Do You Recommend It? Sign It.

Here's a simple task you or your store manager can do today in little time. Create simple 4 x 2 ½-inch signs (business card size) that state "Our Pharmacist Recommends" and hang them around various OTC products. These signs can help you easily sell four to 10 times more product. If you are confident in the items' integrity and effectiveness, then sign it with your endorsement. (Remember to keep the item(s) well stocked—don't leave one of each item on the shelves!)

Encourage Customers to Treat Their Feet

April is Foot Health Awareness Month and a great tie-in for marketing your pharmacy's foot health products. Create a Diabetic Foot Health HQ display or end-cap with diabetic socks and slippers, compression stockings, foot creams, and a sample display of therapeutic shoes. The most important item in your display? A SIGN!

How Much Does Your Competition Charge for Advil?

Have you shopped your competition lately? Pick 5-10 items in your store, note what you charge for each, and then head over to your competition to see what they charge. Being very expensive on your front end can be damaging to profits and affect your whole store. Watch your zone pricing level and be sure to shop your competition regularly.

NEW! One-Stop Shopping for Unique, Profitable Front-End Items

If you have ever struggled to find new, distinctive products to sell in your community pharmacy—and wondered how to get them—your search is over. Last week NCPA launched frontendmarketplace.com, a new website where pharmacy owners and front-end managers can discover unique and popular items to sell in their community pharmacies and stand out from the competition. From skin care to pet care to snacks and more, you will find the kind of niche products that your customers are looking for and most of which you cannot find through your drug wholesaler. The site provides an avenue for you to order and purchase these items directly from the supplier or manufacturer—a one-stop shop for pharmacy owners! You'll also find tips on properly merchandising and marketing these unique items to customers in your pharmacy. Think of frontendmarketplace.com as your front-end connection. New items added regularly!

Participate in Smart Buying Programs

Every day you are probably approached by someone wanting to sell you something for your store. How do you know how much to buy? Sometimes if the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. When you are evaluating what products to carry in your store and how much to buy, take the following things into account:
Read more...

Recommend Products to Improve Customers' Health

Now more than ever, there are an enormous amount of over-the-counter (OTC) treatments to choose from. With all of the choices available, the decision-making process can be overwhelming for consumers. Most of the time, shoppers make decisions on their own because they may not want to bother you or are unsure of approaching you, especially if you are visibly busy. But they don't have to navigate all of those choices themselves, because they have an expert—you—who can help.
Read more...

Survey: Consumers Confused Over NSAIDs

Despite widespread prevalence of pain and the high volume of pain medications used in the U.S., a new nationwide survey, "Understanding America's Pain," reveals many people lack a basic understanding about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including the risks associated with them.
Read more...