The holidays are meant for celebration. But, for many of your pharmacy’s patients, the season is an occasion for unhealthy eating and increased stress. And, it’s a prime time for colds and flu.
Your patients trust your independent community pharmacy to provide expert health guidance and advice. So this holiday season, be sure to support your patients as they try to stay healthy.
Here are five ways to help your patients stay well for the holidays.
1. Encourage healthy lifestyles
Your patients are likely not being as health conscience during the holidays, as unhealthy food is a constant presence at family gatherings and seasonal celebrations.
Encourage patients to stay on track during these difficult months by offering an educational workshop or class on nutrition during December. Consider asking a nutritionist to run the workshop. You could also send patients a weekly e-newsletter that contains information about how to maintain a nutritious diet during the holidays.
And, it’s not just about food. Laziness tends to increase when it’s cold outside, causing people to have trouble managing their weight. It’s also important to emphasize the importance of being physically active, regardless of the weather.
Encourage patients to get a jump-start on their New Year’s resolutions by starting a fitness education program at your pharmacy. You could even partner with a local health club or physical therapist to offer this service.
2. Promote safe travel
Many patients may be traveling away from home for the holidays, so be sure that your pharmacy is a helpful destination during their travels.
Whether people are stocking up before leaving on a trip, or stopping by your pharmacy for relief mid-vacation, offer solutions to help.
For example, provide brochures on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and tips for prevention during air travel. Stuff the brochures into prescription bags, so patients can read about the risks associated with DVT and the symptoms to watch out for, such as leg or arm swelling and pain or discomfort.
Another concern when traveling is the increased risk of getting sick. Be sure to advertise over-the-counter (OTC) products, like Vitamin C and calcium supplements, to encourage patients to keep their immune systems up.
3. Instruct patients on hygiene practices
It’s common for patients to develop colds and the flu during the fall and winter months. So, it’s essential to promote proper hygiene practices. Here are some ideas.
Encourage patients to keep their hands clean
Explain the importance of hand washing before holiday meal prep—and after contact with a sick individual—by hanging posters, posting signage or including information in bag stuffers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer tips you can refer patients to or use on your promotional materials, to help them keep their hands clean.
Create a hand washing end cap
Put together an end cap display promoting hand washing in your front end. Fill it with holiday soaps and alcohol-based hand sanitizers. The CDC recommends hand sanitizers contain at least 60 percent alcohol to effectively clean hands.
Promote on social media
Post tips for proper hand washing techniques on your pharmacy’s social media sites throughout December.
4. Help patients cope with holiday stress
Don’t let stress take a toll on your patients’ health this season.
For patients with anxiety, offer tips on how to cope with seasonal stress. And, help patients manage their worries by offering a stress-relief end cap.
“Create an end cap of stress relief items available in your pharmacy, such as aromatherapy, candles, stress balls, bath salts, shower gels, teas, massage oils, vitamins, etc. Make sure your display is well-signed and well-stocked,” Gabe Trahan senior director of store operations and marketing at the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) said in the April 2 edition of Profit Makers, an email with front-end tips for pharmacies.
5. Prompt patients to get vaccinated
Are sniffling patients starting to frequent your pharmacy?
Don’t let the flu dampen your patients’ holiday plans. Be sure to prompt patients to get their annual flu shot.
A few simple ways you can promote flu shots at your pharmacy include:
• Dispelling common flu shot myths on your pharmacy’s social media
• Hanging up flyers and other signage around your store to remind patients to get their annual flu shot
• Sending an e-newsletter that reminds patients to get their flu shot
Want to boost your front-end holidays sales? Follow these five tips.
