Page 8 - DME Pharmacy, April 2021

“Currently, Medicare does not recognize compression gar- ments as eligible for coverage so this will be an out-of-pocket expense,” Jensen says. “Check with local private payers as coverage may be allowed.”
A RELIABLE REVENUE BLEND
Looking at revenue more broadly, the products serving these groups represent a good blend of funded and retail revenue. Ma- jor items related to procedures — breast prostheses, for example — are billable, but they are connected to a range of other items.
“Pharmacies should keep in mind women’s health offers much more than one billable item and the transaction is over,” Jensen says. “Whether it’s a woman going through her breast cancer journey, lymphedema or she’s a pregnant mom, all of these offer an opportunity to help a woman with more than one item and in many cases she will be a recurring patient.”
That represents an excellent opportunity for incremental sales, Jensen says.
“In other words, a woman may come to you because you initially because you can bill her insurance carrier or Medicare,” she explains. “It’s the additional retail items you offer that may offer a more pleasant or comfortable experience.”
PRODUCT EXAMPLES
• Post-surgical bras and camisoles – billable
• Off-the-shelf breast prostheses – prescription, billable
• Mastectomy bras – prescription, billable
• Custom breast prosthesis – prescription, billable or out-of-
pocket if not covered
• Hats and turbans – retail
• Mastectomy swimwear – retail
• Wound care management – billable and retail, depending on
the specific product
• Skincare for radiation burns - retail
• Compression garments for lymphedema – prescription, billable
• Breast pumps – billable
• Breastfeeding accessories such as replacement tubing – retails
• Pre and post-natal support bands
SERVICE
Obviously, some women’s healthcare needs are very personal. How does a DME pharmacy ensure that they are serving those needs with the privacy, respect, consideration, etc. required?
“Having a private area to consult with patients is important,” Jensen says. “This goes beyond having a space at the counter for a prescription pick-up. Having a specific consult room is necessary.”
Also, Jensen advises that DME pharmacies offering post- surgical bras, breast prostheses, and mastectomy bras, should have dressing rooms.
“Creating a warm environment is critical to making patients feel welcome and comfortable during this very personal and sensitive visit,” she explains.
Bearing the patient groups and blended revenue in mind, there are multiple products that a DME pharmacy can stock to start to better cater to women’s healthcare needs while drive a mix of revenue. Jensen provides some great examples of product categories, specific products, and their revenue type:
• Body pillows such as the Contour Flip pillow for positioning and support, as well as seat-belt cushions – retail
• The Shower Shirt, a post-surgical, water-resistant garment designed to protect chest surgery patients while showering, including mastectomy patients - retail
“Pharmacies should keep in mind women’s health offers much more than one billable item and the transaction is over.”
— Nikki Jensen, Essentially Women
THE RIGHT SERVICE VIA THE RIGHT STAFF
Three key concepts come into providing women’s health services: cMomfort, discretion and trust.
any women’s health services require private discussion with a knowledgeable professional who is focused on understand-
ing their needs. The clientele of a women’s healthcare business is going to have expec- tations about who will be caring for them.
This can create a “demographic chal- lenge” of sorts for any pharmacies that are owned and operated by men. A maternity patient or post-mastectomy patient might find it uncomfortable to discuss her condi-
tion and product needs with a man, who might not be as familiar with her health is- sues as a woman might. Moreover, even if a male member of the provider team knew those issues backwards and forwards, there still might be a discomfort level.
Bearing that in mind, it’s advisable that pharmacies ensure that a woman leads their women’s health practices. A female custom- er service lead will help build the comfort and trust levels that women’s healthcare patients will expect, and can then dive in to ensure that those clients are getting the medical products and services that they need.
Moreover, that trust will travel. Word of mouth is critical. If a provider does pro-
vide the right service, it will pay dividends. Because many aspects of women’s health are private and require delicate and discrete
service, DME pharmacies need to understand that word of mouth will play a critical role in their success in terms of providing women’s health. Women’s health patients want to
do business with a provider that takes their needs seriously and that they can trust.
So if a breast cancer patient or a ma- ternity patient feels like their community pharmacy is providing knowledgeable care that is tailored to her needs, there is a good chance that she will pass that information along to her peers and possibly a referring physician or similar healthcare profes- sional. (And don’t be afraid to ask for them to spread the word.)
And again, executed with the right kind of product and care knowledge, that lead will help build long-term relationships with those patients.
8 DME Pharmacy | April 2021
hme-business.com