To-Do List Item: Order Banners for Flu Shots

Order your flu shot banners and signage now to be prepared for the start of flu shot and immunization season in August and September. A simple message like "Flu shots available here!" will do the trick. In addition, check the area for administering flu shots and immunizations—is it clean and clutter-free?

It's Back-to-School Time

It's back-to-school time—is your pharmacy prepared? I'm not just talking about having school supplies on hand. Parents may come into your pharmacy with questions about a good children's vitamin to take, or what you recommend for cough and cold medicines and head lice treatments. Be sure to have answers ready for these questions and be able to recommend them products from your store. In addition, check with local gym teachers and coaches to see what brand of knee, wrist, and ankle braces they would like to see offered in your store. Many prefer "made in the USA" brands. Finally, ask teachers for a list of what local first graders are expected to bring on their first day of school and prepare a kit for sale in your pharmacy.

A Day Full of Profit Makers

As a pharmacy owner or front-end manager, it's important to constantly stay up-to-date on the newest merchandising trends and product ideas. It's also important to keep your front end looking fresh and inviting to attract customers and sales. Sometimes you may need some new ideas to help you make the most of your front end in order to build store traffic and profit—that's where NCPA comes in.

In addition to the tips and advice offered here and at www.ncpanet.org/feo, I encourage you to consider attending my Front-End Profit-Building Seminar in Orlando, Fla. Oct. 13. For 8 hours, you will receive concrete, usable tools that will make a difference in your business right away, such as easy fixes to create curb appeal, floor plan and cross-merchandising ideas, inventory management advice, and marketing guides. Register now and walk away with an action plan.

"I learned so much from this seminar. I'm leaving this excited to go back and do my part to make my store better." – Hannah S., Front-End Profit-Building Seminar attendee

Offer Your Customers Rapid Earache Relief

Childhood earaches can quickly evolve into headaches for the entire family. ClearPop for Rapid Earache Relief® is the July Front-End Marketplace Vendor of the Month and a unique answer to these headaches. Clinically tested, these therapeutic lollipops treat earaches fast with a safe, all-natural formula and patented shape that pulls congestion out of the middle ear. Learn more and place your order today on the Front-End Marketplace website. Free sample available!

Back-to-School Shoppers Starting Early

Retailers who wait until late summer this year to launch back-to-school deals are only hurting themselves, because early shoppers will spend more than late starters. One thing that hasn't changed: In-store still prevails. Sixty percent of back-to-school shoppers plan to hit stores by the end of July, spending an average of $532, which is 16% higher than the remaining 40% of parents who will start shopping in August or later, according to Deloitte. Those later shoppers are projected to spend only about $458 per student. Read more...

CDC's Not-So-Exclusive Club: Diabetes Now Claims More Than 100 Million Members

More than 100 million U.S. adults are now living with diabetes or prediabetes, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of 2015 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4% of the U.S. population, have diabetes. Another 84.1 million have prediabetes, a condition that if not treated often leads to type 2 diabetes within five years. Read more...

Staying Relevant After 30 Years of Service

By putting that patient relationship first, Mills Pharmacy is able to adapt its business model and practices to best accommodate for variables. As part of its evolution, Mills Pharmacy adopted digital tools that garnered a 3.8x return on investment. Through Mills Pharmacy's website and mobile app, patients can easily refill their prescriptions online, enabling them to better manage their medications. In celebration of their thirtieth anniversary, Mills Pharmacy put its patients first once again by hosting an open house and inviting the community in for free health screenings, special sales and prizes. According to Tina Weisenberger, Mills Pharmacy's president and resident pharmacist, patients loved the event and appreciated getting to know their local health care providers even better. Read more...

Boost Revenue with Independent-Only Products

NCPA members have access to a special membership discount on unique health care products available only through independent pharmacies. In a collaboration with Union Springs Healthcare (USH), NCPA brings independent community pharmacy owners and staff the Companion Care Counseling® (CCC) Program developed by USH. CCC helps facilitate more productive pharmacist-patient interactions to address common health problems or side effects from existing prescription medications. This program and accompanying resources provided by USH have already been successful in hundreds of independent pharmacies at improving patient outcomes and growing pharmacy revenue. NCPA members can learn more about the program, the products, and claim their special member prices at www.ushcare.com/pharmacy-partner.