TerryWhite Chemmart made several announcements at the opening of ELEVATE (Februrary 26), the brands’ national conference, including significant updates to their loyalty program, REWARDS Plus, and a strengthening of their commitment to lead when it comes to the expanded scope of practice for pharmacists.
In a year that has seen continued challenges and change for the pharmacy sector, the national conference, being attended by over 700 delegates, highlighted from the outset the exceptional performance from the network across retail, dispensary, and services, with all areas seeing growth in top line results and gross profit contribution all while continuing to build on the TerryWhite Chemmart customer proposition.
The brands key message for delegates this year is to keep focus on what is in their control by providing exceptional care to every customer, and embrace advancing technologies, along with the opportunities presented by the expanding scope of practice for pharmacists across the nation.
Executive General Manager Nick Munroe opened the conference acknowledging the challenging year and the changing competitive landscape but kept focus on the path in front and the support that is available for the network to continue to succeed.
“Whilst the landscape of community pharmacy continues to shift, we are focusing our collective efforts in elevating the customer experience and supporting our network of pharmacists to practice at the top of their scope,” Mr Munroe said.
“The evolution of community pharmacy over the next few years will be a defining moment, and pharmacists have a critical role in supporting the delivery of primary healthcare for Australians,” he continued.
Support for the Queensland Community Pharmacy Pilot Program was evident as the brand showcased financial modelling for the new services, updates to standards for its CareClinic rooms, and an enhanced in-store presence. Also unveiled to delegates was the brands marketing messages and campaign for the pilot program, clearly defining for patients the benefits of the pilot program.
Network Partner and pharmacy owner of TerryWhite Chemmart Goondiwindi Lucy Walker commented that it was exciting to see the brands leadership in the evolving space, and whilst juggling study was challenging – learning and developing my skills to better serve my patients makes it all worthwhile.
“The Queensland Community Pharmacy Pilot Program will give patients access to healthcare for these conditions in a convenient way and support the growing needs of the broader system. I’m looking forward to being able to support my community in more ways, and of course, continuing to collaborate with my local GPs to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients,” Mrs Walker said.
During the conference, the brand will also unveil significant updates to its loyalty program, REWARDS Plus, announcing plans for consumers to earn loyalty points on a range of health-based activities, along with increased opportunities on everyday product purchases.
Mr Munroe commented that the investment in continuous improvement across the brands digital platforms was critical for future success, and the enhancements to the REWARDS Plus program, combined with other recent digital customer offerings provides a strong framework to support customers who want to shop online and in the physical pharmacy setting.
“Our focus on providing our network of pharmacies the most integrated digital solution for their customers continues. REWARDS Plus is another step forward, and combined with the myTWC app, provides consumers with a connected digital solution to support their healthcare needs,” he said.
Munroe also made a commitment to supporting a continued focus on improving digital efficiency in the back-end for pharmacies, with further investment in systems capability to improve dispensary efficiency, stronger buying capability, and inventory best-practice – including a trial of digital shelf ticketing.
“With the increasing focus on providing more services, the need for efficiency in systems has never been greater. Our BuyBetter system is supporting efficiency in inventory control, and improving pharmacy profitability, plus our recent trial of digital shelf-ticketing is showing early signs of productivity improvements that we look forward to rolling out further.”
The conference concludes on Wednesday February 29th and will culminate at the TerryWhite Chemmart HEART Awards Gala where the brand will recognise excellence from across the pharmacy
