The Buzz From 2023 Pharmacy Conferences

Another summer is coming to a close, and with it, the end of what we affectionately refer to as “Trade Show Season”. This year’s conferences were so much fun, and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing everyone who stopped by our booths at the APCI Conference, McKesson ideaShare, Cardinal RBC, DiversifyRx's Pharmacy Profit Summit, and AmerisourceBergen ThoughtSpot - just to name a few!

As vendors, we don’t often get to attend sessions and listen to speakers. Instead, we hear from friends old and new about what’s inspiring them, or what’s holding them back from their goals. Here are the 4 big trends we heard about most from the amazing pharmacists, pharmacy owners, and pharmacy managers we connected with at this year's shows.  

1. Your front-end matters! 

The importance of the front end is coming into focus. The idea that a small front end doesn’t need to be actively managed, or that a front end of any size can be managed through gut instincts, is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.  Your front end should drive profit. Profit that can and should be maximized.  

2. Nutrient depletion recommendations are the Next Big Thing. 

We’ve had integrated nutrient depletion recommendations available in our system for several years, and the pharmacies who have adopted the program have seen great success with their efforts to increase supplement sales.

Supplements represent high profit margin sales that not only boost your bottom line, but also improve patient outcomes for healthier, happier, and loyal pharmacy customers. This year, we think a lot of pharmacies will take the plunge and start their own nutrient depletion program. There are lots of great options out there to choose from and a ton of resources to boot! 

3. You’re probably paying too much for credit card processing. 

Many pharmacies are locked into a specific processor through their bundled-in point-of-sale. And, for the most part, those pharmacies are paying way too much for credit card processing. We even heard of pharmacies thinking about de-integrating their credit card processing in order to get a decent processing rate - despite the extra work and increased margin for error that change represents.

If you are having this problem and haven’t had a chance to chat with us about it yet, we can help! RMS customers can usually save money with our in-house solution. And, if our rate isn’t the lowest, you can choose from a vast array of alternative processing solutions to ensure you’re not paying a penny more than absolutely necessary.  

4. A pharmacy is only as good as its support.  

Even the best pharmacy team needs help every once in a while. Whether for a question, or to try something new, or to resolve a problem. No matter the reason, it’s so important to have access to reliable support when you need it. 

What do you think? Will any of these areas be important to you in the coming year? We can help with all of them, so book your time to chat with an RMS team member about your pharmacy needs today!