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28 BUSINESS THROUGH INNOVATION PROFESSIONAL SERVICES JUST PASSING THROUGH By Peter Howard. A new beginning Over the next few weeks, community pharmacists across Australia will be offered an extraordinary opportunity to grow their business. With competition in the pharmacy sector steadily building, the way they treat that opportunity will determine their future trajectory. The choice between growing their business and gradual stagnation isn’t something to dismiss lightly. Right on queue The opportunity for growth is the result of pharmacist-administered Covid vaccinations, but the $42 ($48 in non-metro areas) pharmacists will receive for administering two doses is nothing compared with the value of opportunity that awaits pharmacists who are well prepared. The real opportunity is found among the large number of new patients who will be visiting your pharmacy to get their vaccination. It’s in the expanded customer demographic, and hidden among the middle-aged people with undiagnosed health conditions that may soon need to be treated. And it’s about the healthy young people who, if not for Covid vaccinations, perhaps wouldn’t set foot in your store for another 30 years. Above all, it’s about engagement. There aren’t many businesses where customers hang around with not much to do for 15 minutes, but with the Covid vaccine, the need for observation means patients are asked to stay. With not much to do, 15 minutes can seem a very long time, particularly for young people, but when there’s something interesting to watch or something interactive to be part of, the time not only can pass quickly, but also be extremely beneficial. So, what can you do to engage a diverse range of customers just passing through? How can you stir their interest with services that are relevant and valuable to them, and at the same time ensure they leave your pharmacy feeling valued and cared for? Retail Pharmacy invited Sigma’s former national manager primary care, and current NostraData Business Manager, Nick Biggs, to share some strategies that will help pharmacies maximise this emerging growth opportunity. “I think when the government made changes to the PBS reforms there was a definite shift towards professional services, with pharmacists looking at that as a way of capturing revenue,” he said. “Historically, some pharmacies have done an amazing job in the professional services space. “Over time, prescription revenue has gone from being quite well subsidised to today’s situation where the government has taken a lot of those sweeteners out of prescription dispensing. Meanwhile, pharmacies are delivering professional services and benefiting from the available cross-subsidisation there. “With the Pharmacy Guild’s support, pharmacists have been able to really step up with vaccinations, particularly with influenza over the last couple of years. Although the AMA had a lot to say about it, you can’t now argue with the numbers around pharmacists delivering flu vaccinations. And we’re going to be a key pillar in the Covid vaccination program, too. “Today, we’ve got 7CPA funding available for a number of professional services. There are also supplier funded professional services, and we’re seeing a lot more of these come about through links with MedAdvisor and groups like PharmaPrograms.” Mr Biggs cites the examples of programs covering specialty medicines, patient support and digital adherence. “They’re not necessarily funded through 7CPA government revenue, but might be funded using different pathways through suppliers,” he said. “I think one of the biggest problems with professional services is a lack of time for pharmacists to actually deliver the professional service. They need to be able to make the shift from being at the back of the dispensary churning out scripts to being freely available to deliver these professional services, because they have to be delivered in a streamlined and professional manner. “What we’re seeing now is that a lot RETAIL PHARMACY • JUN 2021