AmerisourceBergen, Good Neighbor Pharmacy kick off virtual ThoughtSpot conference

AmerisourceBergen and Good Neighbor Pharmacy kicked off the first virtual ThoughtSpot on Wednesday, bringing Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s annual conference and trade show online. The event was meant to highlight the organization's ongoing efforts to ensure pharmacists have the resources they need to be the pharmacy of choice in their communities, particularly during the pandemic. 

ThoughtSpot 2020 included a virtual general session and keynote address, more than 40 on-demand continuing education sessions, and a selection of live webinars will continue throughout the Fall. These virtual gatherings – hosted on AmerisourceBergen’s new event platform ABLive - provide pharmacists with tools, knowledge, and best practices to optimize their business operations, the patients’ experience, and their bottom line.

“This year, we were focused on executing an immersive and interactive experience to connect with our customers and partners, and it’s been an exciting process bringing ThoughtSpot 2020 to life and sharing, learning and growing with our customers in this new, virtual environment,” said Rich Tremonte, executive vice president and president of community and specialty pharmacy at AmerisourceBergen.

Tremonte added, “Beyond maintaining access to care, community pharmacists have quickly adapted to serve their communities in new and inspiring ways this year, and we were proud to stand by them and recognize their resilience during this year’s show. This is also why we were proud to honor the 2020 Generics rebate for customers who had registered this past spring to attend the original conference, despite not being able to meet in person.”

During Wednesday's general session event, AmerisourceBergen leaders announced four key areas of focus for supporting independent community pharmacies in the year ahead:

• Sustainability: Offering impactful solutions that help protect independent pharmacy operations during today’s challenging business and health care environments and market evolution;
• Digital & Technological Advancement: Continuing to build solutions that attract new customers while retaining existing ones through Good Neighbor Pharmacy digital platforms, telemedicine, and eCommerce offerings;
• Diversifying Pharmacy Profitability: Supporting business expansion that diversifies pharmacy profitability – beyond dispensing – such as convenience packaging, clinical services, point-of-care testing, and more; and
• Leading Advocacy Efforts: Advocating at both federal and state levels to encourage payment reform and expansion of the pharmacists’ scope of practice.

“If last year’s ThoughtSpot was a rallying cry for pharmacists to shout their unique stories from the rooftops, this year’s huddle was all about evolving the game and leaving it all on the field,” said Brian Nightengale, president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy. “Protecting the business of independent community pharmacy takes teamwork, and we believe that we have the right team of experts and set of solutions in place to help pharmacies reach the next level of ownership and practice. We are committed to helping our independent community pharmacies expand their services, advocate for themselves and their businesses, and connect with customers in new ways. Put simply, we want to give them more opportunities to do what they do best: deliver personalized, standout care to patients.”

As part of the day's virtual general session event, participants had access to a panel discussion on proactively addressing healthcare disparities in local communities. This is the first installment of an ongoing series of panel discussions on this important topic. Visit here for additional background, resources and information for pharmacists and patients.

AmerisourceBergen also recognized Family Pharmacy of Pottsboro, Lily’s Pharmacy of Johns Creek, and McCoy-Tygart Drug as finalists for Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s 2020 Pharmacy of the Year Award. The award highlights the top pharmacies within the Good Neighbor Pharmacy Network of more than 4,000 independent community pharmacies that display excellence in patient care, community outreach, and innovative pharmacy practice.

Voting for the Good Neighbor Pharmacy of the Year award runs through Oct. 16. Votes can be cast here or by visiting Good Neighbor Pharmacy Facebook page here, where videos highlighting the three finalists are posted. The annual award will be presented virtually on Oct. 20 during a special presentation on ABLive.