How do Independent Pharmacies Increase the Sense of Community

Everywhere you look these days, a chain brand fills your city or town offering its services. You'll often see more than one of the same brand within just a few miles of each other. Starbucks, McDonald's, GAP, and Target, to name a few.

The independent fashion retailer, fast food outlet, or coffee shop struggles to keep up and slowly dissolves into insignificance. Lost are the friendly staff members and business owners that know every sale keeps them afloat, and lost is every moment that a customer feels the warmth of a more personal welcome and homely feel from the service they receive.

The same can be said in the pharmaceutical trade too. Healthcare is important. There is no escaping that, and it is often within healthcare that someone feels most vulnerable. Possibly embarrassed to ask questions, unsure of what to look for, and concerned as to whether the advice they receive is the best available, a patient can sometimes feel exposed. This is why independent pharmacies are helping buck the trend against other forms of retail. While Walgreens and CVS fill your state, and turnover vast sums of cash per year, they do not offer the unique ability to serve their customers like independents. They don't help bridge the healthcare gap like independant pharmacies are constantly trying to.

Today, we look at the key reasons why independent pharmacies help increase the sense of community and bring benefits to the public that big chains can't.

More focused customer service

We touched upon it in the opening paragraph. The friendly staff and level of service have long been attributed to independent businesses regardless of their industry. While big chains can wheel out multiple customer service training programs and hire thought leaders to try and drive a certain mindset into the employees, nothing will change the feel an independent brand gives its customers. Think of the number of people that flood through the doors of a big brand retailer each day. Does the young man at the counter remember each of their names? It is doubtful. Does he know their preferences for specific product types? Probably not.

In fact, this is backed up by data. A study by consumer reports showed that over 50% of patients that filled out a prescription at an independent pharmacy said the pharmacist knew their name, whereas only 14% could claim the same at a chain pharmacy.

Having more flexibility than large chains helps to build a unique relationship between pharmacy and patient. Without the restrictions of specific policies and procedures a large corporation sets, they can make decisions for themselves unique to the patient. Thereby increasing a more positive relationship between the two.

Flexibility and convenience

With the vast number of chain pharmacies, you cannot deny their ability to offer a service with ease. However, the personal touch that an independent pharmacy brings allows for increased flexibility with more options for delivery than the chain brands. Some will offer free delivery, saving you even more money when compared to the chain brands.

With chain brands servicing the needs of vast customers, the option for a flexible prescription delivery service or pick-up is not there, leading to many customers having relatively limited timeslots to collect their medications.

With a smaller, more known customer base, independents can mold their deliveries or pick-ups to the needs of their patients, making it much more manageable—another huge tick when it comes to building community, service, and reputation.

More affordable medications

You would think that large chain brands can offer vast discounts on the medications they provide. The size and scale of these businesses allow for that. However, due to the power of the PBMs, the prices these large chains can charge often leave people spending much more than they should. Working to specific margins and being controlled by the PBMs does not allow for the flexibility that independent pharmacies can offer. The earlier report showed that independents tend to offer lower prices on medications than chains.

Increased efficiency

It could often be thought that the infrastructure behind large chains means more efficient practices are in place. However, this is not always the case. A recent study investigated the wait times at both independent and chain pharmacies. It found that the time patients spent waiting for their prescriptions to be fulfilled were significantly longer at a chain pharmacy. In addition, the independent pharmacies also offered a much greater number of one-to-one consultations. This further increases the sense of community, personality, and care these businesses aim to provide. When it comes to something as important as healthcare, the chance to talk to somebody and be seen as an individual cannot be understated.

Working to margins often means cutting back on team members, which could be thought to be something a smaller business may choose to do. However, it has been the larger chains putting a focus on this. Removing the personality, community, and compassion when dealing with healthcare issues.

A notable example of this would be the covid vaccination rollout. The US government partnered with CVS and Walgreens to distribute the vaccines; however, so poor was the rollout that some states turned to the independents to help them protect people from the virus. And now it is the independents aiming to help people in compromised situations as we move out of covid. Many pharmacies are seeing the benefits to both their patients and business by either sourcing or starting a prescription courier company. This way patients are never without medication and have them delivered safely as well as on time.

Patients before profit

While every business out there aims to deliver a profit for its owners, an independent pharmacy does not have an array of shareholders to please. This allows for a different approach. The owners of independent pharmacies know that each person coming through their doors is not just a customer but a patient in need of help. Someone that is possibly at their most vulnerable and in need of advice, support, and information. They also know that providing a more personal service and being more understanding and empathetic to the needs of people results in more custom. Chains do not, and unfortunately, are unlikely ever to be able to offer this.

In addition to all the above, an independent pharmacy knows its location much more than a chain does. This allows for much more scope in traditional community events. A local business is more likely to set up charity drives for respectable causes if someone in the area is struggling. They are more likely to support local events as there is no red tape to go through, and they are more likely to help build friendships and relationships over time. All of which can only be a good thing.

Just remember to avoid the common medication errors independent pharmacies make and you'll enhance your sense of community even moreso!

Suppose you are part of an independent pharmacy and are looking at ways to increase your services to your patients best or are thinking of how to start your own independent pharmacy. Speak to us. We offer the most revolutionary technology to help both patients and pharmacies by way of prescription delivery software, made by a pharmacy owner for pharmacy owners, RxMile keeps you compliant, in control, and cost-effective.