How Can Over Counter Medication Deliver Customer Retention for Independent Pharmacies

With approximately 20,000 independent pharmacies trading in the USA, you would think that patients would be spoilt for choice regarding the availability of simple products. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. Demand, affordability and perhaps trying to be too niche has often seen pharmacies fail to cater to the needs of a wide enough ranging customer base.

It is these common products though that can see your pharmacy enhance revenue, deliver consistently, and increase its reputation.

Over-the-counter medications are the types that when optimized by your pharmacy can transform your pharmacy in a multitude of ways. Whilst some are for simple and easy-to-treat illnesses or complaints, others are much more specific and with the confusing variables of names, can see patients unsure of what their best option is.

If you, the independent pharmacy owner, can understand the power of these products and train your teams correctly on their composition, side effects and the way to administer them, you could be further increasing the success of your independent pharmacy.

Keep over-the-counter medicines simple to navigate

Whenever a patient enters your independent pharmacy, in most cases, they will have a good understanding of what they require. Possibly even down to the brand. However, in many instances, the vast array of over-the-counter products is almost kaleidoscopic. A variety of colored boxes, bottles and packets can lead it to become a confusing minefield of options.

Where each brand clamors for a patient's attention by claiming how it treats an ailment better, some may be formed of slightly different ingredients that could lead to allergic reactions, adverse side effects or a dose not strong enough to combat the issue.

By ensuring both you and your team are trained, you can advise patients with the best possible knowledge of what variant of each medication does. Through this confident delivery showcasing your knowledge, you can build patient confidence not only in you, but your pharmacy as a whole should they need to use your service again.

What over-the-counter products should an independent pharmacy stock?

It would be impossible to know what every visitor will require in advance, but over-the-counter products tend to be for your more common and easily treatable conditions. In most cases, such medications are only due to be taken for a small period and for mild cases of common ailments.

If you are starting up an independent pharmacy, you should be ensuring a varied stock holding of products that help tackle the following:

• Colds and flu
• Aches and pains
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Acne
• Fungal infections

There are, of course, others and whatever you stock, it is vital to ensure your team is aware of each type you sell. Many OTC (over-the-counter) products contain active ingredients that can lead to severe consequences should they be misused.

An example of this is Dextromethorphan (DXM) which will often be found in cough and cold medicines that you find available for purchase in a pharmacy. When taken in excess and mixed with alcohol or other drugs, the patient can suffer from hallucinations and begin to form an addiction. In extreme cases, a fatal overdose is even possible.

By having your team understand the potential for misuse, they can monitor patient purchasing patterns, alert people to the risks and enhance the pharmacy's reputation as a place that has an eye on community safety and public wellbeing.

When a patient tries to purchase excessive amounts of such medications, you should refuse the sale and ask them to return with a prescription from their doctor.

Merchandising medications to showcase your range

As we touched upon earlier, there are a huge variety of OTC medications available and for you to fit everyone into what could be a limited space, could send confusing messages to your customers. Instead, get creative, utilize the floor space and display cases of your pharmacy to showcase specific products. Remember to be seasonal though as some ailments become more prevalent at certain times of the year.

You can then go one stage further and make things interactive. Harness the benefit of QR codes so that customers can scan a code with their cellphones and then see a video or webpage on their phone giving full information about the product. This not only cuts down the demands on your team but allows customers to make an informed decision without feeling rushed.

Promote products through informative guides

Sticking with the creative side, why not have items to hand that customers can take away? If the ailment is mild and only requires a small degree of care, patients may want to know about a few options before taking medicine. Especially if one can result in more significant side effects than the other. Having leaflets or a booklet that is free for them to take away not only keeps a customer informed about the most common medications and how to use them but from a branding perspective, you will be seen as the place to go for the customer to purchase them.

Just like creative merchandising, this method of assisting customers also helps with the workload for your team. Whilst you are busy answering calls, serving customers, handing our medication, or taking in deliveries, a guide allows people to learn, decide and then purchase at a slower pace that enables you to put your focus exactly where it needs to be at crucial moments.

Could patients benefit from samples?

This could be a grey area for some, and, understandably, some pharmacists may be a little unsure as to whether this is a good idea. However, if the medications you offer are safe for people to try and do not cause any disruption to any other medication regimen, a sample can be a way to secure long-term custom.

For example, a skin cream may be high on the shopping list of a customer. Ensure you have some on hand that contain no allergens and allow the customer to try them out. Often allowing the demonstration product to be more premium can secure a more lucrative sale but be mindful of how people interpret your intentions. Instead, look to showcase three products, a cheap price point, something mid-range, and something premium. When presented with these options, customers will almost always go for the mid-range which is likely more expensive than the one they would have chosen if left to browse without sampling.

Now even if they do choose the cheapest option. The time spent by you or your team giving informative and valuable information will stick long in the customers' minds and go some way to solidifying a return visit.

The above examples are of course great ways to keep customers using your local pharmacy as their destination of choice for all over-the-counter products, but you can extend the opportunity of increased customer retention even further by offering prescription delivery services. This way, customers who suffer from conditions that leave them more compromised can benefit from consistent, compliant, and safe deliveries of all their prescription medications. With proof of delivery and route optimization to ensure timely deliveries among the many features RxMile software offers, independent pharmacies are working towards eclipsing the large nationals that put profit before patients.

Want to know how your pharmacy can benefit from this? Speak to RxMile. We are leading the way in ensuring citizens of the USA get their medications how and when they should. Be part of the revolution.