- Discount Drug Stores announced new initiatives and technological advancements at its 10th national conference
Rowville VIC, Australia, 2017-Jun-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Amid the picturesque waters of Noumea, New Caledonia, Discount Drug Stores announced a host of new initiatives and technological advancements at its 10th national conference that took place May 27 – 31. Douglas Kuskopf-Dallas, General Manager of the discount pharmacy retail group, says its investment into new initiatives will allow the brand to adapt to the challenging times of the industry and better serve their customers.
Amongst the announcements at the themed ‘The Future is Now’ conference, Discount Drug Stores unveiled its new pain management program, the launch of a health food and organics project, partnerships with script reminder service MedAdvisor and the implementation of its Next Generation Retail Platform powered by FRED NXT.
Leading the way in new customer service developments and dispensary workflow innovations, the pharmacy brand continues to remain at the forefront of the industry, with a 2.09 percent growth in GP for total pharmacy despite PBS reforms and a stagnant retail market. In 2016, Discount Drug Stores performed above the national Pharmacy Professional Incentives average for the second year in a row, achieving 30 percent more cases than the average Australian pharmacy and 32 per cent higher patient adherence, additionally contributing $372,000 for their charity partners Free2Be and Assistance Dogs Australia to date.
Focusing on the delivery of the highest standard of healthcare advice and delivery of industry-leading professional services, the brand revealed its newly launched pain management program – an offering not currently available from any other pharmacy group – in conjunction with the newly introduced diabetes management program. The diabetes management program promises to help pharmacists tap into the 6 CPA funding, assisting in meeting community healthcare needs. In addition to the new initiatives, the brand will continue to further leverage its Dispensary program, introducing new training programs to help stores improve workflows, freeing up time for pharmacists that is better spent serving customers and helping patients.
Discount Drug Stores are no strangers to the ever-changing requirements and demands of customers, additionally introducing a new health food and organics category. The integration of the new category into its network of existing stores will see the brand move towards its goal of becoming a comprehensive, holistic healthcare destination, widening the pharmacies’ ability to support customer wellness all year round through means beyond simply dispensing pharmaceuticals and health clinics.
Set to launch in the coming months, Discount Drug Stores has worked in partnership with FRED NXT to deliver its Next Generation Retail Platform, offering the capability to go paperless with many existing processes. The platform will be integrated into the pharmacy networks existing systems and promises to create operational efficiencies, giving stores the ability to better manage their front-of-shop operations. Douglas Kuskopf-Dallas, General Manager of the Discount Pharmacy Retail Group, says “We continue to invest in new technologies to ensure we stay ahead in a constantly changing industry”.
During the conference, the pharmacy brand additionally announced its newly formed partnership with MedAdvisior, driving the development of a white-labelled app for Discount Drug Stores. In line with the brands multi-channel marketing approach, the app will offer customers a script reminder service amongst other valuable features, serving as another means to help customers better manage their health.
“We are delighted in the potential these new initiatives and technologies will bring to our company and stores in easing business processes and supporting their ability to provide excellent service to our customers.” says Mr Kuskopf-Dallas.
Contact:
T+61 (03) 9215 9215
F+61 (03) 9215 9188
Source: Sigma Healthcare
###