GNP rolls out new tools, emphasizes advocacy at ThoughtSpot 2017
LAS VEGAS — At last week’s Good Neighbor Pharmacy ThoughtSpot 2017, AmerisourceBergen rolled out new solutions for independent pharmacies while focusing on the role independents can play in shaping the healthcare landscape through advocacy.
“Independent pharmacists are a vital source of care — a reliable, critical provider in communities across the country,” Good Neighbor Pharmacy president Brian Nightengale said “But we recognize that independent pharmacists aren’t immune to today’s mounting industry pressures. That’s why, at AmerisourceBergen, we leverage our scale to advocate on behalf of independent pharmacists and provide them with necessary resources to ensure they can continue to deliver their hallmark, high-quality and cost-effective patient care.”
At the tradeshow’s opening session, AmerisourceBergen executives showcased solutions aimed at helping pharmacists navigate industry challenges and optimize front-end sales. The company’s new direct and indirect remuneration, or DIR, fee estimator tool offers pharmacists a way to estimate their monthly rates through real-time, claim-level data. And the enhanced ABC Order platform got a facelift, showing off a new user interface to make ordering more efficient, the company said.
The event also hosted and Advocacy in Action event, which featured a five-person panel discussion that included National Community Pharmacists Association CEO Doug Hoey and U.S. Rep. Doug Collins. Panelists discussed how pharmacists can advocate for pro-pharmacy policy change on such issues as provider status and DIR fees. AmerisourceBergen and Good Neighbor Pharmacy also highlighted their advocacy resource website Our Independent Voice, which offers such resources as templates for letters to lawmakers and opportunities to connect with other pharmacists and pharmacy organizations.
“We continue to pursue ways to support and advocate on behalf of independent pharmacists because we know their patients and the overall health of our communities depend on them now more than ever,” AmerisourceBergen group president of pharmaceutical distribution and strategic global sourcing Bob Mauch said. “At AmerisourceBergen we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures, and our work to amplify the voice of community pharmacists and ensure they are able to meet the needs of patients in a fair marketplace is a key demonstration of how we live our purpose.”
Additionally, AmerisourceBergen recognized Staten Island, N.Y.-based St. George Pharmacy with the Good Neighbor Pharmacy 2017 Pharmacy of the Year award. The owner, Al Gentile, has been part of his community for more than 30 years, making sure to keep his doors open in the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy.