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DUBLIN, Ohio — At this year’s Cardinal Health Retail Business Conference (RBC), the key message was the importance of the pharmacy’s continued evolution into a community health care destination.
“Patients have valued the personalized care, attention and access their local pharmacies provide for many years, and most patients now consider the pharmacy as their first stop for nonemergency health care needs,” said Michelle Britt, senior vice president of retail independent sales. “This is not just a moment, it’s the future of pharmacy, which is why Cardinal Health is centered on support for independent pharmacies and committed to helping them navigate the dynamics of today’s industry so they can face the future with confidence.”
In his remarks at RBC, Brad Cochran, president of Medicine Shoppe International Inc. (MSI)and executive vice president of pharmaceutical and specialty distribution, shared the work Cardinal Health is doing to advocate on behalf of independent pharmacies and invest in new and expanded offerings to help pharmacies seize this moment of transformation.
“Cardinal Health is actively advocating on behalf of the Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy and Medicap Pharmacy franchises, educating lawmakers on the importance of local pharmacies and advocating for increased reimbursement for tests, treatment and vaccinations to support growing demand for these clinical services,” Cochran said. “Additionally, our PSAOs are advocating for payment reform, working directly with Caremark to successfully negotiate quarterly DIR fees to help franchisees manage their cash flow.”
Beyond advocacy, Cardinal Health is also working to enhance and expand solutions as part of its ongoing commitment to offer franchisees a consistent, exceptional patient brand experience; tools to improve profitability and performance; and access to clinical services to help drive improved outcomes and increase reimbursement.
In April, Cardinal Health announced that construction has begun on its new 350,000-square-foot Consumer Health Logistics Center, located near its headquarters in central Ohio, which is slated to be fully operational by summer 2025. The Consumer Health Logistics Center will help meet growing patient demand for an affordable and comprehensive selection of over-the-counter medications, treatments and diagnostic solutions.
Cardinal Health will also offer franchisees a Vaccine Alliance program to help increase patient immunizations and expand year-round vaccine care programs. This innovative program will offer discounts on vaccines from participating manufacturers, marketing and educational tools, dedicated support and enrollment in a new Clinical Immunization Hub tool.
Over the past year, Cardinal Health has enhanced its Medical Benefit Billing solution by adding a scheduling feature to contact the support team at the pharmacist’s convenience, allowing them to spend more time with their patients. The Medical Benefit Billing solution has also been updated to better support billing for clinical services, so that pharmacists can use the solution to document and bill claims for reimbursement when offering services such as point-of-care testing, evaluation and management.
The Pharmacy Marketing Advantage Solution now includes several enhancements to help franchisees take their digital marketing strategy to the next level. Through Cardinal Health Pharmacy Marketing Advantage PLUS, franchisees can add e-commerce to their existing website. Pharmacy Marketing Advantage PLUS offers access to thousands of O-T-C products, which can be managed within an online dashboard. This solution also allows pharmacies to offer patients next-day delivery or in-store pickup for added convenience.
To help pharmacies expand their digital footprint and online presence, Pharmacy Marketing Advantage offers digital marketing tools and expert guidance; resources to manage their store’s online reputation and reviews; and tools for connecting with customers directly.
Working with Digital Pharmacist, Pharmacy Marketing Advantage offers a patient engagement platform for HIPAA-compliant, secure messaging. The Patient Engagement Platform enables patients to schedule appointments through an app or the pharmacy’s website, and helps pharmacies stay on top of patient communication through messaging workflows and dashboards.
MSI franchises also have access to Modern Payments Processing, powered by Square. This collaboration between Cardinal Health and Square has enabled pharmacies to seamlessly manage business operations through advanced dashboards; integrate flexible payment options for in-store, online and delivery purchases — including text-to-pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay — and reduce payment processing fees with discounted rates.
With expanded capacity to deliver in-demand O-T-C products to patients, new solutions to help drive more immunizations year-round and enhancements to its portfolio of marketing, operational and patient engagement solutions, Cardinal Health and MSI remain relentlessly committed to supporting its network of franchisees.
“Working with Cardinal Health means you have a partner who is engaged. A partner who listens, exchanges ideas and prioritizes the issues that mean the most to you and your business,” said Cochran. “You can depend on Cardinal Health’s expertise and scale every step of the way as we advocate for healthcare policy issues and invest in new and expanded offerings.”
