To compete with big box retailers, it is necessary for independent pharmacists to have a digital strategy. We walk you through the top four myths we hear from pharmacists about their hesitation with going digital.

At Digital Pharmacist, we work with over 7,500 local community pharmacies. We understand what creating a digital strategy means to you, and why you may (or may not) think it is important.

During these conversations, the same four misconceptions around going digital continue to pop up. With that, here’s the top four myths about going digital – debunked.

1. My patients are older and they will never use an app.

One of the most common things we hear is “our patients would never use an app.” The data, however, tells a different story. Mobile phones are used by 46 percent of people 65 years and older and 73 percent of people ages 50-64 and those percentages increase the younger the age range gets.

This younger generation of tech-savvy mobile users will soon become the majority of the population. Not to mention, as of 2017, the millennial population had about $1.3 trillion in annual buying power. And millennials are estimated to reach $1.4 trillion in annual spending by 2020—roughly one-third of all retail spending.

If this is not convincing, millennials in the U.S. outnumber Baby Boomers by nearly 10 percent, which means millennials are the nation’s largest living generation.

2. My community already knows me and my pharmacy… I do not need a presence online.

If that’s true, great. But regardless, most patients expect the convenience of 24/7 refills and access to information online. What happens when a patient needs to submit a refill after your pharmacy is closed? Offering the option for 24/7 digital refills helps you capture those refills and patients that would otherwise be lost when your pharmacy is closed.

3. My business relies on customer service and not on online service.

In today’s age of technology, the two go hand-in-hand. Being digital takes convenience to the next level, which translates into great customer service. Just because the interaction is online doesn’t mean your patients are missing out on a positive customer experience. At the end of the day, they are getting customer service both online and inside your pharmacy.

4. I can’t afford to be digital.

A five-minute phone refill requires your staff’s time and leaves in-store patients dissatisfied with the customer service they receive. Instead, if the refill occurs online, staff time would be freed up, leaving the in-store patients happy. Also, nearly 50 percent of digital refills occur when the pharmacy is closed.

Digital refills help you capture patients who:

1) want to refill online or via an app and

2) refill when they want including times when the pharmacy is closed

Going digital streamlines your operation and in turn, can save you and your staff time that can be better utilized in other revenue-generating opportunities. With the growing number of people online, you can’t afford not to be online.

To learn more about how the Digital Pharmacist platform is debunking these myths and making it easy and cost-effective for community pharmacists to be digital, schedule time with us here.

References:

https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/tips-trends-takeaways/10-ways-younger-and-older-millennials-shop-differently/ 

https://rdwgroup.com/blog/millennials-marketing-age-experience-economy/