Does this sound familiar? You sent an e-newsletter twice in September and then didn’t send anything to your patients until November.
You know connecting with patients between visits to your pharmacy matters. And you know that email is a great way to connect with them. But, you can’t seem to get on a regular schedule.
Getting on a schedule starts with planning the content for your e-newsletter ahead of time.
After all, patients won’t feel connected to your business if you only send your pharmacy e-newsletter sporadically.
Here’s Why a Pharmacy E-Newsletter Makes a Great Marketing Tool
Email marketing offers a powerful and cost-effective way to market your pharmacy.
When you get into your patients’ inboxes, you connect with them.
Sending a regular pharmacy e-newsletter can:
- Improve relationships with your patients
- Boost patient loyalty
- Get more traffic in your pharmacy
Whether you share the best sunscreens to protect kids or the importance of sticking to a medication regimen, your patients will appreciate the extra health advice. And, they’ll want to know about the latest events and promotions going on at your pharmacy.
RELATED: How to Create a Successful Pharmacy E-Newsletter in 5 Steps
If you already send an e-newsletter, or if you want to, concentrate on providing helpful information for patients.
Otherwise no one will open your emails and they’ll go straight to the trash folder.
7 Topic Ideas to Fill Your Pharmacy E-Newsletter
Stuck on what to include in your pharmacy e-newsletter? Incorporate these ideas to create a successful pharmacy e-newsletter that your patients will actually want to read.
1. News at your pharmacy
Keep your patients up-to-date on the happenings at your pharmacy.
You don’t have to include only major news, like opening a new store, in your pharmacy e-newsletter. Anything that’s new counts as “news”.
Regularly notify patients about small changes at your pharmacy to help them feel a part of the pharmacy community.
Consider these news-worthy ideas:
- Did your pharmacy launch a new program?
- Is your pharmacy stocking new front-end items?
- Does your pharmacy plan to take part in the local high school’s health fair this month?
You likely always have something new going on at your business week-to-week. Let your patients know.
2. Drug recalls
When drug recalls happen, patients get nervous.
The recall usually receives tons of coverage from the media, but not always with accurate information.
And with so many sources, patients may not know where to turn.
Help patients by including information about an important drug recall in your pharmacy e-newsletter.
You could write a blog post about the topic on your website and then include a few paragraphs from the blog post in your e-newsletter. (Don’t forget to link to your blog post from your e-newsletter.)
Or, you could write a few paragraphs about the topic in your e-newsletter and then link to more information from a credible source.
Patients trust their hometown pharmacy and will appreciate the reliable information.
3. Seasonal health concerns
Patients go to their local pharmacy to feel better.
You can continue to provide them with that feeling of care outside of your pharmacy with your e-newsletter. Email them pertinent and helpful health and wellness information.
Is allergy season underway? Flu shot time around the corner? Update your patients on seasonal health issues.
Seasonal health topic ideas:
- Simple tips on how to treat and prevent bug bites during the summer
- The best over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to stop a runny nose
- The allergy-relief products your pharmacy carries
4. Everyday health and wellness advice
Fill your pharmacy e-newsletter with helpful health and wellness advice for patients.
Choose topics that your pharmacy can help patients with. That way you offer advice and a solution. For example, discuss the risks of shingles and explain that your pharmacy offers the shingles vaccine.
Health and wellness topic ideas for your pharmacy e-newsletter:
- Diabetes
- Eye care
- Flu shots
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Nutrition
- Teen issues
- Shingles
- Smoking cessation
- Vitamins and supplements
The possibilities are endless.
5. Deals and coupons for the front end
People love saving money. Seniors especially enjoy a good coupon, discount, or special promotion.
Reward your e-newsletter subscribers with the occasional exclusive deal.
You don’t need to offer a promotion every week via your e-newsletter. But try it occasionally.
Send a 15 percent off coupon on OTC products. Offer a contest to win a small prize. Or, discount a certain segment of products for email subscribers.
Ask people print the email and bring it to your pharmacy to receive the discount.
Even small rewards can get patients in your pharmacy.
6. Take a poll or survey
Let patients know your pharmacy cares about their views. Place a poll in your pharmacy e-newsletter to gauge how your patients see your business.
Ask them what front-end items they’d like to see more of, or how they think your pharmacy could improve. Or, just ask them a fun question!
You could also create a survey about your topic of choice and link to it in your pharmacy e-newsletter. Or, send patients to your Facebook page through your e-newsletter to comment on a question you’ve posted.
These interactions can help patients connect with your pharmacy. And, you can learn valuable information to improve your business.
7. Promote pharmacy products and services
Even regular patients might not know about all the extra products and services your pharmacy offers.
Use your pharmacy e-newsletter to let them know.
You might even have forgotten how many extra services and conveniences your pharmacy provides.
Here are a few topic ideas to get you started:
- Chronic disease management
- Compounding
- Comprehensive medication reviews (CMRs)
- Diabetes care
- Digital refills
- Durable medical equipment
- Health screenings
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Immunizations
- Medication synchronization
- Medication therapy management (MTM)
- Pet prescriptions
- Pharmacogenomics testing
- Prevention and wellness education
- Smoking cessation
- Specialty pharmacy
- Transitions of care
- Travel vaccinations
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and run by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited warehouse with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
