Fall is rapidly approaching and with it comes Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period. This makes now a great time for your pharmacy to consider how it’s going to engage and help patients choose the right plan for them. From conducting plan reviews to offering advice, there are several ways your pharmacy can improve overall plan awareness.
We’ve put together the top 3 reasons why your pharmacy should begin preparing for plan reviews.
1. Boost Patient-Pharmacist Relationships
There’s no denying the impact of a positive patient-pharmacist relationship on both the quality of care and patient satisfaction. Pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare provider for patients. A whopping 80 percent of patients in a recent Columbia survey said that they see pharmacists as a key component of their health care team.
Your pharmacy can capitalize on this level of trust by establishing itself as a resource throughout the complicated and often-times confusing Open Enrollment process. Your staff should start strengthening communication with patients, whether in person or via other ways of contact. Collecting patient information via email may prove particularly beneficial, as email remains the most effective marketing tool available to businesses.
2. Enhance Customer Loyalty
A loyal customer is often a return one. A great way to cultivate loyal customers is to provide them with the resources and support they need, especially when it comes to choosing the right Medicare plan. Patients who received a Medicare plan review have been shown to continue to be highly engaged with their pharmacies. Stats show that 98.4 percent of said patients will fill at the same pharmacy in the 6 months following their review.
3. Foster Year-Round Engagement
Of course, interest in Medicare plans is always at a high during the Annual Enrollment Period. But this shouldn’t be the only time your pharmacy offers plan support and advice. For patients who turn 65 throughout the year, having easily accessible information at your pharmacy may prove invaluable. This boosts year-round engagement and overall patient satisfaction.
With these operations in place, your pharmacy will be fully prepared for this year’s—and every year after—Medicare Enrollment Period. Given that the most recent count of Medicare enrollees is around 63,964,675 people, there can be no doubt how important how plan preparation and awareness is.
If your pharmacy is looking for a suite of solutions that can help you with Medicare plan awareness, pharmacy management, and more, Transaction Data Systems is here for you. Schedule a demo to learn more about how our software can benefit your pharmacy today!
