A pharmacist must be involved in all the different aspects of the business and involve the various professional groups available.
Being a successful pharmacist is more than just handing out prescriptions and consulting patients. Independent pharmacists are especially business people and also health care providers. At least if you intend to continue the latter independently, you should be good at the former. Most pharmacist training programs do not adequately address the business side of the industry, and education systems do not fully address the needs of retail pharmacy owners.
Pharmacists who run a business in providing care to patients require a unique skill set and up-to-date credentials. In the training world, there aren’t many solutions for independents who hope to eventually become owner-her-operators, so some important advice on the business side of a pharmacy career should be considered.
part of the scene
Newcomers establishing a business often forget that a pharmacy cannot be successful as long as the local customer allows it. is to provide a service.
Pharmacists need to develop business plans that match the characteristics of their neighborhood and marketing plans that appeal directly to specific community needs. A pharmacist must find a nearby wholesaler, get along with the local bank, and be an active participant in the business world.
It’s Who You Know Know
Networking is essential because the pharmacy business is a retail business and retail is a social business. As service providers, pharmacists not only establish good links with the community, but also with other medical and health care operators, such as doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists and psychiatrists. is needed. Patients need more than just drugs. Pharmacists who can recommend other practitioners are in a powerful position within the healthcare ecosystem.
Self-development never stops once your business is established and is a great way to keep your network alive. Pharmacists need to be involved in all the different aspects of their business and engage with the various professional groups available, whether related to pharmacy departments or medical networks. Women, people of color, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, or pharmacists from all walks of life can find peer groups to learn from and support each other, build solidarity, and improve professionally.
never stop improving
Many of the skills required for pharmacists cannot even be part of the school curriculum and must be acquired through experience. For patients, that means sticking to their medication regimen and learning how to feel comfortable visiting the pharmacy to discuss their concerns. For the business itself, that means understanding spreadsheets, marketing, bookkeeping, and public outreach.
While managing the business, pharmacists are required to continue the formal education and certification process. It is important to include all possible credentials after the name. Of particular importance is certification to prescribe as a pharmacist by taking the refresher or development courses necessary to maintain that position.
find a niche
Nothing prevents a pharmacist from building a professional practice. Doing so is a great way to gain prestige in your own community and reach out to those who need professional help. You may have a passion for subsets.
Professionals are always in demand in all medical fields, such as diabetes care, oncology, and pediatrics. Professionals are often well paid, patient needs are high, and sometimes the problems that a dedicated professional can solve are more important. In that case, a good marketing professional can ensure that the pharmacist is targeting the patient pool of their choice.
delegate
A pharmacist who understands the business side of his career knows that ideally he needs a professional staff or contractor to handle his business functions. Patient Care Her coordinator can interact directly with customers through various types of phone calls. Meanwhile, the store manager can make the pharmacy itself look and function like a professional space, and the marketing company can spread the word about available services to the community.
Perhaps the most important employee, the accountant balances the books and helps the business remain solvent. Accountants can also help you navigate the tax strategies and procedures necessary to keep your pharmacy thriving.
This expertise is especially useful for students and pharmacists in the early stages of their careers to set up businesses, establish ownership and stakes, and build value. But the early stages are when most pharmacists don’t think this should be done at all.
get help
Carrying out all the work required to keep a pharmacy thriving is a daunting task, and hiring different professionals for each task is often prohibitively expensive. For some pharmacies, the best option may be to hire an outside company to take on some of the pressure from the owners to run the business.
These partner organizations handle areas such as fundraising, legal, contracts and wholesale negotiations, removing much of the heavy lifting for pharmacists. They also established the technology busy pharmacies need to thrive in the digital age.
Even in the challenging world of small businesses, running a pharmacy is no easy task. By learning key business skills early, networking enthusiastically, and knowing how to recruit the right people and companies for each task, budding pharmacists can fit in with their place and influence the business and healthcare landscape. can become an integral part of
About the author
Dalbir Bains is the founder, president and CEO of FGC Health, Canada’s leading provider of consumer health services and industry-specific business technology. He previously founded Amenity Health Care and developed it into a substantial network of independent pharmacies. This was eventually sold to a private equity firm.
