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September 26, 2024
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The UK pharmacy channel plays an increasingly integral role in the health of the population – and in a healthcare brand’s success. With the right strategies, brand owners can build strong partnerships with pharmacy staff, ensure their brand stands out on the shelf, and attract lifelong customers.
In this interview, Chris Clarkson, Pharmacy Sales Director, reveals:
And more…
Hit Play to uncover:
“Quite often, a consumer or a patient will buy into the brand through independent pharmacy because they’ve had a recommendation through their healthcare professionals.”Hello, I’m Chris Clarkson, I’m the Pharmacy Sales Director at Ceuta Healthcare.
Well, it’s really about developing the right plans and strategies so we can bring products to pharmacy and ensure that they are the right products for pharmacy and that the pharmacy understands what those products’ features and benefits are and that they’re right for their patients and customers.
Well, for many brand owners, it’s a vital cog in the wheel, really. It’s about bringing professional endorsement to the brand that’s represented in pharmacy, because often referred to as the “white coat effect”, having that endorsement brings that credibility within the product.
Well, it’s interesting, because pharmacy is one of the only places where you’ve actually got consumers and patients and therefore, customers being forced through the doors because they’re going in there to get their prescriptions and their healthcare services, particularly with independent pharmacy, because, for the first time ever, it’s grown. I’ve spoken with Lloyds recently and over the last couple of years, something like 1,700 pharmacies have moved into the independent channel, so this is really important for those new owners of pharmacies to make sure that they make the most of their retail space. They’ll be looking for manufacturers to really help them do that.
Well, I guess that’s really understanding the real value of the return on investment that pharmacy offers. Quite often, a consumer or a patient will buy into the brand through independent pharmacy because they’ve had a recommendation through their healthcare professionals. They may well go on never to purchase from that outlet again. They may go to the mass market. But you’ve got a customer for life there because of recommendations through independent pharmacy.
Well, of course, when you go into a pharmacy, you’re dealing with healthcare professionals, whether that’s a pharmacist, pharmacy assistants, or technicians, whoever it may be. These are obviously professional people that really care and they know their customers. Quite often, they’ll have a personal relationship with their customers and know their healthcare needs.
And you’ll feel a lot more comfortable going into an independent pharmacy asking for that remedy for your embarrassing itch or scratch or what have you, and you wouldn’t dream of doing that in a mass market. You wouldn’t go to a supermarket and go to the checkout shelves and ask for that same advice, would you?
Okay, so really the first question is, is that product right for a switch? Is there a patient benefit? Is there a commercial strategy around that as well?
Once you’ve established that and you think, yeah, that’s right, then you’ve got to bring pharmacy into it really early. You’ve got to bear in mind that pharmacy has dealt with this molecule for some years while it’s been a prescription medicine. So engaging with them early, getting their recommendation is going to be really key.
Within the Ceuta Group, we’ve managed a lot of POM to pharmacy medication (P), POM to general sales license (GSL) switches over the years. So we’ve got some great examples of gold standard switching where we’ve actually adopted this strategy.
Well, again, pharmacy staff are healthcare professionals. They’re essentially looking after the health of the nation and their patients. So it’s important that you’re getting that messaging across in the right way and the right messages that they want to hear, the right education and the right detail, so they can convey that correctly to their patients and their customers.
That’s why within the Ceuta Group, we work so closely with the brand owners to make sure that they understand what pharmacy wants, so we can deliver it cohesively and make sure that brand success is achieved.
Well, of course, now we’re living in the age of online and social media, and some of the tools available are absolutely fantastic. There’s no doubt about it. However, this does put the onus on pharmacy staff to take time out and go and engage with these platforms.
Within Ceuta Group, of course, we’re going in and talking to pharmacy staff face-to-face. We find it’s the most effective way to engage with pharmacy decision-makers. We find the responses we get back are much more positive as well, and it’s a much more natural and efficient way of engaging with our customers and our staff.
Like so many other parts of the NHS and indeed, public services, pharmacy is becoming under increasing financial pressure. Pharmacy does have an integral part within the future health of the nation. There’s the self-care initiative, which is only going to grow as people are encouraged to look after themselves more. Pharmacy will play a key role in this, both through offering products but also services locally through their local pharmacy.
There’s also going to be increased referrals through GP’s, through the 111 service, and indeed, general media and consumer publications out there as well. And then of course, you’ve got the Pharmacy First initiative within England, but also Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well. And again, this is driving people out of GP surgeries, out of A&Es and into pharmacies for those minor ailments.
There’s no doubt about it. The pharmacy has a critical future in the health of the nation.
Pharmacy is a key channel for gaining lifetime customers. Only through pharmacy can brands benefit from the “white coat effect” of a healthcare professional’s recommendation. Yet, pharmacy staff aren’t going to recommend your products without reason. Building a strong relationship with them is integral to winning that endorsement. Meanwhile, delivering impactful in-store marketing materials and comprehensive consumer educationcan help your brand gain an edge on the competition.
If you need support in launching or growing your brand in the pharmacy channel, executing a successful POM to OTC switch, or identifying new opportunities to winning loyal customers, get in touch, Chris and his team of pharmacy experts can help you.
To find out more about how to unlock the true potential of your brand, get in touch.
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