drew the most fanfare was the launch of ABC Order, which not only streamlines the ordering process and facilitates better inventory management, but also does so in a way that is instinctive to the operator.
And that’s because as many as 200 Good Neighbor Pharmacy operators had direct input into the development of ABC Order from its early design stages to ensure the final product was intuitive to the actual user. “We knew going into this that everything we did had to be based on customer feedback,” Kathie Manning, group VP customer solutions and support at AmerisourceBergen, shared with Drug Store News on the show floor.
Development of this year’s ABC Order platform started at ThoughtSpot 2015, where AmerisourceBergen first started asking for feedback from customers on ABC Passport, the current ordering platform. “That has been the genesis for the entire platform,” she said. “Everything we’ve done has been based on customer feedback.”
For example, two new features based on customer input were notes and a calendar, which can help operators with tighter inventory control. “Notes was something we added based on what we saw in the [test] pharmacies,” Manning said. “We saw pharmacists tagging notes to bottles,” she said, to remind them to check on the shelf below for additional inventory, for example.
ABC Order supports a search that is powerful and uncluttered, with a portal that mimics the experience of a consumer interface like Amazon.com. The new ordering platform also features tools to help users control and optimize inventory by providing real-time delivery tracking and status updates.
The new platform will be made available to customers in 2017.
FRONT-END ENHANCEMENT
To bolster front-end performance, Good Neighbor Pharmacy partnered with the National Community Pharmacists Association on a special all-day, front-end profit building seminar hosted by Gabe Trahan, a well-known independent specialist who helps independent operators identify factors that may detract from front-end success. Topics covered during the session included easy fixes to boost curb appeal, floor plans and cross-merchandising, inventory management and marketing ideas.
“Part of the importance of the front end is that it provides a tremendous opportunity to provide your patients with the additional items they might need to manage their health more successfully,” noted Brian Nightengale, president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy.
This session kicked off a new five-year partnership to provide similar learning opportunities in convenient settings for pharmacists. “In a world of shrinking profit margins and fierce competition from the big boxes, it is more critical than ever for community pharmacies to diversify their business to grow and thrive, and the pharmacy front-end provides an excellent starting point,” stated Bradley Arthur, NCPA president. “Thanks to the generous support of Good Neighbor Pharmacy, NCPA can continue to help store owners capitalize on existing and new revenue opportunities in their pharmacy front-ends and become more successful retailers through these one-day seminars. There's no better way to rethink pharmacy than by starting with easy-to-implement changes to the front end.”
In addition, Good Neighbor Pharmacy is offering its members comprehensive services to optimize front-end sales, including access to business coaching, manufacturer promotions, point of sale data and reporting tools, as well as Retail Remedy, a monthly publication with news, tips and product specials focused on retail strategies.
LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
Another significant tool introduced at the show was OurIndependentVoice.com. The newly launched website provides pharmacists a centralized place to access tools and resources to join advocacy movements that impact care in the community setting, research policies impacting independent pharmacy, access letter templates and write to legislators, and connect with other pharmacists and pharmacy organizations.
“Our active engagement with legislators and regulators generates proper understanding of the value we all contribute to health care,” Steve Collis, Chairman, President and CEO AmerisourceBergen, told attendees. “Without these conversations and the awareness that comes from them, we could lose the battle for a reasonable and fair share of the healthcare dollar. Our promising future could be compromised.”
“The conventions these past two weeks prove that America is a robust democracy — whatever your personal political views may be,” Collis added. “Our citizens are passionate about government and its impact on all of us, and there are many ways for individuals and businesses of all sizes to be active.”
GENERICS BUYING
In yet another example of how AmerisourceBergen is molding its offerings so that it better serves the independent business operator, the company has redesigned the generics buying experience to not only deliver competitive upfront prices, but to serve pharmacists differently based on the way that they want to buy.
“Generics are incredibly important in the world of pharmacy and pricing generics is essential,” Peyton Howell, president global sourcing and manufacturer relations for AmerisourceBergen, shared with Drug Store News. “The biggest solution that we bring to community pharmacy is our PRxO Generics, our proprietary generics formulary,” she said. “The second thing that we’re doing is we’ve aligned our team in Bern, Switzerland, the same city as Walgreens Boots Alliance, for global generic manufacturing relationships. And that’s been fantastic; … we’re aligned with the scale that Walgreens Boots Alliance brings so that we can have the benefit of that scale brought to our Good Nei