OREANDA-NEWS. June 29, 2012. McKesson, one of the largest healthcare services company in the country, today extended its technology solutions to change the way community pharmacies collaborate, communicate and share information with their customers and peers. Today’s announcements — including the rapid adoption of McKesson ConnectSM Community, the new mobile capabilities of ScriptAlertSM, and Health Mart’s new digital offering “Your Pharmacy Online” — give community pharmacy owners additional tools to help improve the way they run their business and enhance the way they care for their patients, reported the press-centre of McKesson.

“Retail pharmacists are quickly realizing that social, mobile and Web platforms enable them to become more efficient while delivering better care to their patients,” said Brian Tyler, president, McKesson U.S. Pharmaceutical. “Community pharmacy owners continue to turn to McKesson to help them achieve better business health. By focusing on innovation and delivering technology solutions that are tailored for community pharmacy, our customers can connect with their patients and peers in entirely new ways.”

ScriptAlertSM: McKesson now offers robust direct-to-patient text messaging and mobile applications for the independent pharmacy owner to help deliver better care. Community pharmacies can help improve medication adherence, strengthen patient relationships and drive additional revenue with cost-effective technology. With ScriptAlert, community pharmacies can provide their patients with text-based refill reminders, refill notifications and autofill options, as well as a mobile prescription-management application that feeds directly into their pharmacy’s dispensing system.

ScriptAlert pilot results show that patients using ScriptAlert could refill between one and two additional prescriptions each year,* demonstrating not only a benefit to patients adhering to their medication regimen, but representing a lift in prescription revenue.

“I have patients of all ages who are embracing the convenience of technology,” said Shelley Bailey, Owner, Central Drugs, Portland, OR. “ScriptAlert will allow me to provide my patients with choice and convenience built on advanced technology that is easy to implement and cost-effective.”

McKesson ConnectSM Community: Since launching in the fall of 2011, McKesson Connect Community has been connecting more than 1,500 members, including community pharmacy owners, pharmacists and technicians. Members gain access to McKesson Connect Community through McKesson Connect, McKesson’s online pharmaceutical-ordering portal.

Members from across the country have participated in more than 500 discussions on McKesson Connect Community, leveraging the platform to share knowledge on key pharmacy issues such as protecting their reimbursements, finding new sources of revenue with additional clinical and pharmaceutical services, and growing their customer base.

 “I had been looking for a fast, easy way to connect with other Health Mart and independent-pharmacy owners to share information and best practices, as I have many ideas, but few peers nearby to ask questions and share feedback with,” said Tom Wullstein, Pharm.D., Brandon Health Mart, Brandon, SD. “I jumped onto McKesson Connect Community immediately after it was launched and was probably one of the first 20 pharmacists to join. Now, I regularly respond to inquiries from other members and post questions — the answers to which have generated several new marketing ideas that have dramatically improved my business. McKesson Connect Community is a great destination for pharmacists seeking answers and knowledge from a community of their peers.”

Your Pharmacy Online: Today, Health Mart® pharmacy owners can stay better connected with their patients with Your Pharmacy Online, a consumer-facing online platform that allows Health Mart pharmacy owners to showcase their pharmacy’s distinctive personality and services.

Health Mart owners and pharmacists can:

Attract new customers by customizing their online presence to promote events and promotions

Maximize the value of existing customers by giving their patients the opportunity to refill prescriptions from their mobile devices, in addition to sending them text message and email refill reminders

Enhance business efficiency by feeding online refills directly into their pharmacy-management system

For more information on all of McKesson’s announcements from McKesson ideaShare 2012, please visit McKesson’s online newsroom at www.mckesson.com/newsroom.

* Study: McKesson Clinical Analytics 2012. Based on 596 enrolled patients.