Future-proof your pharmacy

The changes affecting pharmacies today are coming from multiple directions, not only regulations and reimbursement rates, but also evolving patient expectations.

“We need to align our offerings so that we can future-proof our pharmacies and be the heath care destinations and providers we were always meant to be,” said Eyad Farah, president of Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas, during the concluding general session of McKesson ideaShare 2021, on September 16.

To do that, Farah said that independent pharmacies must:

• Align with the right partners
• Transform pharmacy operations
• Maximize the reimbursement and clinical performance opportunities
• Center offerings on patients’ healthcare journeys

“McKesson, Health Mart and Health Mart Atlas have the resources to help pharmacies in each of these areas,” Farah said. “We’re confident that we can match your challenges with the right solutions designed specifically for independent community pharmacies.”

He reiterated, “McKesson is committed to the community pharmacy industry, and we want to be your partner for the long term.”

Pharmacy of the Year

Hayat Pharmacy was named the Pharmacy of the Year

Health Mart recognized Hayat Pharmacy, one of its long-term partners, as the 2021 Pharmacy of the Year. Farah said the Hayat Pharmacy team, with 19 locations in Milwaukee, exemplifies what it means to be a community pharmacy.

“They’ve embedded themselves in their community, adapted their offerings to what their patients need and worked every day with empathy to help build bridges with people that walk through their door,” Farah said.

In the past year Hayat Pharmacy:

• Donated masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment to the community.
• Led COVID-19 testing efforts and continued with testing even after several pharmacy locations were vandalized during protests following the death of George Floyd.
• Delivered about 40,000 COVID-19 vaccines (so far), not only at the pharmacy locations but also at locations throughout the community, including places of worship and even patients’ homes.

Hayat was also the 2014 Health Mart Pharmacy of the Year. But since 2014, Hayat has continue to evolve and grow. Examples include offering compliance packaging and integrating MTM into its workflow. For example, Hayat now partners with prescribers to offer various clinical services and bill through Medicare Part B.

When Farah asked owner Hashim Zaibak the secret to Hayat’s sustained success, the innovative pharmacy owner replied, “Finding an opportunity that is not impossible but is not super easy. You want something in the middle, something that’s doable, but something that other people haven’t done before.”

Finding the right staff members has also been key to Hayat’s success. Regardless of the technology used and the products on the shelves, Zaibak affirmed, “If you don’t have the right people who care, truly care about the patients, you’re not going to be successful.

Other Highlights from McKesson ideaShare on Thursday, September 16, were sessions on:

• How to recruit, train, and manage staff by defining roles (CE on Defining Roles)
• Which key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor monthly on your financial statements (Pharma Talk on P&L)
• What to know about 340B before jumping in (Pharma Talk and CE on 340B).
• How to identify new roles for pharmacy technicians in areas including MTM, immunization and product verification, providing career ladders and improved services (CE on Pharmacy Technicians).
• How to make time to innovate (Pharma Talk on Time).