We talked with Scott Miller, R.Ph., president of Minnich’s Pharmacy in York, Pennsylvania about his business, his perspective on the pharmacy profession and how he’s working to keep his community pharmacy profitable.
Tell us a little about your pharmacy.
Minnich’s Pharmacy was founded in 1946. It started with a location in downtown York and then a second store opened in 1955, which is the only location we have currently. We are a community pharmacy and also offer long-term care services, personal care and provide services to group homes and assisted living homes. Besides that, we provide vaccines, MTM, wound care, free delivery, and also do some specialty pharmacy.
What are some advantages to working in community pharmacy?
We get to be involved in our community. We like to sponsor events and go to expos to have some visibility, and to put a face with a name. We did a couple of expos and it made a huge difference, especially the networking. We’re starting to get involved with local businesses to deliver prescriptions to their place of business and save patients time. We also offer to help with health fairs.
What are some of the challenges you face as a community pharmacy?
Being blocked out of preferred networks is a huge one right now. People prefer us. They know us. They’ve had a relationship with us. And their insurer wants them to go somewhere else they’re not familiar with, to someone who may not give them as great of care as the pharmacist they’ve used for years.
We’ve reached out to several of the preferred networks saying, ‘Our customers want to stay with us. Can we be in your preferred network?’ And they say, ‘We’re not accepting pharmacies into our preferred network at this time.’ Even if we want to, they won’t let us. That’s frustrating.
How have you been able to keep customers happy and loyal to your pharmacy?
Service, service, service. Going out of our way to make sure patients don’t miss a dose. We take criticism from customers seriously, and try to keep the customer happy and feeling good. We make sure they’re confident that we’ll get them their medication in a timely manner at a reasonable price.
What are some of the ways your pharmacy has evolved over the years?
After talking with past owners about how they stayed in business, they always advise that you have to keep up with technology. Other competitors in the past didn’t and they’re out of business now. We have to continue to stay current.
What service or product has been profitable for your business?
Our compliance packaging, which we just started, has been profitable. We’re using the RxMap packaging system. With all of the challenges from the chains, we decided we have to do something different and offer patients something that the chains aren’t doing right now. We can provide a local, accessible program to help patients feel better and get better care.
Do you schedule patients to come in to pick up their prescriptions, like an adherence-type of program?
Yes, everybody’s on a two-week cycle. We either deliver it upon request, or they can come and pick it up—whatever they want. They sign a contract initially on how they want to do it. Then we communicate with the physicians, and let them know that their patients are on this service, so any changes should be run with us.
Do you offer bubble packing?
Yes. We’re starting to look at automation and a strip packaging system. We’re trying to find interest in that first before we make that big investment. Some facilities like it, some do not. So, we’re trying to gauge that before we jump in. We’re also doing compliance packaging for the community. We’re starting to grow that business and work in MTM so our pharmacists and techs can get involved too. They’re contacting the patients and seeing how they are feeling, how things are going, what’s working for them.
Tell us a little about your pharmacy’s MTM services. Do you charge anything for them?
We’re still trying to figure those out; it’s relatively new to us. It’s definitely not a profit-driven thing. It’s more about service and compliance. Of course, with the Star Ratings coming out, that’s going to be part of it. We’re doing whatever we can to increase our Star Rating. MTM is what’s recommended, so we’re doing it.
Do you have any plans to add services?
Down the road, there’s probably more we could do with diabetes care. We have some pharmacists who are interested in that. Also, the need for dementia and Alzheimer’s care is going to continue to increase. If there’s a way we can do more with that, we want to. We’re looking at getting involved with some Alzheimer’s organizations in the area. And our compliance packaging falls right in with that.
What is your approach to marketing your pharmacy?
That’s one thing I would definitely say pharmacies should do. Get with a local marketing firm if you can. That really helped us. We met with a marketing firm, and they suggested that we update our look. It’s made a huge difference and our script counts are up. They do a great job of getting a professional message across. Leave the pharmacists to their care and take the advice of a trusted marketing company that can really help grow your business.
What are the most effective ways you’ve found to market your pharmacy?
Working with (our marketing firm) DOCEO Creative, we’ve done some mailers, some ads in local papers, and offered coupons and discounts that have been effective. One of the most popular was when we offered gas cards to new patients who chose to use our delivery service. That was a way to show them, physically in front of them, what they could save by having us deliver.
Also, we have utilized our free delivery service in our marketing by having our delivery vehicles professionally designed and wrapped. Since our drivers are constantly making deliveries around the community, our vehicles act as mobile billboards that reinforce our brand and promote this unique service everywhere they go.
How long has your pharmacy had a website and been on Facebook?
We’ve had a website for two or three years now and Facebook for about a year. We had our marketing team update the design when we launched our new brand, but they still function primarily the same. The website is a good source for information and refilling prescriptions, while our Facebook page gives us a chance to interact with customers and give reminders about vaccinations.
I think most customers are on the Internet. They’re shopping online; everything is online. That’s a majority of where you will be seen nowadays. And that’s where we wanted to devote more of our time and our marketing money. It’s an investment that has paid off for us.
What concerns you about pharmacy right now?
That pharmacies are going to be assessed by these Star Ratings and if the rating system doesn’t take into consideration all the other factors and services that pharmacies provide, or variables that limit patients from filling their prescriptions such as finances, it doesn’t tell the whole story about how pharmacy is caring for their patients.
I was just hearing from a patient using mail order that their prescription was just automatically refilled, but they didn’t need it. Another place wouldn’t fill a patient’s prescription unless they got all their prescriptions filled. When the patient said ‘I don’t need those,’ they refused to fill the one that was needed. I’m sure it was driven by the pressure to show insurance that this patient is getting all of their scripts, all the time. That makes sense, but if they don’t need it or if they’re financially limited, it can be difficult. If they’re just analyzing numbers in these Star Ratings, it doesn’t paint a complete picture. And if they’re going to block us out based on that alone, that worries me.
What makes you optimistic about pharmacy today?
Typically what I’ve seen is that calmer heads prevail. They see the truth and the correct action that should be taken, and they’ll change. A good example is a new law in Pennsylvania, saying that patients can’t be forced to do mail order. That’s a great law. We’ve had tons of customers come back to us because of that.
Giving patients choice is important. I think if enough consumers speak up and let those who are making the laws and the rules know what’s actually happening out there, I think eventually they find out what is right and correct it.
What changes do you anticipate for your pharmacy over the next few years?
We’re definitely going to be held more accountable for outcomes. How they’re going to have us do that, I don’t know. I can definitely see more compliance packaging and more of a clinical setting in pharmacies.
What is your vision for your pharmacy over the next five years?
We always dream of having a second store. We also want to increase our long-term care business. Expand our delivery area. Just be able to provide our great pharmacy care to more patients in the surrounding area.
Is there anything you would like to add?
We are thankful for all the organizations and associations that support and help independent pharmacies stay strong and viable.
Would you like to be the next pharmacist featured in this segment? We want to hear from you! Contact us at elements@pbahealth.com.
