With the Fourth of July holiday just around the corner, have you prepared your pharmacy for the hustle and bustle of patients getting ready for the day?
If the Fourth of July falls on the right day, many patients will likely have planned short summer vacations during their long weekend off. And this means they’ll need to visit your pharmacy to refill prescriptions and stock up on over-the-counter (OTC) items before their trips.
“Last year, more than 41 million Americans traveled 50 miles or more from home for the Independence Day long weekend,” Gabe Trahan, Senior Director of Store Operations and Marketing at the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), said in the latest edition of Profit Makers, an email with front-end tips for pharmacies.
Implementing the measures necessary to accommodate the high volume of vacation-bound patients ahead of time can help ensure your pharmacy operates as efficiently and effectively as possible, while maintaining your independent community pharmacy’s high standard of service.
We’ve put together seven tips to help you eliminate stress and ensure everything runs smoothly at your pharmacy over the Fourth of July.
1. Set your pharmacy’s holiday hours
If you’ll be closed or shortening your operating hours for the holiday, make your patients aware by posting signs throughout your pharmacy as a reminder. Also, update your website and voicemail.
Make sure the message is positive by avoiding focusing on the word ‘closed’. For example, communicate that you and your staff will be enjoying the holiday with your families and list the hours your pharmacy will be open.
2. Prepare your staff for a busy time before July 4
With patients needing to fill their prescriptions and pick up travel essentials before the holiday, the days running up to the Fourth of July will be busy. Make sure your employees understand their responsibilities, and that they have the resources to effectively prioritize and complete tasks.
Meet with your employees in advance and go over everything they’ll need to know in order to avoid problems and maintain excellent customer service. This is especially important for staff members who have not yet worked on busy occasions.
3. Check your inventory for summer vacation essentials
The need for sun care and other vacation-related products is going to be high as patients stock up on last-minute travel essentials.
Double check your inventory ahead of time to avoid running out of popular products. Also, make sure your shelves are always properly stocked so that patients don’t have to wait in lines just to ask if you have more product.
4. Update your social media
Patients who follow your social media accounts often look for updates on store hours and other useful information, so it’s important to keep it current.
Create a post about your holiday hours—refer to tip number one—and make sure it’s published across all of the platforms you use, such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also create posts reminding patients to get their prescriptions filled and to stock up on their vacation essentials at your pharmacy before the holiday weekend.
5. Create a summer vacation inspired end cap
Placing products strategically throughout your pharmacy is a great way to maximize sales, and one way to do this is with an end cap. Because you know patients going on vacation will be looking for travel-size products, make that the inspiration for your end cap.
“Place your end cap in a prominent location or near the snacks and water cooler,” said Gabe Trahan, senior director of store operations and marketing at NCPA. Also, remember to include a sign that will grab patients’ attention as they move through your pharmacy.
6. Organize your sales floor and supply areas
Just because you’re busier than usual, doesn’t mean efficiency should start lacking. When patients are rushing in to grab last-minute necessities, the last thing you want is to keep them waiting.
Make sure your selling floor is organized and that your employees are aware of their surroundings. Your supply areas should also be organized, so it’s easy for employees to quickly restock shelves and patients aren’t kept waiting while a product is hunted down.
7. Evaluate last year’s sales and plan accordingly
Identifying what sales were like during last year’s pre-holiday rush can help you plan for what this July 4 will be like.
If you noticed certain times of day were busier than others, you can schedule your employees accordingly. If certain times were less busy, you can have pre-assigned projects ready for employees to complete to ensure the busy times run more smoothly. For example, employees who normally run the cash register can be assisting with organizing shelves and checking inventory during slack times.
Make sure you’re ready for vacation-bound patients by stocking these 10 summer must-haves in your front end.
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