AmerisourceBergen adds resources to support independent pharmacies
LAS VEGAS – AmerisourceBergen is launching several new programs to help independent pharmacies improve business performance while meeting growing patient need.
“At AmerisourceBergen, we are championing the independent pharmacist,” said president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Brian Nightengale, RPh, Ph.D. “Whether it is hearing feedback from our customers about how to improve their buying experience or delivering new solutions to enhance business profitability and patient care, we are fully committed to supporting the success of independently owned community pharmacies.”
The company highlighted the new solutions at ThoughtSpot 2016, Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s annual trade show, in Las Vegas. AmerisourceBergen leaders highlighted solutions designed to drive improved results across the entire pharmacy – from front-end sales to back-end operational performance.
Resources include:
• Advocacy Resources: As part of AmerisourceBergen’s ongoing support for independents, the company has added a new resource, 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.
• Specialty at Retail: The rapid growth of specialty products provides a natural intersection for community pharmacy to provide personalized patient care in complex therapies. These specialty products often have a high burden of administrative tasks that can be challenging for an independent pharmacy to operationalize economically. AmerisourceBergen is developing a specialty at retail program that will allow member pharmacies to better service patient needs while diversifying revenue streams. Through this program, independent pharmacies will be able to focus more on patient care instead of spending time and resources navigating administrative tasks.
• Front-End Retail Excellence: Good Neighbor Pharmacy is offering its members comprehensive services to optimize front-end sales, including access to business coaching, manufacturer promotions, point of sale (POS) data and reporting tools, and Retail Remedy, a monthly publication with news, tips, and product specials focused on retail strategies. While at ThoughtSpot 2016, many pharmacists joined an all-day front-end profit building seminar presented by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and sponsored by Good Neighbor Pharmacy. This session kicked off a new five-year partnership to provide similar learning opportunities in convenient settings for pharmacists.
• Generics Buying Enhancements: AmerisourceBergen has redesigned the generics buying experience to not only deliver competitive up-front prices, but to serve pharmacists differently based on the way that they want to buy.
New to ThoughtSpot this year was an Innovation & Technology Showcase. Throughout the conference, attendees could visit the showcase to learn more about:
• ABC Order, a new ordering platform developed with pharmacists for pharmacists. The platform is engineered to fit within the pharmacy workflow to enable effortless ordering, smarter inventory control, quicker access to data and simple issues resolution. The new platform will be made available to customers in 2017
• Best practices for medication therapy management (MTM) programs to manage adherence and patient communications, and working with Medicare
• How partners of AmerisourceBergen’s Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization (PSAO), Elevate Provider Network, implement technology solutions to support reimbursement discussions with payers, and improve MTM, adherence and reimbursement
Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s 2016 Pharmacy of the Year Award was announced during general session. HB Pharmacy from North Arlington, N.J. received the esteemed award for exemplifying what it means to be a Good Neighbor Pharmacy in their commitment to enhancing patient care and lives in local communities. Since Gaspar Bellitti opened HB Drugs in 1964, the family-owned pharmacy has remained committed to its innovative, patient-minded approach to care. Driven in part by his father’s ideals, owner John Bellitti has invested in technology solutions that enable the staff to spend more time with patients. Under his leadership, the pharmacy has adopted an integrated approach to patient care, operating with the core belief that a person’s health and wellness requires a collaborative effort among all healthcare practitioners.
Following the Pharmacy of the Year announcement, retired NASA astronauts and twin brothers Scott and Mark Kelly delivered the keynote address. The astronauts reflected on the experiences and lessons that shaped their perception of teamwork and leadership, discussed how they learned to face and overcome adversities and shared personal strategies for adapting to change.