Personalizing pharmacy experience

With 544 pharmacies in 44 states — as well as more than 230 stores in Canada, China, India, Japan and the United Arab Emirates — Medicine Shoppe International has carved a niche in community pharmacy as an apothecary-style source for both personalized prescription counseling and specialized disease management expertise.

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Last fall, Cardinal cast a wider net to prospective franchise owners by launching a co-branding option that allows independent pharmacies joining the network to maintain their own store identity and still gain the benefits of franchise membership. Among those benefits is enrollment in MSI’s Pharmacy Services Administration Organization, along with related managed care services to help them gain access to commercial, Medicare and longterm care; immunization; and rural payer networks, according to MSI VP John Fiacco. They also qualify for other Cardinal and Medicine Shoppe resources, including the EQuIPP and LearnSomething software programs to track and measure performance.



The co-branding option “brings the best of both worlds to independent pharmacy,” Fiacco said. “Now, community pharmacies can continue to maintain the local store names their patients have come to know and trust, while also tapping into the equity and awareness of a national brand.”



Among the basic services offered by Medicine Shoppe and Medicap pharmacy owners are health screenings without an appointment, comprehensive medication reviews and “robust, two-way communication” with patients, Cardinal reported, as well as home delivery of prescriptions.



Some Medicine Shoppe pharmacies go further, setting themselves up as Specialized Care Centers, which “concentrate their care on a particular health focus — such as diabetes, heart health, immunizations, home health care or long-term care — to help patients manage their unique healthcare needs,” according to Medicine Shoppe.