Did you know that National Check Your Meds Day is coming up on Oct. 21?
The inaugural event encourages patients to bring their medications to their local pharmacy for a brown bag medication review. The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and Consumers Reports are teaming up to host the event.
As an independent community pharmacist, you’re a trusted and accessible health care provider in your community.
Your patients value the service and expertise you provide.
And during National Check Your Meds Day, you can continue to serve your community.
Ensure your patients are following safe and effective medication regimens on Oct 21.
Here’s how to prepare your independent community pharmacy for a successful National Check Your Meds Day event.
The Best Ways to Make National Check Your Meds Day a Success for Your Pharmacy
1. Promote the event
If you don’t promote your pharmacy’s National Check Your Meds Day event, you won’t get a good turnout.
Use a variety of platforms to spread the word about your event and drive traffic to your pharmacy.
How to market National Check Your Meds Day:
- Use bag stuffers
- Post on social media
- Leave flyers at local prescribers’ offices
- Hang posters
- Send a promotional email to patients
2. Prep your staff
Plan ahead and prepare your staff before the big day.
You should have an efficient workflow plan in place for the day of the event.
Ways to improve workflow during the event:
- Designate a “Check Your Meds Zone”
- Enlist extra help, such as from student pharmacists
- Delegate specific event tasks to each employee
- Create a schedule to accommodate appointments and walk-ins
- Design a step-by-step process for patients to follow during the event
3. Prepare for medication reviews
National Check Your Meds Day is all about patients getting brown bag medication reviews from their local pharmacist.
Get ready to provide a lot of comprehensive medication reviews (CMR) that day.
Go over the steps of a CMR with employees ahead of time. Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and student pharmacists should all understand the process.
Basic steps of a CMR:
- List the patient’s current medications and any over-the-counter (OTC) items
- Make clinical decisions based on the list and your interview with the patient
- Make sure all medications follow the rule: “right drug, right dose, right time”
- Develop and communicate a list of recommended changes for the patient’s prescribers
- Educate patients and/or caregivers on their medications, how to take them appropriately, and how to dispose of them properly
4. Get ready to counsel patients
The last and most important step of a CMR involves counseling the patient.
You want to ensure patients’ medication regimens are safe and effective. And, you want to help improve adherence.
Ways to help patients improve adherence:
- Inform patients about your pharmacy’s digital refill options
- Set up text medication reminders
- Enroll patients in your medication synchronization program
5. Download helpful materials
Multiple organizations have compiled helpful resources for pharmacies to make the most of National Check Your Meds Day.
The National Community Pharmacists Association
Offers a toolkit that includes promotional materials like flyers, postcards and videos. The toolkit also includes programs, forms and tools, such as a quick start guide, workflow guide, patient sign-up sheet, medication review form and more.
Medicine-On-Time
This provider of medication synchronization and medication adherence packaging is offering marketing resources to help pharmacies with the event.
The resources include:
- Digital flyer
- Social media shareable
- Sign-up sheet
- Printed flyer
- Print Ad
- Poster
- Checklist
Continue improving your patients’ lives by participating in National Check Your Meds Day!
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