Viva Las Vegas: McKesson ideaShare 2013 electrifies with host of new programs, solutions

LAS VEGAS — McKesson ideaShare 2013, kicked off Wednesday, at the Venetian Casino and Resort, with all the energy and excitement that IS Las Vegas, providing a forum for community pharmacy leaders from across the nation to share ideas and best practices, and to learn about cutting edge products and services to help drive better business results and improve patient outcomes.

With access to industry thought-leaders, the latest pharmacy solutions and more than 30 continuing education sessions over the course of the four-day event, McKesson ideaShare offers an important opportunity for independent pharmacy owners to create a better future for community pharmacy, their patient’s lives and their own businesses.

“In today’s dynamic healthcare landscape, there is tremendous opportunity for community pharmacies to grow their businesses and expand their role as community healthcare leaders,” said Mark Walchirk, president of McKesson U.S. Pharmaceutical. “McKesson is committed to helping our customers — and the industry — achieve better pharmacy health for the long term and this week’s McKesson ideaShare event is one of the critical ways in which we are bringing pharmacy owners and leaders together for continued innovation.”

In addition to the extensive educational programming and networking opportunities, McKesson also rolled out several new and enhanced offerings at McKesson ideaShare 2013, each aligned around one of four key themes:

• Better Business, aimed at improving owner profitability;


• Better Results for patient outcomes;


• Better Future as it relates to the practice of pharmacy as an industry; and


• Better Together, focusing on the merchandising and marketing services available through McKesson’s national Health Mart brand.

Among the new offerings and featured programs at McKesson ideaShare this week, include —

• Mobile Delivery App. For pharmacies that offer home delivery or hospitals with outpatient pharmacies, the new Mobile Delivery App captures payment and pharmacy signatures in the patient’s home or at the bedside. The app also provides controlled substance tracking, keeping pharmacies fully compliant with state regulations.


• Your Pharmacy Online mobile app, which provides a fully customizable, consumer-facing mobile solution for independent pharmacy operators. The app lets patients manage their prescriptions, receive refill reminders, or learn about store promotions and events. The Your Pharmacy Online mobile app will be available for Health Mart customers later this summer.


• McKesson Connect Community. A fast-growing area within the McKesson Connect ordering web site that lets pharmacists and pharmacy owners connect with peers, exchanging ideas and best practices year-round. The McKesson Connect Community now numbers more than 3,000 members since its launch in early 2013.


• Clinical services. McKesson’s award-winning portfolio of clinical programs include medication therapy management, vaccination and behavioral counseling programs, all aimed at improving patient outcomes and pharmacy profitability. “Patients who receive face-to-face behavioral coaching can increase adherence by as much as 25%,” noted Stacey Irving, vice president, strategic channel solutions, McKesson Patient Relationship Solutions.


• Physician Outreach Program. To help pharmacists build relationships with healthcare professionals in their communities, McKesson’s Physician Outreach Program provides physician-specific data on more than one million prescribers. The data helps pharmacists identify high-volume prescribers in their area and determine the best mix of services to offer to successfully market their pharmacy and attract new patients. According to a recent McKesson study, current subscribers have experienced a 1.8% average increase in prescriptions after using the tool, while subscribers using the tool more frequently and for longer durations have experienced up to a 7% increase in prescriptions. Free demonstrations are available during McKesson ideaShare, showing attendees their own community’s physician-specific information.

• RxOwnership. Representatives from McKesson’s RxOwnership program will host the Sixth Annual Ownership Transfer Luncheon Saturday afternoon, where attendees will have the opportunity to come together in an interactive session to review case studies on the processes of buying and selling a pharmacy. The RxOwnership team also hosted its third annual Women in Pharmacy networking event during the Welcome Reception, Thursday evening.


• Parata PASS (Patient Adherence Strip System) and New Business Growth Toolkit: During the conference, Parata showcased its PASS system, the medication management and packaging system that organizes medications in a strip by date, time and dose to ensure meds are taken at the right time, every time. A new addition to PASS — the new Business Growth Toolkit provides resources for pharmacists to market strip packaging, including press release templates, media guidelines, posters for doctor’s offices and letters to potential strategic partners.

Meanwhile, in the Health Mart pavilion, the fast-growing franchise group — which currently numbers more than 3,100 member pharmacies — announced several new and enhanced offerings during McKesson ideaShare 2013, including, a new Local Marketing Support program and Marketing Hub a new store design and modern décor options.

McKesson ideaShare 2013 runs through Saturday, June 29.