Every day, large chain pharmacies are trying to entice your customers to switch. One way to diversify and grow your pharmacy is to offer a personalized home or worksite delivery program for patients’ medications. This service can add significant business and marketing potential to your independent community pharmacy. Here are a few more reasons why you should consider adding this service to your arsenal.
Better customer relationships
Independent community pharmacies often differentiate themselves from large chains through their devotion to customer service and their desire to develop lifelong relationships with patients. Offering personalized delivery to patients’ worksites or homes is another patient-focused way to stand out. This superior level of service is rare, and patients will value the timesaving benefits it provides them. Going the extra mile for these patients can build deeper connections, positive perceptions and stronger loyalty.
Free marketing
Offering a personal delivery service is great for your patients, but if properly executed, it can enhance your business as well. Delivery is an excellent opportunity to stimulate branding, positive word-of-mouth marketing and buzz about your business. A van decaled with your pharmacy logo has power as a traveling advertisement and as an attention-grabber for the community. Have your delivery drivers wear a branded uniform to extend the marketing opportunity even further.
Wider patient base
The introduction of delivery into your business services may also expand your client base, both demographically and geographically. By placing more power and convenience in the hands of customers, you might reach entire subsets of people who were previously inaccessible to your business. These include young professionals who are too busy to make normal business hours, elderly people who lack mobility, sick patients who normally wouldn’t leave home, and potential customers who don’t own transportation. It can also expand your business geographically, as the presence of a vehicle in more rural areas draws attention and allows you to serve patients further from your store.
Increased compliance
Patient compliance is a crucial issue, both for your individual pharmacy and for the health care industry in general. U.S. Pharmacist estimates that compliance-related waste costs the nation’s economy between $100 and $300 billion per year. Because it offers more convenience, a delivery service can potentially increase patients’ ability and desire to stay compliant.
