Health Mart investing in flexible products and services to save time and money, enhance clinical performance and attract patients
McKesson IDEASHARE – Orlando, FL (July 22, 2014) –At McKesson ideaShare 2014 today, McKesson Corporation will host the Health Mart® Annual Meeting, which provides Health Mart members with an overview of recent investments in the franchise and the company’s plans to help level the playing field for independent pharmacies. Health Mart will introduce four new Health Mart University courses designed to address key topics that are critical to independent pharmacy success. Additionally, the trade show floor features a full-size Health Mart model store, where attendees can see and experience the full capabilities of Health Mart.
With more than 3,400 stores and represented in every state in the nation, Health Mart continues to grow in store count since McKesson re-launched the franchise in 2006 when there were only 262 member pharmacies. Today, McKesson continues to invest in Health Mart to provide franchisees with programs that help independently owned pharmacies get credit for the quality care provided and maintain access to networks; flexible marketing support to attract patients into their stores; flexible engagement so our Health Mart pharmacies can run their businesses their way; and clinical services, pharmacy management and technology solutions to increase revenue and efficiencies. Known for its outstanding customer service, Consumer Reports recently recognized Health Mart nationally for superior courtesy and helpfulness, pharmacist knowledge, and speed and accuracy.
“Health Mart is dedicated to help level the playing field for independent pharmacies while fueling their growth by giving our members solutions and support in two key areas: improving adherence and patient outcomes to gain access to networks, and attracting more patients to the stores with marketing and prescriber outreach. This is about giving Health Mart owners the flexibility to run their business their way, and to help them and their patients save time and money,” said Steve Courtman, president, Health Mart. “McKesson ideaShare provides a collaborative environment for owners and pharmacists to connect with one another to share best practices and ideas that will benefit independent pharmacies.”
Health Mart gives owners the ability to join thousands of other best-in-class independent pharmacies in a national network with a community focus and personalized service that sets them apart from the competition. Health Mart continues to grow and offer franchisees the resources and flexibility they need to be innovative in running their pharmacy and stay ahead of the curve as the market changes. This year, Health Mart will continue to focus on the following core areas:
Exclusive Coaching Program with Pharmacy Development Services to Enhance Clinical Performance
Measuring and Understanding Clinical Performance: Health Mart has conducted more than 100 Town Hall meetings across the country to help pharmacies recognize the importance of CMS’s Five-Star Quality Ratings and improving their store’s performance to drive inclusion in preferred pharmacy networks. Health Mart has partnered with Pharmacy Quality Solutions (PQS) to provide our franchisees access to the PQS EQuIPP™ pharmacy performance data so they can understand their current performance on medication-related Part D Star Ratings measures, which are triple-weighted and can significantly influence a drug plan’s total Star Rating score. To help members interpret and improve their quality-measure performance, Health Mart’s pharmacist-led training team has developed Health Mart UniversitySM CE courses and other tools to help owners and staff implement activities that drive adherence, reduce medication risks, and close medication gaps.
Improving Clinical Performance: Supporting patient medication adherence and identifying and intervening on gaps in patient care are areas where Health Mart pharmacies are poised to excel due to pharmacists’ strong personal patient relationships. Health Mart recently developed an exclusive program with Pharmacy Development Services (PDS) to help members improve patient outcomes and quality-measure performance, with a focus on behavioral coaching, medication synchronization, and comprehensive medication reviews, as well as intervention tools such as refill reminders.
Pharmacy Intervention Program: This award-winning program offers patients face-to-face behavioral coaching from a Health Mart pharmacist. Interventions focus on medication adherence and consistently drive an average increase of 1.5 incremental prescriptions per patient over 18 months.
Local Marketing Efforts to Attract New Patients and Retain Current Customers
Local Marketing Support: According to Courtman, the franchise continues to invest in regional advertising and provide a strong marketing offering to support independent pharmacies and enable them to market their pharmacy in their own way. Pharmacies have access to the Marketing Hub, Health Mart’s comprehensive and easy-to-use marketing portal designed to give owners the flexibility to promote their specific service offerings and distinct strengths, attract new patients and reinforce their value to existing patients. The Marketing Hub allows owners to easily access time-saving integrated campaigns or select from a catalog of more than 200 traditional, digital and social media marketing tools. The marketing tools are updated and consumer-tested, including promotions; email templates; social media content; and “do it for me” TV, radio, community outreach and PR. Health Mart recently launched new marketing tools and even more flexible options for matching funds, including:
- Vehicle wraps
- Event rental kits
- Promotional items
- New campaigns focused on key pharmacy opportunities such as flu shot services
- And, more than 100 new flexible templates
Pharmacies can immediately apply matching funds for eligible marketing items, and Health Mart marketing coordinators are available to help owners utilize the Marketing Hub resources and to support the execution of campaigns. At McKesson ideaShare, attendees can meet with marketing experts, get professional photos, and share best practices with their peers at the new Marketing ideaExchange.
Your Pharmacy OnlineSM: Health Mart continues to expand Your Pharmacy Online, a consumer-facing customizable pharmacy website and mobile application that provides Health Mart patients with convenient, on-the-go prescription-management options. Your Pharmacy Online offers pharmacies a suite of services and cost-effective tools to support patient medication adherence and positive health outcomes while driving prescription refills. The newest features available for Your Pharmacy Online include:
- Pill reminders to help increase medication adherence
- Multiple pharmacy website allows pharmacies with multiple locations to create a central web page with links to affiliated stores
- EnterpriseRx® integration improves workflow efficiency with refill requests going directly into the pharmacy system and provides patients additional real-time prescription information such as refills remaining, prescription history, last refill date, and drug name and dosage
- Updated mobile website has the same look and feel as the mobile app
Other Marketing: Health Mart sponsored the 2014 Health Mart Healthy Living Tour, a nationwide bus tour that will make stops at more than 130 Health Mart stores and communities across the U.S. The mobile screening vehicle will provide health education and free health screenings to help identify people at risk for a variety of health conditions that can be better managed with the help of a pharmacist. The bus is on-site and open for visitors at McKesson ideaShare.
For more information on all of McKesson and Health Mart’s announcements from McKesson ideaShare 2014, please visit McKesson’s online newsroom at www.McKesson.com/Newsroom.
About Health Mart
Health Mart is America’s fastest-growing independent pharmacy franchise with more than 3,400 locally owned community pharmacies across all 50 states. Health Mart pharmacists provide personalized care and take the time to help patients understand their prescription-drug coverage, how to safely manage multiple medications, and how to take advantage of lower-cost medication options. As an important member of the healthcare team, Health Mart pharmacists possess strong clinical knowledge and partner with their patients, and their patients’ other healthcare providers, to help them manage and improve patients’ health. The Health Mart franchise is owned by Health Mart Systems, Inc., which is an affiliate of McKesson Corporation. To find a locally owned Health Mart pharmacy near you, visit www.healthmart.com, where you will also find comprehensive online health and wellness information.
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit http://www.McKesson.com.