CHICAGO — Health Mart, which now has more than 4,700 stores nationwide, has grown by 50% over the past three years because it helps member pharmacies deliver and be recognized for top clinical performance, according to president Steve Courtman.

“In addition, our innovative solutions and implementation support help members level the playing field against the chains and grow their business,” Courtman said at McKesson ideaShare 2016 in Chicago.

A model Health Mart pharmacy at ideaShare 2016.

To help its pharmacies stay ahead of the rapid changes affecting the industry, Health Mart introduced at ideaShare the Health Mart Pathway to Better Pharmacy Performance and Profit. The Health Mart Pathway, Courtman noted, offers a practical, step-by-step approach to help independent pharmacies shift their clinical and financial performance and pharmacy operations to grow their business.

The Health Mart Pathway details a pharmacist-approved, realistic process for members to make practical changes to their business to enhance their profitability and also recommends the resources, tools and expert advice pharmacies need to build a successful future.

Building on the established success of its peer-to-peer Town Hall format, Health Mart hosted a unique peer-coaching session at ideaShare where attendees were able to share best practices to help them create an action plan to accelerate their movement along the Health Mart Pathway.

Also launched at this year’s conference was myHealthMart, an online portal that provides access to personalized, up-to-date data, solutions and insights that enable pharmacies to proactively manage their business. The tool provides a complete picture of their pharmacy’s clinical and business performance and a one-stop access to Health Mart programs and resources. Personalized reports and dashboards enable pharmacies to see how their decisions are impacting their business, and setting custom goals helps track their progress toward business growth and performance targets.

MyHealthMart provides centralized, one-click access to educational, clinical and marketing resources and allows customers to explore new opportunities for their pharmacies. In addition, real-time notifications keep customers up to date on the information they need to deliver better patient outcomes and strengthen their competitive position.

Med Sync, a central component to the Health Mart Pathway, establishes the foundation to offer more robust patient care and revenue-generating services. Med Sync allows independent pharmacies to improve efficiency and increase capacity without adding staff, and enables pharmacists to identify additional patient needs. With the ability to proactively manage their work flow, pharmacists have more time to uncover causes of patients’ nonadherence and then address them with medication therapy management and provide other services that generate additional revenue and improve patient outcomes.

Over the course of the conference, Health Mart showcased educational resources and support designed to help pharmacies learn how to implement and maximize Med Sync.

“Med Sync is not the goal but rather the vehicle to enable our pharmacies to transition their business model from prescription-based to patient-based profits by extending their patient-centric approach to the entire pharmacy with vaccinations, health screenings, performing more adherence interventions or adding specialty pharmaceutical capabilities,” Courtman said. “Ultimately, the foundation of Health Mart’s strategy is to help our members perform their best clinically and implement innovative business practices that support efforts to increase adherence and deliver quality patient care.”

Another key feature at this year’s ideaShare was the Vaccination Nation pavilion, designed by McKesson and Health Mart to ensure that more adults get their vaccinations in the pharmacy setting. This one-stop shop of immunization resources was a convenient way for attendees to speak with manufacturers, get questions answered and pre-book flu vaccine. To complement McKesson’s vaccine and immunization portfolio, Health Mart also offers a comprehensive set of resources to help pharmacies start and grow their immunization services.

Health Mart’s Guide to Pharmacy Immunizations, available to all McKesson customers, educates stores on the key aspects of establishing a pharmacy-based immunization program, including reimbursement, standing orders, emergency planning and adverse events, storage, and handling. With the Health Mart Vaccine Starter Kit, pharmacies get the next level of support, which includes 12 months of step-by-step personal coaching and marketing services to get their pharmacy’s vaccine program up and running and generating revenue. Health Mart also announced its Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA) was expanded to 37 of the 40 states that require a CPA to administer vaccines.

Health Mart also featured on the exhibit floor a new streamlined version of its model store, which was designed to be about half the size of what it had been in previous years to show how stores with less front-end space can maximize merchandising and drive profits, according to Chuck Wilson, Health Mart’s vice president of pharmacy operations. The new store is 1,300 square feet, with 1,125 SKUs — “about a third of previous years’ count,” Wilson said, adding that private label is featured in much of the front end.

During the meeting, McKesson emphasized its continued commitment to making significant investments to help Health Mart and independent pharmacies gain access to preferred networks, improve their bottom line and plan for their future.

Kicking off the event, McKesson and Health Mart offered an interactive forum for independent pharmacists to collaborate and gain ideas for expanding their business, driving profits and delivering better patient outcomes.

Attendees at the annual conference and exhibition were provided with access to industry thought leaders, pharmacy programs and solutions, continuing education courses, and networking events focused on providing insights on how to thrive in today’s market and ensure they are set up for future success.

“McKesson ideaShare is designed to help independent pharmacies invigorate their business, improve results for their patients and build the foundation for future success,” said Mark Walchirk, president of McKesson U.S. Pharmaceutical. “McKesson and Health Mart are pleased to drive innovation in this environment through continued investment in the new business-building tools, clinical solutions and technology being highlighted here.”

We encourage every independent pharmacist and owner to take advantage of all the tools and programs available to help their business thrive,” Walchirk added.