Marketing Vitals - On the Pulse of Healthcare

A website is your brand identifier and how people find out about your business. We discuss why just social media isn't enough, but how it can work in tangent with a website. And also the benefits of working with a vendor that works with you in building a custom site and gives you access for ongoing management if you choose. 

Do you know how to use a SWOT analysis effectively—or are you making common mistakes that keep your strategy from reaching its full potential? In this episode, we break down what a SWOT is, why it matters for your business, and how to leverage your strengths, address weaknesses, and take advantage of opportunities in your market. We’ll also cover the pitfalls many business owners encounter when conducting a SWOT and share practical tips to make this classic tool a true driver of strategic planning and growth. Tune in to learn how to think strategically and set your business up for success.

In this episode, we dive into why choosing an industry-focused marketing agency can make all the difference. From understanding your audience and compliance needs to delivering strategies that actually move the needle, we break down how niche expertise leads to stronger results — and fewer growing pains. Tune in to learn why specialization matters and how an agency that truly gets your industry can help your business stand out.  

Marketing Vitals host, Kelly Baily, is joined by Brian Prigge, President, CTO and Founder of GRX Marketing’s newest partner – Scriptly!  Learn more about this all-in-one, cloud-based, web-based pharmacy management system and see how your pharmacy can cut costs, streamline operations, and improve efficiency without sacrificing care. Visit scriptly.tech to learn more and schedule a free demo.

In this episode, we break down the smart ways to integrate AI into your healthcare marketing strategy—and the pitfalls to avoid. From simplifying complex healthcare concepts for patient-friendly content to understanding the risks of misinformation and non-compliance with healthcare guidelines, we cover what every healthcare owner and their marketer needs to know when working with AI. Tune in for practical insights, real-world examples, and a clear path to using AI responsibly and effectively.

The show discussions are Modern Medical Mafia and Patient Protector - two projects to help expose PBMs. We discussed ways independent pharmacy owners can get involved in local legislation and patient education about PBMs and how they impact pharmacies. 

It is expected that the need for long-term care at home services will double in the next fifty years - putting an even larger strain on caregivers and the healthcare workforce. On this episode of Marketing Vitals, VP of GRX Marketing, Kelly Bailey, is joined by trusted partners Paul Shelton from LTC @ Home and Susan Barrett from HealNow to discuss shifting to a patient engagement model. Tune in to learn how together we can improve your cash flow today and enhance patient outcomes tomorrow. If you have any questions or interested in working together, please contact us! Paul Shelton at [email protected], Susan Barratt at [email protected], and Kelly Bailey – [email protected].

Kelly Bailey, Vice President of GRX Marketing, is joined by Al Branca, President of AXE Rx, on this episode of Marketing Vitals to discuss AXE Rx’s unique profit opportunity for pharmacy owners. With their innovative technology platforms, tools and marketplaces, AXE Rx supports and develops pharmacy savings programs with a goal of bringing transparent prescription medication pricing.

Heavily focused on the finance sector, Lansworth had a goal of breaking into the pharmacy industry. On this episode of Marketing Vitals, we talk with Finch Marketing client, Carrie Koski, on how targeted marketing has impacted Lansworth achieving their goal. By understanding the pain points of their new target audience and using a strategic marketing approach, Lansworth became a credible and trusted company in a new market in a short timeframe.

No matter your location, Amazon Pharmacy is affecting everyone. From rural independents to big-city multi-store pharmacies, Amazon is another competitor with an aggressive marketing strategy. So, how can you compete? Grab your headphones and join Kelly Bailey, Vice President of GRX Marketing, as she dives into various marketing strategies and campaign ideas to help your pharmacy be a force in your local market. 

You’ve developed a brand for your business. Now what? How do you instill your brand into your local market? Kelly Bailey is joined on this month’s Marketing Vitals podcast by independent pharmacy specialist, Bruce Kneeland, to dive deeper into branding and how to utilize it in your community to make a strong, lasting impression.

One of the biggest drivers in your business’s overall success is branding. Your brand is your pharmacy’s unique identity that distinguishes you from your competitors. It’s more than just your logo. It’s your business’s values, credibility, and customer experience. On this episode, Nicolle and Kelly dive into how to use your branding to stand out from the crowd and make a strong, lasting impression.

This year has been rough for independent pharmacies, but long-term care at home services can provide a tremendous avenue for growth and additional revenue. That is why GRX Marketing and Long-Term Care at Home Network have teamed up on this episode to dive into how exactly pharmacies can implement and benefit from offering long-term care at home services.

What better way to diversify your pharmacy business by adding a home health care franchise! Offer complete care to your senior patients, while expanding your business. Debbie and Nicolle discuss the benefits of a home health care franchise and how to get started. Nicolle McClure - Host and Debbie Marcello, Founder & CEO at Happier at Home

Join Nicolle Mcclure and Monique Whiney as they discuss how PUTT helps independent pharmacies navigate the complicated world of PBMs. Monique shares ideas of how pharmacy owners can get involved with PUTT or at the state level.   

Children grow up quickly. As a parent, you’ve probably gone through countless sizes of clothing, ever-changing tastes in food, and a seemingly interminable increase in height as your child grows. Your child’s fast growth rate requires all of the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, which they can get from a healthy, balanced diet. However, as you know, kids can be picky eaters, which can make it nearly impossible to give them the vitamins and minerals they need every day. That’s where vitamins come into play. These supplements can make a great addition to your child’s daily routine to help give him or her all of the proper nutrition they need to grow up big and strong. Here are 6 big benefits that vitamins have for your kids: Fills in the Nutritional Gap – If your child is a fussy eater or if he or she simply doesn’t receive the proper nutrition needed daily, vitamins can be a great way to fill in the gaps, so to speak. Our bodies need vitamins and minerals to function correctly, and supplementary vitamins can help cover all the bases to ensure that your child is growing and developing properly. Gives Them Energy – Your child needs plenty of energy to help them grow and enjoy the day. B vitamins, which are typically found in many of the foods we eat, help convert what we eat into energy. However, our bodies have a limited capacity to store B vitamins, so we need to replace them each day. Giving your child vitamins, especially those rich in many of the B vitamins, can help ensure that you are giving them all the energy they need every day. Strengthens Healthy Bones – Calcium and vitamin D are essential for strong, healthy bones and teeth. When your child receives these nutrients in the vitamins you give, you are promoting the growth and development of strong bones not only during their childhood but also into their teenage and adult years. Supports Healthy Eyes – Proper nutrition, including plenty of beta-carotene and vitamin A, is vital for strong eye development and health. Children’s vitamins that include these nutrients can help give your child everything he or she needs to develop healthy eyes and sustain healthy vision. Strengthens the Immune System – As a parent, you probably know that children often bring a slew of germs and bugs home with them from school. That’s because their immune systems are still developing and are not as strong as an adult’s. Fortunately, you can help give your child’s immune system a boost with supplementary vitamins, especially those that contain zinc and vitamin C. Helps Support a Healthy Brain – A child needs the right nutrients, particularly iodine, to think properly, process information, and grow mentally. However, a recent study has shown that 1 in 3 children did not receive enough iodine between the ages of 8 and 10. A multi-vitamin that contains iodine is a sure way to give your child what he or she needs to develop a healthy brain. Contact: PharmacyMarketing.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a time of crisis, as an independent pharmacy owner, you may be thinking it’s best to put on the brakes with marketing. When in fact, the opposite is true. People more than ever are looking for trusted resource, medication options, supplies and more from their local pharmacies. Listen to the latest Pharmacy Marketing Simplified podcast, to learn why it’s important to be marketing during this time, where you should be marketing, and tips for promoting your pharmacy. PharmacyMarketing.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmacy Marketing Simplified podcast host Nicolle McClure and Todd Eury talk about what they've learned about pharmacy in the last ten years in celebration of GRX Marketing's 10th year in business serving independently owned pharmacies.  “Starting GRX Marketing 10 years ago, I honestly wasn’t sure where it would go, but I knew we wanted to help other independents stand out in their community. I am so thankful for all our clients, partners and people that have believed in us, especially those who took a chance early on and listened to our story and what we believed in. As we celebrate our 10 year anniversary, we look forward to the next 10 years of helping even more independent pharmacy owners, expanding our marketing programs, and helping create a voice for everyone within this industry. Cheers to all the pharmacy owners out there. You are what drives us every day.” – Nicolle McClure, President of GRX Marketing See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the latest Pharmacy Marketing Simplified Podcast, Nicolle McClure speaks with Pam Clarke, Digital Marketing Expert at Cox Media about Geofencing. What exactly is GeoFencing, and how can you use it to help market your pharmacy? We’ll discuss all the ins and outs, including what it is, how to best use it, and a few restrictions to be aware of. Pam will also give some examples of campaigns other independent pharmacies have seen success with. Tune in to learn how the hyper-targeted method can work for your pharmacy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As independent pharmacy owners look to other revenue sources to keep their business viable, learn how starting a weight loss program within your pharmacy could be the perfect solution. Dr. Kathy Campbell, pharmacy owner and founder of Dr. Kathy Weight Loss, discusses how she created the program, integrated it with her pharmacy business, and marketed it to her customers and the community. More information: PharmacyMarketing.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicolle McClure interviews Fiona Sartoretto Verna co-owner of an Italian company that is dedicated exclusively to the study of tools and methods for making pharmacists stronger and more recognized since 1965, all around the world. Sartoretto Verna is the name of the family that for three generations has been running the company with over 100 employees. Today we are the only company in the industry with pharmacies in 30 countries spanning 4 continents. Our forward thinking has often created trends in the pharmacy design field. We boast concrete and reliable experience, certified over the years by substantial increases in sales, in parallel with our customers’.  https://www.sartorettoverna.com/history  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Medication Adherence A whopping 50% of patients do not take their medications as prescribed, meaning we have a long way to go in improving adherence in our communities. Independent pharmacies can be on the fore front of improving this number by adopting an adherence program, and even take it the next step further by adding a medication packaging service. For the first Pharmacy Marketing Simplified podcast in 2019, listen to Nicolle McClure and her guest Rob Anderson with Synergy Medical, discuss adherence, how to start a program, and ways to easily market it. GRX Marketing  2929 Westown Parkway Suite 100 West Des Moines, IA 50266 ​ T: 515-280-2914 F: 515-222-2658 ​ [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cardinal Health sponsored several podcast episodes featuring several dynamic pharmacy professionals making a difference in our healthcare system delivery models. Nicolle McClure, president of GRX Marketing interviewed pharmacy owners and a physician to better outline the benefits of Value-based Pharmacy Care. Value-based Pharmacy care is a healthcare delivery model in which providers, including, pharmacists, hospitals and physicians, are paid based on patient health outcomes. Under value-based care agreements, providers are rewarded for helping patients improve their health, reduce the effects and incidence of chronic disease, and live healthier lives in an evidence-based way. Value-based care differs from a fee-for-service or capitated approach, in which providers are paid based on the amount of healthcare services they deliver. The “value” in value-based healthcare is derived from measuring health outcomes against the cost of delivering the outcomes. The benefits of a value-based healthcare system extend to patients, providers, payers, suppliers, and society as a whole. We thank Cardinal Health for their investment into the Pharmacy Podcast Network and supporting our interviews.  Learn more:  https://www.cardinalhealth.com/en/essential-insights/value-based-care-often-begins-with-the-supply-chain.html  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmacy Marketing Simplified host and president of GRX Marketing Nicolle McClure interviews Jessica Gardner with Smart Solutions. Jessica & Nicolle discuss why it’s important for independents to be active on social media, and if they’re not, some easy things to do to keep their page active. Contact GRX Marketing: https://www.grxmarketing.com/podcasts  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicolle McClure, host of Pharmacy Marketing Simplified Podcast, interviews Omar Hassad with Rxeed.com  Rxeed.com opens up an entirely new world of comparison drug shopping. Rxeed.com is leading this change, allowing consumers to receive the lowest possible pricing on the medications they need most through a market system of electronic, transparent competition. Rxeed is a virtual community consisting of consumers, independent pharmacies and drug wholesalers on one platform uniquely designed to benefit all. For Independent Pharmacies: Search Pharmacies' inventories of overstock and short dates. Search Wholesalers' inventories. Inquire within fellow independent pharmacy regarding drug availability due to shortage or backorder. For Drug Wholesalers: Lowest commission fee of 2.5% on any seller platform. Upload daily special which will be distributed to local licensed independent pharmacies within the state of business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmacy Marketing Simplified podcast host Nicolle McClure interviews VP of Pharmacy Automation Travis Smith with Smart Solutions IVR Technology.  Smart Solutions has provided affordable, innovative IVR services to the pharmacy industry since 1995. SMART has successfully pioneered and developed superior IVR solutions that are "best of breed" within the industry and offer the utmost in flexibility and reliability to the pharmacy community. Most recently, Smart has developed a Speech Recognition Voice Response (IVR) module that is very cost effective and which is the industry's leading state-of-the-art pharmacy voice application. Smart also has the ability to work with Voice over IP (VoIP) applications. Smart's IVR products are flexible and can be customized and tailored to the pharmacy without specific application engineering (which can add thousands of dollars to the application cost) with such features as Mail Order and Delivery being a standard offering in the feature menu. Enterprise applications is another area of our expertise. Our experience with thousands of chain store locations, large hospital clinical organizations, Mail Order and Independents in the U.S. and Canada has given us the experience to understand the solutions needed by both large and small pharmacy enterprises. Smart Solutions has been providing pharmacy workflow applications to the industry since year 2000. Smart's workflow applications can be utilized in whole, or in part, on a modular format, based on individual chain, institutional, mail order or independent pharmacy need. Smart has the ability to fill the gaps in practice management systems, providing any workflow application to augment where needed for pharmacy full workflow functionality. Smart's Digital Workflow Modules include Prescription Verification, Will Call Bin Management and Electronic Signature Capture. Within these applications Pill Images, Original Prescription Images and Customer Identification Images can be captured and stored for long term archiving. Smart's Bin Management modules can be adapted to existing pharmacy formats, or in its most sophisticated form can provide light activated bins that absolutely do away with storage confusion and lost prescriptions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmacy Podcast Network co-host Nicolle McClure, president of GRX Marketing talks with Douglas Hoey, RPh., CEO at the National Community Pharmacists Association recorded live at the Cardinal Health RBC 2018 in San Diego CA in June 2018.  Mr. Hoey share his insights on the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Pharmacy Owners.  Contact Nicolle:  Nicolle McClure - GRX Marketing  President 2929 Westown Pkwy., Suite 100 West Des Moines, IA 50266 515.440.1270 main  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmacy Marketing Simplified co-host Nicolle McClure talks with ZipWhip Jace Treat about the evolving patient's communications dynamic.  They discuss how communication on a personal and business level has evolved over the last five-ten years, and how pharmacy owners need to embrace this change in order to continue to communicate with their patients on a personal way. Using texting as a business communication tool allows the pharmacy owner to better connect with patients, can help with adherence issues, and capture a younger demographic. “Textpert” Jace Treat is the Pharmacy Industry Manager at Zipwhip, a company that allows businesses to send and receive text messages from an existing landline number. His team works with Pharmacies to enhance their patient engagement and communication strategy.    Nicolle McClure President 2929 Westown Pkwy., Suite 100 West Des Moines, IA 50266 515.440.1270 main See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Pharmacy Marketing Simplified Nicolle McClure interviews Bruce Kneeland. Nicolle & Bruce talk about why it’s important to do more at your pharmacy with regards to purposeful and meaningful marketing. Gone are the days of just filling prescriptions and expecting your business to grow or even survive. Community pharmacy business development Veteran, Bruce Kneeland, discusses what types of services you should be doing, and ways you can market them to your current and prospective customers. Nicolle McClure and Bruce will also be discussing how the image of your pharmacy matters when trying to market your business. Learn easy things you can do in your pharmacy and with your staff to put your independent pharmacy above the rest. About Bruce Kneeland:  Bruce Kneeland is the founder and principal consultant of PharmacyConnections. Building on his 30 years of success as a senior manager and field representative with small chain, independent, drug wholesale and pharmacy associations, Kneeland can help you more effectively meet the needs of community pharmacies. Kneeland has authored dozens of articles and been featured in pharmacy publications such as: Drug Topics, Pharmacy Times, Computer Talk, America’s Pharmacist, Super Market News and others. He delivers live CE programs to wholesaler, pharmacy association and at internal company meetings on the industry and how to best meet its current challenges. For more marketing tips & strategies, Contact Nicolle:  Nicolle McClure President - Pharmacy Marketing  2929 Westown Pkwy., Suite 100, West Des Moines, IA 50266 515.440.1270 main  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If targeting Millennials is not part of our overall marketing strategy, it should be. Guest Chris Cielewich, Senior Vice President for FlavoRx and cohost Nicolle McClure discuss why it’s important to be including the younger demographic in your marketing, and how easy it is to target them digitally, through prescribers and in your local community. With over 80 million Millennials in the United States, the demo is too large and influential to be ignored. Nicolle McClure GRX Marketing  2929 Westown Pkwy., Suite 100 West Des Moines, IA 50266 515.440.1270    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often think of marketing our business externally only, not looking inside the pharmacy at our own employees. When in truth, your employees are your biggest asset, and they can be your cheerleader or thorn. Guest Ben Coakley and Nicolle McClure discuss how to create and implement an internal marketing program, ideas for engaging employees and dealing with disgruntled ones, and offering incentives. Learn how a successful internal marketing strategy can translate into a successful external one as well. GRX Marketing Nicolle McClure 2929 Westown Pkwy., Suite 100, West Des Moines, IA 50266 515.440.1270  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past year, video has quickly become an essential way to market your business. Dr. David Pope and Nicolle McClure talk about why it’s important for pharmacy owners to incorporate it as part of their overall marketing strategy, and how it can be used to tell a story about your pharmacy history, services and personal commitment to the community.   They’ll give examples of how it can be used in a pharmacy settings and options for execution. Reach out to the experts today: Nicolle McClure President - GRX Marketing  2929 Westown Pkwy Suite 100 West Des Moines, IA 50266 515.440.1270 main |515.280.2913 dir See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marketing Your MTM & Clinical Services Dr. Blair Thielemier and Nicolle McClure discuss why it’s important to execute clinical and MTMs services in your independent pharmacy. We will discuss challenges of getting started and how to overcome them, give several marketing ideas, and review how offering these types of services can also be a new patient generator. For those owners that are struggling performing these types of services, we will address the benefits of hiring an independent pharmacy consultant. At the end, we will touch on Blair’s Evaluate Pharmacy Virtual Summit event in April.     Nicolle McClure President - GRX Marketing  2929 Westown Pkwy., Suite 100, West Des Moines, IA 50266 515.440.1270 main |515.280.2913 dir  ELEVATE PHARMACY SUMMIT  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Pharmacy Marketing Simplified Podcast, Nicolle interviews Marketing guru and Founder of Heinz Marketing -- Matt Heinz about the power of Networking with other businesses in your community.  About Matt: Prolific author and nationally recognized, award-winning blogger, Matt Heinz is President and Founder of Heinz Marketing with 15 years of marketing, business development and sales experience from a variety of organizations and industries. He is a dynamic speaker, memorable not only for his keen insight and humor, but his actionable and motivating takeaways.  Matt’s career focuses on consistently delivering measurable results with greater sales, revenue growth, product success and customer loyalty. Matt is a repeat winner of Top 50 Most Influential People in Sales Lead Management and Top 50 Sales & Marketing Influencers.  Matt is living through the renovation of a 105-year old historic farmhouse in Kirkland, Washington with his wife, Beth and three young children. Matt Heinz Speaking Engagements You can read more from Matt on his blog, Matt on Marketing, follow him on Twitter, or check out his books (listed below) on Amazon.com. Full Funnel Marketing Modern Marketing Field Guide Contact Nicolle McClure 2929 Westown Pkwy., Suite 100, West Des Moines, IA 50266 515.440.1270 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmacy Podcast Show co-Host Nicolle McClure interviews Cheri Schmit, R.Ph., who is GRX Marketing's Clinical Coordinator, and "pharmacy immunization queen". Nicolle and Cheri discuss the evolution of giving vaccines in the pharmacy, and where it’s headed, marketing tips, and dealing with public feedback.  About Nicolle: Nicolle McClure started GRX Marketing in 2010, after hearing a need from local independent pharmacists wanting assistance with their marketing. She also oversees marketing for 18 community pharmacies in central Iowa that are owned by GRX Marketing's parent company, GRX Holdings, where Nicolle has worked since 2008. Prior to her current position, she worked for Medicap Pharmacies INC. for four years, where she was responsible for providing marketing services for 65 Medicap Pharmacy franchisees nationwide. Nicolle has more than 11 years of pharmacy marketing experience and 14 years in marketing overall. She graduated Iowa State University in 2001 with a degree in Advertising, and her passion has always been supporting local businesses and helping them increase their market share amongst larger competitors. ph: 515-280-2913  em: [email protected] 2929 Westown Parkway, Suite 100, West Des Moines, IA 50266 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices