New horizons for pharmacy
September 22, 2011
BLACKMORES has launched a
brand new pharmacy-only
Companions range, which has the
potential to provide pharmacies
with an important new revenue
stream, whilst also building
customer loyalty and ensuring the
best health outcomes for patients.
The Blackmores Companions
range has the full support of the
Pharmacy Guild of Australia, and
includes four products which have
been scientifically formulated to
replenish nutrients which are
depleted by particular medications.
The range includes a Stat Companion
which provides coenzyme Q10 for
nutritional support whilst taking
statin medication as well as a daily
dose of Vitamin D3 to maintain
muscle health.
Other products in the range
include a Biotic Companion which
provides probiotic support whilst
taking antibiotics; a PPI Companion
which provides magnesium for
nutritional support whilst taking a
proton pump inhibitor; and an Anti-
HT Companion which contains zinc
to help prevent zinc deficiency
whilst taking ACE inhibitors,
antgiotension-II receptor
antagonists or thiazide diuretics.
Collectively, the range could be
recommended for use with more than
58 million prescriptions per annum
(more than a third of all scripts
dispensed annually), presenting a
huge opportunity for pharmacists.
Each of the Companions features
the Guild’s Gold Cross branding,
and Blackmores is also trialling
them in the GuildCare professional
service software, starting with the
Anti-HT Companion on 01 Nov.
The program will provide an onscreen
prompt when patients fill a
script for a particular medicine
suitable for the Anti-HT Companion,
and is able to create a printable
professional leaflet personalised to
the individual, which details why
the product is appropriate and
clearly states product benefits.
“This is the type of IT that busy
pharmacists have been yearning
for,” said Guild National President,
Kos Sclavos at the launch yesterday.
If the IT program is popular, it will
be expanded to include the rest of
the Companions range.
“Why I’m so excited about this
launch is that in my pharmacy it’s a
30 metre walk from the dispensary
to the complementary medicines
section, and what we’re doing with
this range is that we want it close
to the dispensary,” Sclavos said.
“We want the pharmacists to
own this range,” he added.
In terms of store placement
Blackmores is recommending two
models, the first being that they sit
in the S3 section near the
dispensary counter, and the second
that the products feature within
the dispensary itself.
“We welcome the opportunity to
work with pharmacists to provide
them with a proposition in the best
interests of their customers that’s
based on a body of scientific
evidence, and will provide them
with an important new revenue
stream in the face of the changing
and challenging dynamics in the
market,” said Blackmores CEO,
Christine Holgate.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 22 Sep 11To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 22 Sep 11
