A strong communication strategy is important for every successful pharmacy. In addition to helping build relationships with patients, communication can also help pharmacies improve adherence, increase loyalty, and even boost revenue. The key is in determining what information is the most relevant to send to patients and what frequency works best to get your message across.
Consumers have come to expect personalization and customization in the communications they receive from companies, pharmacies included. This is where technology solutions provide a considerable benefit. Investing in communication tools such as Amplicare Connect enables you to schedule automated messages, target specific patient groups, and ensure your messages reach the right people. These tools make it easier to reach large groups of patients at once and save time on outreach. As you build out your communication strategy, here are a few popular ways our customers use customized call or text campaigns to reach patients.
Notifying Patients of Pharmacy Updates
Automated communications are a great way to proactively keep patients updated on any pharmacy changes they need to know. For instance, a health crisis such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may necessitate some operational changes that you want to share with patients. Some examples of messages include calls or texts letting patients know about changes to business hours, new policies on curbside pickups or delivery services, or notifications about items in stock.
Sending Prescription Reminders
Medication adherence continues to be an issue for many patients. While there are many underlying factors, forgetfulness is still one of the main reasons why patients stop taking their medications as prescribed. Prescription reminder campaigns aim to address this issue by targeting patients who have prescriptions ready to be refilled or picked up. Pharmacists using Connect often set up automated daily refill reminders, which go out to patients who have refills that are past due by at least three days. The automation helps save time on scheduling recurring messages since the campaign only needs to be activated once. In addition, many also schedule custom will-call bin campaigns specifically to patients who have prescriptions ready to be picked up. Both campaigns work in tandem to help prevent patients from becoming non-adherent and getting them back on track if they fall behind on their medications.
Promoting Educational Resources
As a pharmacist, you’re a trusted source of information for your community. Automated communication tools can help you extend this role by providing an additional touchpoint. During a health crisis, for instance, scheduling calls or texts sharing important medical information can help counter the misinformation that is so readily available online. Additionally, if your pharmacy offers diabetes education classes, blood pressure screenings, or other educational services, custom campaigns are an easy way to inform patients about the extra resources available to them.
Helping Medicare Patients
For pharmacies that serve Medicare patients, Medicare Open Enrollment is a crucial time. If your pharmacy has a large Medicare-eligible patient population, tools like Connect help you spread the word about the related services you provide such as plan comparisons. These messages are also useful outside of Open Enrollment when targeted toward newly eligible and dual eligible patients who are able to enroll in plan at various times throughout the year. Beyond informing them of services, you can also use these tools to keep them updated on plan information such as when a plan will no longer be accepted or preferred at your pharmacy.
Whatever you choose to share with patients, keep in mind that segmenting your communications will go a long way to helping your success. Communicating consistently is necessary but sending too much or irrelevant information can adversely affect your efforts. By targeting your messages to specific groups, you can ensure you reach the right audience and the right time and get the most out of the information you share.
