“What covid has taught us is there is value in crisis management. There are always groups in the community in crisis. It could be a small club, a health topic in small areas. It is important to reach out to allied health and community. The more we reach out the more relevant we will stay.”
The above quote was pulled from our Speaking Pharmacy episode with Swarup from 777 (listen here). When he said that in the recording studio, I made a mental note to revisit this. It resonated because I think this is a very similar philosophy to what we teach in our marketing module.
When working with pharmacies we ask them what value do they add to their customers? This of course extends beyond the obvious of dispensing medication. As Pharmacists your scope of work is far more impactful than you might think!
Let’s unpack Swarup’s comment about COVID. Almost overnight, the pandemic changed everyone’s life in a dramatic way. There was uncertainty, confusion, and many questions left to be answered. As Pharmacists you would understand this far better then I ever will, being on the frontline. For over two and a half years you all have been working through this crisis and boy, you were useful! You helped with vaccinations, delivering medications to people in isolation and being the main stockist for facemasks (and so much more!) The community craved your attention in more ways than ever, and you all had no choice but to step up to the plate.
As a pharmacy you looked at the issue at hand (COVID) and planned accordingly on how your team can help. Services were tweaked, opening hours were adjusted and your team had the necessary training. So, what Swarup was inferring is that this type of crisis management plan can be replicated for other health issues within your community.
I believe that Swarup is on the money here. Within your community there would be many health issues and topics that some of your patients are currently navigating. These issues, like covid need an informal crisis plan and furthermore, a strategy on how you add value to these patients as their pharmacy. The more you’re able to help the more loyal your patients will become.
So, how do you find these opportunities?