Many women’s health services
require private discussion with
a knowledgeable professional
who is focused on understanding
their needs. The clientele of a women’s
healthcare business is going to have expectations
about who will be caring for them.
This can create a “demographic challenge”
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 condition
and product needs with a man, who
might not be as familiar with her health issues
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 customer
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 provide
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 maternity
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 professional.
(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.
