Page 3 - DME Pharmacy, December 2019

Steve Ackerman
President Spectrum Medical
Jeffrey S. Baird, Esq.
Chairman of the Health Care Group of Brown & Fortunato, P.C.
Cara Bachenheimer
Lobbyist/Government Affairs for Brown & Fortunato, P.C.
Rob Baumhover
Director of Retail Services for VGM Retail Services
Ty Bello, RCC
President and Founder Team@Work
Rob Boeye
Executive Vice President of HME Brightree LLC
John Letizia
President of Laurel Medical Supplies Inc.
Joe Lewarski
Vice President of Global Respiratory and Sleep Drive Devilbiss
Ron Resnick
President Blue Chip Medical Products Inc.
Tom Ryan
President and CEO AAHomecare
Wayne Slavitt
Founder and CEO Mobül: The Mobility Store
Wayne van Halem
President and Founder The van Halem Group LLC
The compression market offers lots of poten- tial, and it’s one in which DME pharmacies can easily tap into. Patient populations that need compression include increasing numbers of diabetic patients, lymphedema patients, and
elderly patients with venous diseases. You might notice that you already do a considerable amount of business with some of those patient groups.
Besides typical pharmacy clients you might already serve, non-traditional clients are also interested in compressional garments. The athletic market is a perfect example: runners, triathletes and other sporty types can benefit from lighter compression hosiery, tights and sleeves.
With a clear market opportunity and existing patient relationships in place, DME pharmacies are in a prime position to serve the market for compres- sion services. So with all this potential, how do you get started?
Start by becoming an expert resource. That means having the right expertise. Employees should know the features and benefits of key prod- ucts and to be able to share that with customers. Moreover, you should have staff who understand the various types and grades of compression products, as well as their applicability for different patient conditions.
And that goes beyond understanding product
basics. You should have team members with proper training in compression fitting. Certified fitters receive training by going to different classes and seminars that are typically put on by the manufac- turers of compression products. So how do you get that? Fortunately, training is available from several compression manufacturers.
In terms of products, you want to retail the right items. While compression garments provide a therapeutic benefit, patients also see these items as their clothing, so fashion plays a big role. Therapy or not, people want to have the sense that what they’re wearing makes them look good, not just feel good. Bearing that in mind, provide a wide range
of product types, sizes, colors and styles. Compres- sion garment manufacturers are well aware of customers’ desire for choices and styles and are constantly updating their range to address seasonal changes and fashion trends.
Also, if you are reaching out to diverse groups of compression users, make sure that your merchan- dising reflects that. For instance, if you are serving athletic users, as well as seniors, you might want to implement separate merchandising that appeals to both sets of customers.
David Kopf
Publisher & Executive Editor HME Business & DME Pharmacy
December 2019
CONTENTS
4 Pushing Diabetes Profitability Test strips and meters bring diabetes patients in the door, but to drive profits, you must give patients more help once they’re inside.
10 Orthopedics: At Your Service There are a wide variety of customers that need orthopedic products. How can smart DME pharmacies fill that need?
12 Weighing the IT Options
As a pharmacy continues to offer DME, it will eventually need to start billing Medicare. Software can help, but where do you start?
14 DME Pharmacy Marketplace
A collection of new offerings and services available to pharmacies that carry DME products.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Tapping Into the Market for Compression Products
Executive Editor Associate Content Editor
Art Director Production Coordinator
Director of Online Product Development
Publisher
Group Sales Manager
David Kopf
(949) 265-1561
Haley Samsel (972) 687-6739
Dale Chinn Teresa Antonio
Marlin Mowatt David Kopf
(949) 265-1561 Rick Neigher (818) 597-9029
December 2019
Helping pharmacy owners and operators expand their DME businesses.
A SPECIAL PUBLICATION FROM
DIABETES
PROFITABILITY Using special client services to maximize revenues. Page 4
• Offering Orthopedic Products. Page 10 • Your DME Software Checklist. Page 12 • DME Marketplace. Page 14
hme-business.com
ALSO INSIDE
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Sandra Canally
President
The Compliance Team Inc.
INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS GROUP
President & Group Publisher
Group Circulation Director Group Marketing Director
Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer Chief Technology Officer
Executive Vice President
REACHING THE STAFF
Kevin O’Grady
Irene Fincher Susan May
Rajeev Kapur Sanjay Tanwani Erik A. Lindgren
Michael J. Valenti
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