Top Tips On Reaching Busy Patients for Pharmacies

While it’s always been a priority for independent pharmacies to efficiently serve on-the-go patients, many practices are now seeing a drop in patient responsiveness. Why? Competition does play a factor, but the biggest thief of business is time. Today’s patients are busier than ever before and fitting refills and pharmacy visits into their packed days has become increasingly difficult.

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Pew Research has found that more than half of Americans (52%) said they’re usually trying to do two or more things at once and additional studies have found that the average American only has 4.5 hours of free time per week.

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So, how can pharmacies reach these uber-busy folks? Let’s examine a few key tactics to reach your pharmacy’s busiest patients.

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Send Strong, Attention-Grabbing Refill Reminders

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Your patients are getting inundated with more and more messages each day — the average, full-time working adult gets 121 messages every day and that’s just for work.

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It’s crucial that your pharmacy cuts through the noise and constant pings with effective, attention-grabbing messages that get your patients to check out with the medications they need. Messaging needs to be clear and based on where they are in their health process, whether it’s filling a new prescription for the first time or reminding them when it’s time to refill.

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The content of these messages should communicate either urgency or value and be straight to the point, whatever it is. 

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Leverage Technology for Increased Flexibility

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Incorporating technology into pharmacy services can greatly enhance accessibility for busy patients. Technology has made it possible to extend your business hours well after you’ve closed up shop for the night! Online prescription checkout and mobile apps, like NimbleRx, offer convenience and efficiency for automated refill reminders and checkout, while automated telehealth services streamline communication and provide flexibility in patient care.

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These technology options effectively extend your hours to 24/7 — and having patients complete payment and signature online both provides flexibility for patients and reduces strain on your in-person operations. Your busiest patients will be thrilled they can access their medications and healthcare services on their own terms and time.

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Invest Time In Community Outreach and Education

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At the core of your patient relationships is trust — and the key to building that trust lies, in part, with empowering patients through knowledge. By using technology and new communication methods that save you time, you’ll have more time to invest in consultations with patients and building new community-based programs like workshops and educational materials.

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Additionally, independent pharmacies can gain access to busy patients through actively engaging on social media. A strong, frequently updated social profile can surface to patients as they scroll — and serve as an important reminder to refill and refocus on their health.

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Though it may be growing more challenging to keep folks engaged, pharmacists luckily have a full arsenal of tools in the digital era to capture their attention and keep patients on track with their health goals. By using the winning combination of strong communication, adaptive technology, and community engagement pharmacies can win the battle for patients’ attention in 2024 and beyond.

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If you’d like to discover how Nimble can help boost refills and increase revenue for your pharmacy, reach out to us for a demo!

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