Gerry Spitzner | Blog

Oct.23
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Cannabis, what’s next for Pharmacy? | Do you have a coherent strategy?

Posted by in Business Planning, Operations, Pharmacy

Non-medical cannabis became legal in Canada as of October 17, 2018. Cannabis can be used for medical or non-medical purposes. People may choose to use cannabis for its therapeutic effects. But it can also harm your health.  I’ve heard both sides from practicing Pharmacists and Doctors. Both situations are true. Cannabis affects everyone differently. Before I continue, I should state my personal position on marijuana. I am fully supportive of the legalization of marijuana for recreational use and support regulation and taxation, treating it along the lines of alcohol or…read more

Sep.24
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Retail Pharmacy’s street fight in an online age

Posted by in Business Planning, Customer experience, Marketing, Operations, Pharmacy, Retail, Social media

We’ve seen remarkable change in our lifetimes, but what we’re experiencing now is different. It’s not just evolutionary change; it’s transformative change that requires us to alter our patterns of behaviour and learn new skills. Just having a nice store with nice products and services in a good location isn’t enough anymore.   Patients are seeking modern conveniences such as mobile apps that can connect them directly with their pharmacy, and community pharmacies must be willing and able to meet those needs. Although specific apps may not be feasible for…read more

Tips to become more customer focused

Posted by in Business Planning, Customer experience, Marketing, Operations, Pharmacy, Retail

Patient services are about applied health benefits, not just features. A feature is what something is and a benefit is what something does. Patients always seek to fulfill some intention beyond just a pill. While pharmacists often focus on the effects of disease and medication, patients focus mainly on the outcomes. In other words, they are seeking the applied benefit of your patient service. Applied benefits are the outcomes patients expect beyond the prescribed medication. For example, take a newly diagnosed child with asthma. While the patient service you deliver may show…read more

Aug.20
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Jun.20
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Get with the Pharmacy business program

Posted by in Business Planning, Customer experience, Marketing, Operations, Pharmacy, Retail, Small Business

The old saying “nothing remains constant except change itself” must have been written by someone well-versed in the day-to-day operations of retail pharmacy.   We must adapt and grow with every change we encounter. For me the pace of change is staggering. The nature of this business is changing so quickly that you need to be nimble and flexible. Focusing on the business of your practice is crucial to your professional and personal success. Today, the change before us is that the healthcare industry is evolving and so too are…read more

Apr.18
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3 tips to help introduce a new patient service

Posted by in Business Planning, Customer experience, Marketing, Operations, Pharmacy, Retail, Small Business, Social media

For many pharmacists, the process of launching a new patient service begins with the lightbulb moment when they conceive of a breakthrough idea. Very often, they are so passionate about the idea that they believe its merits will be self-evident to prospective customers and patients—that the innovation is so obviously superior it will sell itself.   On the other hand, entrepreneurial thinking pharmacists who avoid that delusion may think of their initial sales as a chicken-and-egg problem…they realize that getting buy-in from potential customers is a top priority, but until…read more

Feb.22
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Why Pharmacists need to learn to always begin at the end

Posted by in Business Planning, Customer experience, Leadership, Marketing, Operations, Pharmacy, Retail, Small Business

For many Pharmacists, the process of launching a new patient service begins with the lightbulb moment when they conceive of a breakthrough idea.   Very often, they are so passionate about the idea that they believe its merits will be self-evident to prospective customers and patients—that the innovation is so obviously superior it will sell itself. On the other hand, entrepreneurial thinking Pharmacists who avoid that delusion may think of their initial sales as a chicken-and-egg problem…they realize that getting buy-in from potential customers is a top priority, but until they…read more

You gotta know your numbers

Posted by in Business Planning, Operations, Pharmacy, Retail, Small Business

There are two chronic afflictions that can “kill” your retail Pharmacy business…too much inventory and high overhead. If they get out of control; either one of them will ruin your business. Today, you have no excuse for letting overhead or inventory get out of control. What will you do, on a regular basis, to make sure they don’t? The good news is that with today’s affordable computerized business systems, you can rid yourself of these two ailments. However, simply implementing the systems is not enough. You must take the time…read more

Dec.22
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