Patient focus, best practices take center stage at RBC 2015 Opening Session
LAS VEGAS — “Things just keep getting better," Jon Giacomin, Cardinal Health CEO for the Pharmaceutical Segment told a packed room of attendees gathered here on Thursday morning for the opening session of the company's 25th annual Retail Business Conference. Giacomin ought to know, as the first-year CEO celebrated his 10th RBC meeting. “The next one is better than the last one and I would expect the same thing this year.”
A lot may have changed in the last 10 years, he said, but one thing remains constant in the world of retail independent pharmacy: There’s still a pronounced focus on patient access. Now, though, that focus is accompanied by an emphasis on outcomes as well. “As retail independent pharmacists, you’re going to need to focus on your patient and the outcome of that care.” That will help drive the evolution of pharmacy’s role in the delivery of care.
“You spend more time with patients than other providers,”Giacomin said. “You are their educator; their advisor; their advocate; [advising them on] everything in and around their health issues from immunizations to diabetes care, you’re there for them.”
That is why Cardinal Health executives chose this year’s theme for RBC: “Positioned to Win.” It doesn’t just describe the ideal market position independent owners and operators are in —it also underscores how retail pharmacy is becoming an integral component in the delivery of health care in America.
To help the broadest number of its customers position themselves and their businesses to win, one major focus for RBC 2015 is the sharing of best practices among independent pharmacy owners. "A number of them are doing some unique things top respond to some of the needs within their own communities," Giacomin told DSN in an exclusive interview in the weeks leading up to RBC. "We're hosting a number of panel discussions to help facilitate peer-to-peer conversations as well as highlight best practices we think a number of our customers can learn from." (For the complete interview, click here.)
Set around the three key pillars of retail, business and wellness, Cardinal Health RBC 2105 features a series of best-practice panel discussions aimed at diversifying into new businesses, developing unique wellness programs and leveraging high-growth front-end categories to drive profits. The first business advantage panel discussion took place during Thursday morning's business session. Andy Jolly, of Ready Meds Pharmacy in Renton, Wash., shared his tactics for building a successful long-term care business; David Hester, of Medicine Shoppe in Maxton, N.C., talked about adherence solutions; and Angie Kloeppel discussed how St. Louis’ LaDue Pharmacy expanded its flu shot offerings into a robust travel vaccination business.
To help attendees navigate the massive show floor, which featured nearly 400 exhibitors, Giacomin pointed to three must-sees at RBC this year, including, Cardinal Health’s Reimbursement Consulting Services dashboard; the Consumer Health Retail Academy, where attendees can stop by to share best practices and ideas for driving front-end profitability; and Cardinal Health's Adherence Advantage, a suite of 10 solutions designed to improve patient outcomes and a pharmacy’s performance against CMS’ Star ratings.
Another focus at RBC this year is the rebranding of the highly popular GenerationRx program, which recently launched an updated new website. Ken Hale, clinical professor of Ohio State University, joined Steve Lawrence, Cardinal Health SVP Retail Independent Sales, to discuss what Hale described as GenerationRx 3.0. The initiative, designed to help retail pharmacies educate their communities on the dangers of misusing prescription medicine, is launching a new website at generationrx.org that will feature new branding: “Safe medication practices for life.” Previously, Cardinal Health and Ohio State each ran their own versions of the website.
Also attracting a great deal of attention at RBC this year is Cardinal Health's new co-branding option with Medicap and Medicine Shoppe pharmacies. John Balch, owner of PharmaCare and several Medicine Shoppes — and the 2015 MSI Franchisee of the Year — talked about the benefits of bringing together the local brand equity associated with a community pharmacy with the national identity of the Medicap and Medicine Shoppe franchise groups.
Thursday morning’s session closed with a presentation from Gen. Colin Powell, (US, ret.), who discussed how independent pharmacies are taking a leadership role in serving their communities. “You have the clear purpose you always have had, and that’s to protect and take care of, and keep your fellow citizens healthy,” Powell said. “You are the essence of our medical system. In addition to the hospitals and the doctors, at the end of the day, you’re the ones who … [give us] what we need to keep us healthy.”