Pharmacy Software Solutions Since 1981 A Family Owned Business

Who is Datascan?

Datascan has been family owned, and has served the pharmacy industry dating back to 1981. We started off with a focus on independent retail pharmacies, and over the years we have expanded into Hospitals, Doctors Dispensaries, and Closed door pharmacies. Datascan is consistently ranked among the best software systems on the market, and our feedback from clients is impeccable. Ahead of the curve in technology: We were among the first companies in the pharmacy industry to develop a true Windows based Pharmacy Management software, and one of the first in the industry to build from the ground up, a Point of Sale software package that was designed specifically for pharmacy. Today, we are moving into the future by helping our clients build star ratings and adherence through automation built into our technology. Datascan has continually set itself apart from the competition by offering a truly unique level of service and customization to our software. Our technical support team is among the best in the industry, taking the time to help you and your staff run your business, service your clients efficiently, and get claims paid. We have staff that has worked in pharmacies, as well as staff that has been in this industry as long as 20 plus years! They really know information technology AND pharmacy! One of the most unique components to our company is the fact that we not only encourage our clients for ideas and feedback for our software, but the majority of our client ideas are written into our software at NO charge. Datascan supports all of the technologies related to pharmacy in today’s market, and will continue to innovate to support tomorrow’s needs. Our programs are owned and developed by us, in house. This means we have full control over development, ideas, and what happens to the software at all times. We even develop all of our mobile applications in house. In this industry we offer the most unique package for our clients: We offer our clients the ultimate “trifecta”: Pricing, Technology, and Service --- the three most important factors when choosing a software vendor. Take a moment to read over the information and articles included in this packet to really introduce you to our company, our technology, and our family. Read on to see what really sets us apart from the competition, and see what we can do for you. Whether you’re looking to open a new store, or have an existing one and have considered a change in vendors, we should have a conversation before you make any final decisions. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our software company, and what really makes us the best choice for pharmacy software solutions. We look forward to any opportunity to work with you in the future. Kevin A. Minassian President

Why Choose Datascan vs the competition? Pharmacy Software Specialists for over 35 years! Privately Held / Family Owned: One of the few companies left in this industry that is not owned by a

large corporation or wholesaler YOU’RE PHARMACY VS. CVS, WALGREENS, & OTHER CHAINS:

> Ask yourself why do you think customers will come to you vs chain stores? That unique level of service –the things you can do for them that the big corporations simply cannot. Just as Datascan can service you! > Who owns the software company you’re looking at? A wholesaler? A PBM? Or worse? > How many clients does the software vendor support? Is it a few hundred, or thousands? > Will you disappear in the shuffle and become a number with your software vendor? Or will you and the staff know one another, and work together with one common goal: To make your pharmacy or dispensary as successful as it can be.

Build Star Ratings & Build Profits: For years we have been focused on patient adherence, building profits, and giving you tools to simply do more, without needing more staff. Today, while many competitors are boasting about the tools and reports they provide you, we can show you how our system takes this to a whole other level through automation and beyond.

$ Very Competitive Pricing $: Datascan continues to offer one of the most competitive packages on the market – hands down. Whether we are quoting a new startup pharmacy, a conversion from another system, or monthly fees, we are among the most competitively priced companies in our industry. Bring us the others quotes—let us do a side by side comparison!

We are the REAL innovators of the pharmacy software industry! Datascan was one of the first companies in this industry to computerize independent pharmacies dating back to 1981! We have it all--- you will be hard pressed to find a feature or technology we do not already have. From automation, to mobile applications and beyond.

PBM’s have their hands in your pockets, Datascan does not! We understand that at every corner

insurance companies and their PBM’s are cutting your reimbursements. We are not here to charge you for every new feature or technology we add, AND we work to find creative ways to build profitability back into your business. You can move into the future ALL WITHOUT BEING GOUGED BY YOUR SOFTWARE VENDOR!

Un-matched customer support with the fastest response time industry-wide! More than 50% of our clients ideas are written into the software at NO charge

Updates & New Features Daily: Our products are being worked on and updated daily! We place a

great deal of our resources into innovation and technology. Our goal is to stay cutting edge and give our clients the technology they need to take their businesses into the future.

Pharmacy Software Solutions Since 1981

REAL INNOVATION;

BUILDING EFFICIENCY, ADHERENCE,

PROFITS & STAR RATINGS:

Just a few examples of the profit building features and technology we offer: Winpharm Automated Scheduler: No more having to remember to complete important tasks—the

software can do it for you! From running Auto Refills, to reaching out to clients about refills due, automatically sending out notifications about RX’s not picked up, to auto downloading your wholesaler cost updates and even printing your daily log--- all this and more can be setup to auto run using our customizable scheduler! Let the system work for you.

Email, Text & Smartphone Reminder System: You have the ability to communicate through multiple options, and different messages. From notifying refills due or ready to be filled, to reminders about RX not picked up, and of course, RX ready for pickup ---and the list continues to grow.

Mobile Refill Application: Available FREE to you and your customers on both the Android and Apple

market; your patients can chose to either queue up a quick refill with just the RX #, or get a secure log-in and view their profile! The application allows patients to setup refill reminders, scan a barcode off a bottle, and can accept push notifications from your store. Push notifications include: RX ready for pickup, Refills available/due, and RX not picked up reminders.

Automatic Refills Processing: Make the software work for you! You can setup auto refills in the

scheduler and have it automatically refill your auto-refill patients at anytime of the day or night! Then, you have a results screen you can work from and filter based on paid claims, rejections, and any claims we stopped from transmitting due to a clinical warning. You can also opt to add in any RX’s On Hold from a prior date as well!

Maintenance Medication Utility: We have taken identifying patients with maintenance medications

and no refills left beyond the traditional reporting and have built a utility that can automatically reach out to these patients Doctors with a new RX request! We can also filter in and include maintenance meds that have expired. Talk about building star ratings! The chains are doing this everyday, and you should be too!

MTM built in: We interface with both Mirixa and Outcomes so your MTM (Medication Therapy

Management) opportunities show up right in our software! You no longer need to log in to websites to see if there are any that need your attention.

Patient Medication Synchronization: The ability to help synchronize a patients medications so that they are all filled the same time of the month helps to build medication adherence, star ratings, and of course, profits. Built into the Winpharm system, not a 3rd party add on feature, we can help identify patients with maintenance meds that would be ideal for the program, and make suggestions and assist in the sync between other medications.

Internet Refills: For those patients that do not have a smart phone to download the mobile refill

application, you can offer them the web based version as an alternative! They can also do a quick refill, view a profile, and receive push notifications from your location as well.

Video Tutorials; Additional Training & Program Updates: We have rolled out video tutorials so our

clients can login to a client area on our website and keep up to date with tutorials on all of the new features and products we continually release. Whether you need to train a new employee quickly, want to refresh yourself on a specific area of the software, OR you want to keep up with the latest and greatest features we continue to add to our system, these tutorials are a few clicks away.

Customizable Software for your needs: You can log into “My Store Options” and customize many areas of the software to work the way you want it to. As you hover over, or right click the mouse on each option listed, we give you a description of what the option does. You can toggle these on/off and customize the way the software works for your needs and likes.

To-Do Queue organized task list: Throughout the day in any pharmacy there are many tasks that require follow up. We have organized these into a queue that you can easily work from. Tasks such as following up on RX requests sent to the doctors, PA requests sent, rejections that have not been fixed, RX’s on hold ready to be filled and more are all organized into the queue for you to work from.

Pre & Post Edits Built In: As always, we have many pre and post edits built into the software to watch

out for you from both an audit perspective AND a reimbursement perspective. We do a DAW lookout on brand drugs, reminder for date written, watch out for refills early, and more on the pre edit side. Post edit, we sweep the claim to watch out for payments at or below cost, payments at or above your cash price (if someone accidentally lowered your U&C), reimbursements with co-pays above a threshold you set and more. Post edits can be toggled on or off in your store options.

Central Filling Queue: Today we get RX’s and refills from so many different sources. E-Prescribing,

web refills, mobile refills, IVR’s, just to name a few. Our system not only brings all of these RX’s together in one central and organized queue to fill from, but it helps organize them as well! RX’s from different sources, but for the same patients are bulked together so you can fill them at the same time. It places all RX’s in a suggested fill order, with patients waiting up top, and then the oldest to the newest RX queued up below. You can even use this as part of your check-in for written scripts and have someone in the front end scanning and setting these RX’s into the queue for fill.

Prior Authorization Automation: Synchronizing with your free Cover My Meds account that we auto

sign you up for, our system can send all necessary data for the PA to the Cover My meds system, auto populate the exact PA form required for that drug and payer, and send right to the Dr for approval –speeding this process up 10 fold!

Refills Due / RX Not Picked up Utilities: We took these beyond reports, and tied utility to them. You can even set these to run in your automatic scheduler, and the system can identify your patients with refills ready to be filled, or prescriptions still sitting in your location waiting for pickup, and communicate this automatically to your patients via email, text, and even smartphone notifications. If you have an IVR, it can sync up with this utility for outbound dialing to do the same!

Electronic Delivery Signature Capture system for any Android based phone or tablet, with integrated credit card payment acceptance feature, priority route building, and the ability to notify you when a delivery is complete!

Foreign Language Sig’s & Monographs: We offer the ability to translate & convert free form type

written and latin SIG codes from English into 25 different foreign languages! This is also available for drug monographs.

Central Reporting/Billing System: If you own multiple locations, this program may be the answer to

all of your reporting needs and more. From one central program, you can now run and customize all kinds of reports. You can choose to run by location, multiple locations, and even run comparative reports between locations! The data that is loaded into the program comes from your locations nightly and from both the front end POS and the back end Pharmacy software. You can also centrally manage and run billing for house/charge accounts across all locations, and even build/lock in a standard drug file that would be managed from this system as well.

Discount Cash Generic Drug Program: Now you can compete with the chains by creating and

customizing your own discount generic program. Updated & Enhanced Review RX screen for a true daily log picture with the color coding system on

all RX’s processed for the day including Cash RX’s. The color coding system allows you to quickly identify the status of any RX by simply looking at the color. You also have the ability to filter the view and results shown to you on multiple levels.

Multiple Locations from the same Server: We support multiple locations with one main database for

central data storage, central client info and reporting. National Doctor NPI/DEA lookup with click to add feature makes looking up and adding Doctors easy

and fast! Quick & easy Navigation --Right click menu’s: You can choose the RX you want to work on from a

patient profile or the daily log screen, right click with the mouse, and choose one of the many popular options to get the RX where you need it to be, whether you need to transmit it, edit, place on hold, or one of many other options.

Compound Drugs Revamped: Totally revamped compound screen with extreme ease of use to build,

modify, copy, and save your compounds. You can choose to print a compound summary sheet for clients as well, and add notes to the compound or ingredients.

Coupon Management: With the coupon function you will never have to manually COB a coupon

again, or wonder which “plan” is for what coupon when billing. You can add the coupon to the RX, and choose whether or not it is for one time use or for the system to auto COB bill the coupon on future refills.

Full Document Management: Within the patient maintenance screens you now have the ability to scan

in and maintain other documents and link them to this patient. Insurance cards, drivers licenses, or any other forms medical or otherwise are now be fully manageable and easy to call up.

Electronic RX Inventory Updates, Ordering and Shopping: You can do your ordering right from

your pharmacy software, and it can help shop for you and show you when your primary vendor is not the lowest priced on a particular drug. You can auto receive orders which will automatically update your inventory levels as well.

Newly redesigned Touch Screen for our Point of Sale product gives the user a friendly, easy to use

interface with any touch screen on the market.

POS Customizable Sales and Coupons: You can custom create coupon and sales within the POS to target customers in many ways. Coupons can be printed with receipts and even be set to target customers that have purchased the item in the past, or run general coupons. You can build custom sales for a date range either by Item, Category, or Subcategory. When you build the sale, you can create a flat percentage off, a ‘buy one get one “x” percent off OR buy one get one free’ etc. You can build the sale in advance, and set the date range in which you want it to run.

POS OTC Purchase Orders with Shopping Built in: Not only can you create conventional purchase

orders for inventory replenishment either manually or automatically using re-order points, but this can all be handled electronically with your vendor. If your wholesaler supports electronic ordering, then we can and will synchronize ordering with them! When you receive the response back, we automatically update your inventory quantities and update your costs for all items in that vendors catalog. AND – to top it off, if you have multiple vendors, the software can shop for your best pricing when it creates the PO!!

DCS Messaging System: Now Datascan can deliver you important messages directly to your own DCS

Inbox within the Pharmacy Management System. Any alerts, information about changes in the industry, an issue with an insurance plan, anything ---you will get the information in a quick and efficient manner, and can print these messages for the other staff to read.

Automatic Program Updates: Delivered right into your software, with the option to schedule them to run updates overnight so you always have the latest and greatest features.

*** These are just some of our features we wanted to highlight—but please schedule a demo with us to get the full picture of what we can do for you.***

Testimonials

I’ve owned 3 pharmacies in the past 21 years. The last 16 years I’ve

been with Datascan, why, because of Ease of Use & Reliability! My

business is based on the ability to process prescriptions in timely,

efficient manner. John J Burns - Country Village Chemists

I have had the pleasure in working with Datascan since 1984.They are

an innovative “State of the Art” company who will do whatever they can

to help you run your pharmacy from prescription, DME and nursing

home processing to POS systems. They work hand and hand with it’s

customers creating customized programs when needed and are always

open to new ideas. Ken Villani - Cottage and 110 Pharmacy &

Surgicals

Our dispensary clients are extremely satisfied with Datascan. We like

the immediate response and support we receive from the staff, and the

ease of use of the software. Training our clients to use the Datascan

Pharmacy software package is easy, and does not require a lot of time.

Datascan has been more than happy to custom write software to

generate the reports that we need! Thank you Datascan for all you do

for us. Mark Johnson - Johnson RX, Inc.

We have been a client of Datascans for over 25 years now. Their staff is

very customer friendly and provide excellent customer support. Their

quick response time to problems allows us to keep our pharmacy

running efficiently. Marty - Slater Pharmacy

Datascan has been our software vendor for over 20 years. They are a

true partner in the success of our business. Their custom software has

increased our efficiency and has allowed us to thrive in a very difficult

business environment. No, is not a word in their vocabulary and a live

person always picks up the phone when we call, not a voicemail. I

whole heartedly recommend the company to anyone in the market for

a Pharmacy/POS System. Anthony - Grassy Sprain Pharmacy

We have been doing business with Datascan Pharmacy, Inc. since

2006. Datascan’s pharmacy system, Winpharm, and Point-of-Sale

system are outstanding software programs capable of handling the

smallest medical office dispensary to the largest retail pharmacy. Both

systems are extremely user friendly, facilitate quick learning times, and

have fast prescription processing and check out times. Datascan’s

customer service is second to none as all employees are willing to go

the extra mile to make sure that customers are satisfied with the

software. To anyone looking for a state-of-the-art pharmacy system,

Datascan is solution for all prescription processing and front-end

merchandise sales. Chris J - Physicians Pharmaceutical Group

Myself and my partners in all of my stores have been doing business

with Datascan for quite a few years now and have been amazed at

their customer service response time, their ability to take our ideas and

implement them into the software, and their aggressive pricing

structure. The fact that their staff is available instantly during business

hours and on call after hours means that we always have someone to

assist, even with getting claims paid. Our business has continued to

grow over the years and Datascan has been an important part of our

growth and continued success. Daniel Molino, R. Ph. - Multiple

Locations.

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we had two other software vendors which did not meet our needs. The

support team at Datascan is very helpful and knowledgeable. Datascan

is up to date with the latest features and technology to help operate a

pharmacy. Kevin, the owner is involved in the details and makes sure

that we get the best service possible! Abe B. - Pharmacy Plus

I have worked with Datascan for that last 10 years at multiple

pharmacies and when I opened my own pharmacy last year it was a

“no-brainer” to use their pharmacy software as well as their POS. There

software is state of the art, user friendly and always updating to the

newest technology available. I can’t speak enough about the

employees at Datascan as they are are extremely knowledgeable and

always very helpful. If you are looking for a top notch company to be

an important aspect of your pharmacy then look no further.

Rob Galli - Carman Drugs

We have been clients of Datascans for quite a few years, across 5

locations. Myself and my partners have used other systems, and have

found that no one can offer us the package that Datascan does ---their

pricing is aggressive, their support is fast and reliable, they are eager to

make changes in the software to keep up with the industry changes and

our needs as clients, and if I need the owner, I can get him on the

phone. We would not leave Datascan for the competition -they aid in our

overall success. Russell Shvartsshtyen - Multiple Locations

success!Pharmacy software, POS, delivery system and IVR. In the past,

We are a very busy retail pharmacy and Datascan is the key to our

WHAT SETS DATASCAN APART FROM THE COMPETITION IMPORTANT FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW!

What sets us Apart from the competition?

Our attention to you: Notice when you do a live demo with us, its one-on-one, you’re not hoarded into

a demo with 6 other people? We are about YOU and focusing on our clients, not how many systems we can install in a week or a month! We want quality clients, not quantity! We are here for the long haul.

Pharmacy Software products is what we do – period. It is our focus, every single day. We are not involved in drug wholesale or controlled by one, a PBM, or some private equity/investment group that is simply out to turn a profit for its investors. So you know that everyone here from ownership down is focused on our software products, and giving you, our clients, the absolute best of everything we offer—with no other motives.

Aggressive pricing that sticks around --- when you shop us, you will find we are priced among the

best priced systems industry wide. We don’t claim to be the cheapest –but the old saying ‘you get what you pay for’ rings true, even in our industry. Whether its start-up costs, conversion cost, or monthly fees, you will be impressed with what you get for the money you spend.

Quickest response times & top tier support: Call our offices for assistance during normal business

hours, and you get trained staff on the phone within under 30 seconds on average. Our IT support staff is not broken up into specialized areas, and they are not split into tiered support levels. Everyone that responds for assistance here is fully trained in pharmacy, claims adjudication, hardware, ALL of our software products, operating systems, and beyond. We have pharmacy technicians that work for us, as well as IT specialists, and they are all trained in all aspects of the business.

After hours & holiday support: Our after hours and holiday response times are fast – on average a call back within 5 minutes is to be expected. We have a fail-safe in place, and if the technicians on call do not grab your message to contact you back within 10 minutes, it escalates directly to management.

Support staff with impeccable follow up: All support calls are entered into our issue database. If the call requires a follow up, it has automatic escalations that require staff follow up within certain time frames. If the issue is not updated within the time frame allowed, it escalates automatically to our management and the owner. Our goal is to maintain nothing less than excellent customer service. Our staff is trained in ALL areas of the industry and specialize in both hardware and software!

Advanced Technology and Features build Star Ratings & Profits: Datascan is always ahead of the curve and the competition on the latest and greatest features to build your profits, increase efficiency, and take you into the future of pharmacy (such as building star ratings with Medicare patients). Keep reading, and you will see detailed examples of this.

No outsourcing: Unlike some of the competition, all of our programs are owned and developed by us.

Our programmers and IT staff are all in house within our offices. Nothing goes out of state, never mind out of country! We have full control of what direction all of our software products go in.

HOW CAN WE SAVE YOU MONEY? IMPORTANT FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW!

How can we save you $ money $? FREE Mobile & Web Refills: applications on both Android and Apple markets for your customers,

Web/Internet Refills for your customers from your website, or use our refill page as your private labeled site!

FREE: Training! You do not pay for training as a new client, nor do you pay for follow-up training

if you request it in the future. FREE Nursing Home Package: built into the software, you can maintain patients within facilities,

manage frequency codes, print MAR’s, etc.

FREE Label Design & Redesign: We do not charge you for custom label design OR custom label changes at any time!

FREE Document Scanning: We do not charge for RX Image scanning OR Document Management!

FREE Program Updates: We do not charge for program updates! Throughout the year you have the

opportunity to receive the latest and greatest functions and updates to the software. FREE Auto- Email communication with patients

INCLUDED: After hours and holiday support

INCLUDED: Solutions the others make you pay 3rd parties for! Such as Medication

Synchronization, MTM, additional reporting capabilities, etc. $$$ ADDITIONAL REVENUES: Datascan is one of the few companies on the market that

actually shares in 3rd party revenue sharing programs. Watch your monthly expenses go down with these programs!

Datascan locks pricing in for extended periods of time, so you do not have to worry about constant price increases. In the last 15 years the company issued one small price increase, where the average customer paid $9 more a month!

THE IMPRESSION YOU GIVE TO YOUR CLIENTS: Whether its your first impression (which is everything in business), or assisting a long time customer,

patients in need of prescriptions expect a different level of service outside of the chain atmosphere. If they have to come back because you’re having an issue with a rejection, your hardware, or even

software, you can not afford to ask these clients to come back. Datascan will work with you to make sure you’re always on top of your clients needs and that they do not have to wait!

Interview First Appeared in ComputerTalk for the Pharmacist • January/February 2016

In this interview with ComputerTalk’s Maggie Lockwood, DataScan’s president, Kevin Minassian, shares his thoughts on what he sees as necessary for pharmacy’s survival, as well as areas for growth.

CT: You see CMS star ratings as an opportunity for the independent owner. Tell us why.

Minassian: The Part D star ratings program was started back in 2007, but only recently has CMS aggregated the data, and is now putting the results into effect. If an insurance provider is not meet-ing and maintaining at least three out of five stars, they will no longer be able to service Medicare patients. These ratings, based on a number of different metrics, really trickle down to the providers within the

plans — the doctors and the pharmacists. It’s a sign of things to come, and I think it’s a sign of positive changes within our industry. Now if we could just get rid of mail order! Pharmacists want to be part of a patient’s overall health picture, and finally CMS has recognized the role pharmacists play. If we utilize pharmacists’ knowledge and training, and make them part of the overall solution, they could be the answer to assisting in lowering overall cost of patient care.

CT: So independent pharmacies can survive and stay profitable, with everything going on with PBMs? How do they compete with the changes?

Minassian: We all know what the real problem is in our industry — the enemy — the PBMs. The threat of the chains themselves does not compare to what the PBMs are doing. To say everyone is going to throw in the towel and give up is just insane. I have owned other companies, my friends and other family members own businesses in different industries, and every last one of them can give you a laundry list of hardships that threaten their liveli-

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Turning Struggles into Solutions

Kevin Minassian

An interview with DataScan’s Kevin Minassian

hood and businesses. We are fortunate, in that we are in healthcare, so the hardships we experience in our industry are worth fighting. In the ’80s you could make a good living filling prescriptions. Today, you have to build a great front end, educate your customers on the competi-tive pricing you offer, implement rewards programs, and use technology to do more without requiring more staff. Implement automatic refills, build adherence and re-minders through automation in your pharmacy manage-ment system, offer mobile and Web-based solutions, stay on top of maintenance medications through automation to make sure patients do not go without their meds — and if the software you currently use is not offering the latest technology and automation, it’s time to reinvest in that area of your business. Surgical supplies, not just from a sales perspective, but possibly offering rentals, is unique to independents. You should explore compound-ing — something the chains don’t do. I know many of you went to pharmacy school with patient care in mind, but you also own a business. So looking at all areas of that business is imperative to its ultimate success. Owning a software company in this industry has major challenges, trying to keep up with the changes and demands from all angles, but it keeps us on our toes. I don’t want my chil-dren to grow up only knowing big-box stores because the mom-and-pops threw in the towel. That’s not what this country was built on. Look at history in general, and how many problems have been overcome with a good fight, and realize that together, we can do this.

CT: How does automating adherence programs allow pharmacy to capitalize on the programs?

Minassian: The question is how do pharmacists build medication adherence programs, without creating an ad-ditional workload? With technology — seriously. If build-ing adherence means patients are getting their refills on time, how about communicating automatically with your

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Interview First Appeared in ComputerTalk for the Pharmacist • January/February 2016

patients to let them know refills are due, or are ready to be picked up — or still have not been picked up and that re-stock date is closing in. These communications should not require an employee to press buttons or run reports; they should happen automatically. These are just some of the features we made sure to build into our WinPharm soft-ware. Datascan has built in a utility that identifies patients with maintenance medications on their profiles, and who have run out of refills and have no other current prescrip-tions for this therapy, and can automatically reach out to doctors for new prescriptions. We made sure to build our own proprietary med sync that can be customized over time to meet your needs right into our software. Our adherence dashboard will allow you to quickly identify problem patients and set up auto reminders so the system itself can help you build adherence, especially in those problematic patients. We continue to build upon these platforms and innovate with the changes in the industry with a goal of doing less with reports, and creating a piece of software that works like an extra employee.

CT: How does improved patient tracking in the phar-macy system help pharmacy owners?

Minassian: As I have mentioned, pharmacists will be required to assist in patient adherence, and there is a great need to identify problem areas and opportunities. Wheth-er it’s an MTM [medication therapy management] oppor-tunity popping up right in our software, or a warning that Mrs. Jones, a diabetic patient, is constantly hitting 100% utilization before her refill request, the software needs to do this work for you. The software should have detailed algorithms built in, and easy-to-use features, along with a lot of fully automated processes to assist you in work-ing with and communicating important messages to your patients. The technology today needs to work for you like an employee tasked with a project.

CT: You say you like to debate the topic “Is the end of the independent pharmacy near?” Tell us why.

Minassian: The end is only near if independents give up the fight and sell out to the chains. Here’s the bad news:

Most independent pharmacists are used to working for themselves. The chances of enjoying the chain environ-ment as a staff pharmacist are pretty slim. In the ’80s we use to look at doctors and say “wow, these guys make the big money.” Today, unless you’re a surgeon or in certain specialty areas, doctors are miserable, with all the hours they put in and the dwindling reimbursements. The ques-tion is, how do we tackle these changes? Like any good business owner, we have to reinvent ourselves and look for other profit centers within our business or industry. The

front end today is as important, if not more important that the prescription business. Set yourself apart from the chains — offer delivery, compounding, and other unique products within your store for the demographic surround-ing you, not just the everyday Tylenol and soap. Don’t just use the technology offered by your software vendor to fill prescriptions — dig into it! At Datascan, we offer our cli-ents optimization training, where we walk them through the features and automation they should be putting to use. It’s a shame to see that the large majority of pharmacists are not putting the technology to work for them, and only using the basic features of the WinPharm software. We are working hard to change that. You should offer your patients mobile and Web refill conveniences, get them signed up for automatic refills, and get those maintenance medication patients synchronized. Make sure the software is helping you monitor progress and identify opportuni-ties, and giving you a detailed look into your business. And last but not least, any process that takes up a lot of your time — tell your software vendor! It’s our job to build better products every day to aid in your success. CT

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Turning Struggles into Solutionscontinued from previous page

Make sure the software is helping you monitor progress and identify opportuni-ties, and giving you a detailed look into your business. And last but not least, any process that takes up a lot of your time — tell your software vendor! It’s our job to build better products every day to aid in your success.

There are three entrances to Cottage Pharmacy in Woodbury, N.Y., a Long Island suburb outside New

York City. The first is through the DME department, the second is through the traditional pharmacy, and the third is through a high-end clothing boutique and makeup counter that would rival the big-name department stores. The different entrances serve as a metaphor for pharmacist owner/CEO Ken Villani’s philosophy that the opportunity to thrive in a new pharmacy environment is out there for owners who are willing to be creative.

With 30-plus years in the business, as Villani anticipated that income from prescriptions would drop, he knew he had two directions to take his pharmacy. One was the discount pharmacy route; the other was to branch out into the healthcare field, with a wellness center, treatment rooms, and expansion of the surgical, DME, and nutri-tionals. Today, Cottage Pharmacy is part pharmacy, part healthcare management headquarters, and part natural-food store. And Villani’s software vendor, DataScan, sup-ported this vision and the transition enthusiastically.

The EvolutionThe first step in Cottage Pharmacy’s evolution from com-munity pharmacy to healthcare services hub begin with a 900-square-foot store in Woodbury Common in 1974. Over 38 years the store relocated within Woodbury Com-

mon five times, finally growing to the current size of 8,000 square feet and servicing the fourth generation of families.

While he began with community pharmacy, with his en-trepreneurial spirit, when Villani saw opportunities he ran with them, branching into surgical supplies and durable medical equipment. “Fifteen years ago I decided to move into the healthcare field,” he says. “If a customer asked for something, I got it. We had a customer ask for a hospital bed, and we got it.” From that first bed, which Villani recalls delivering with an employee’s pickup truck,

Offering More Than Prescriptions Keeps This Pharmacy Vibrant

by Maggie Lockwood

featureGetting Creative

A Long Island pharmacy owner with a vision builds a dynamic, high-end pharmacy thanks in part to a supportive pharmacy software vendor who views each client as a business partner.

Ken Villani in the nutritional department with vitamin con-sultant and nutritionist Colette Abizeid. As Villani revamped Cottage Pharmacy’s inventory, he focused on vitamins and nutritional products usually found in a health food store.

Article Reprinted from ComputerTalk for the Pharmacist • July/August 2012

Article Reprinted from ComputerTalk for the Pharmacist • July/August 2012

Cottage now has an extensive offering of DME products and services, plus a homecare staff and delivery teams. “We get orders daily from the chains for medi-cal equipment because they don’t carry these things,” he says.

As a good businessman, Villani has a nose for change, eventually consolidating the five locations into one store that showcased his keen eye for what’s current in healthcare and merchandizing. After listening to his customers he made the executive decision not to compete with the chains by trying to offer what they offer. “They can have their chips and dips,” he says. This attitude is clear in the store, especially in the health food section, which is behind the tradi-tional OTC department. If there are chips, they are pita, and there’s no trans fat in them.

Along the way Villani has installed software and technol-ogy that allow his pharmacists to focus on customers and his management to constantly improve. His was the first pharmacy to install automated dispensing on Long Island, using the ScriptPro robot, which now interfaces with the ScriptPro SP Central workflow system.

“We anticipated the growth in filling prescriptions, which we’ve seen up to the end of 2011,” explains Villani. The automation frees up the staff to perform the medication therapy management services that don’t come with mail-order prescriptions. “We don’t think it’s a cost-effective way to do it, giving a 90-day supply,” he says. A patient can take it for a week and then toss it in the garbage. In the local pharmacy, we can give them any kind of supply and then follow up with the clinical compliance and make sure the patient is getting the right drug from the doctor.” Cottage also specializes in compounding, lotions, cough medicines, and specialty capsules.

A Different PerspectiveVillani has wrapped other healthcare services around the core prescription business of his 8,000-square-foot store to diversify the revenue streams and provide services that aren’t available elsewhere. The thought and effort that have gone into the nutritional department exemplify Villani’s

goal to upend the preconception of what a pharmacy should look like.

“I don’t want it to look like a pharmacy,” Villani says of his store. “As the market started to change, I decided the hub of the company would be something other than prescription volume.”

The nutritional department has wooden shelves and flooring, giv-ing it a warm feeling and delin-eating it from the OTC section. A counter is set to the side so the area is open. A nutritionist, one of 200 employees at Cot-tage, is available to provide advice and answer questions about the products, which include gluten-free items and many you’d expect to find in a high-end health food or grocery store. The nutrition-ist can also run the single-cup coffeemaker if a customer comes in for the advertised free cup of coffee. Villani says this can turn

into a sale as the customer picks up a few items while she’s in the store. Living Naturally’s database is available as well, and interfaces with the DataScan system. A POS register is at the counter to complete sales and capture signatures.

BrainstormingFor a forward-thinking pharmacy owner like Villani, it’s vital to have a software vendor who likes the challenge of getting the software to answer the “what ifs” of a brain-storm. In December DataScan’s second-generation owner Kevin Minassian stopped by to walk the store with Villani, and it was clear that Villani and Minassian talk often about trends at the store and in the wider industry. Standing in the vitamin department, Villani explained the idiosyn-crasies of scanning in natural-food inventory. Minassian listened and shot back solutions and ideas.

“It’s a very important relationship,” Villani says of the back-and-forth with Datascan. “We will bring ideas to the table, and they will try to write them into the soft-ware for us.”

Having a firm grasp on inventory is key at any pharmacy, but at Cottage there’s the additional challenge of the

featureGetting Creative

Two views of the keys to success at Cottage Pharmacy: Above, the ScriptPro robotics and workflow system that interfaces with DataScan. Below, the cosmetic counter that anchors the boutique.

continued on next page

variety of inventory and the various departments. When there’s no barcode on an item, DataScan lets Cottage Pharmacy staff create and print a custom barcode. Depart-ments are separated into categories and subcategories, and, ultimately, down to UPCs. During the December visit, Villani walked the OTC departments and bantered with Minassian about not overstocking slow-moving items. He and Minassian weighed the options for tweaking the ordering system so Cottage staff doesn’t have to make on-the-fly decisions about individual products; at the same time, shelf space isn’t wasted on a lingering product.

The POS system also plays an important role in Villani’s marketing plan. Villani uses Facebook and Twitter to sup-port the store’s coupon program. The program is linked to the POS (also through DataScan), and allows Villani to collect data and track trends, tweaking his advertising efforts based on the information from these reports. At the end of the month, he can review what purchases were made with a discount and see how the coupons drive sales. DataScan’s POS system handles the store’s rewards card, which customers can apply for online and then receive in the mail.

Staying CurrentAnd finally, what’s behind the third door of Cottage Pharmacy cements the notion that Villani’s not running a typical pharmacy, chain or otherwise. This door leads to the sleek boutique anchored by a cosmetic counter offer-ing brands one wouldn’t normally find in a community pharmacy.

“We needed something to add to profits, and one way to do this was to add the high-end cosmetics and nutritional department,” Villani says.

In late December, as Villani and DataScan’s Minas-sian stood by the display in the boutique, which offers a tasteful array of accessories and shoes, a woman selected two Hermès brand bags, in the same style as the reusable grocery shopping bags so popular today. “We can’t keep these on the shelf,” says Villani.

During the most recent store renovation, Villani carved out treatment rooms behind the boutique and next to the natural-foods section, giving him another piece of the healthcare services strategy. With the addition of a physician’s assistant, the rooms are a miniclinic that can also double as a private space for flu shots and high-end cosmetic demonstrations a few times a month.

“We are offering services that start a conversation,” says Villani. “From our little mom-and-pop pharmacy in 1975, we have become the talk of the town. It just hap-pened by being creative.” CT

Maggie Lockwood is a senior editor at ComputerTalk. If you have a pharmacy you think others would like to read about, please email the author at maggie@computertalk.com.

featureGetting Creative

continued from previous page Pick your door: The exterior of Cottage Pharm- acy tells the story, with pharmacy, HME, vitamins, and nutritionals all promoted.

Article Reprinted from ComputerTalk for the Pharmacist • July/August 2012

12 ComputerTalk

Choosing IndependenceIn an age when pharmacies face roadblocks to success, Frank Bosio, R.Ph., at Heritage Chemists Pharmacy & Boutique in Mount Sinai, N.Y., has built a store that reflects his years in the business and an upfront investment in technology to handle growth as it happens.

by Maggie Lockwood

feature Entrepreneurial Spirit

For his entire pharmacy career, from an apprentice working the stock room at a local independent pharmacy in Queens, N.Y., through years at chains

and working as a clinical consultant pharmacist, and finally as a part-time pharmacist at a high-end indepen-dent in East Hampton, N.Y., Frank Bosio has wanted to own his own pharmacy. In 2012, when the East Hampton store closed, Bosio found himself at a crossroads. He was interviewing for another job and was asked what he saw himself doing in five years. What he saw was an indepen-dent pharmacy.

“I could stay and work for a chain, or we could open our own store,” recalls Bosio of that moment in 2012. “My wife said, ‘Go for it.’”

And so he did. Along with his wife, MaryJo, Bosio began the process of opening an independent pharmacy from scratch. He found a space in the Mount Sinai neighbor-hood, minutes from his home. He worked on all the zon-ing and construction issues, creating a larger space from two smaller retail storefronts — one for the pharmacy and one for a boutique — that flow together naturally. Frank and MaryJo have years of experience in independents, most recently at the store in East Hampton, where Frank worked as a part-time pharmacist and MaryJo in the gift department. They wanted to replicate this mix to support their goal to serve their community consistently, and to set Heritage apart from the competition.

“Our goal at the beginning was being able to compete

with the chain drug stores in the area, and to get members of the community to trust us, as most were going to the chain stores,” says Bosio. “The clinical is always there. As a pharmacist, you have to speak to people, and sometimes they just need you to listen. We thought the unique items in the boutique help bring people in. And now the phar-macy is starting to bring in people.

Doing the HomeworkAs part of the start-up, Bosio was very focused on technol-ogy. “I feel you should have the latest and most up-to-date system in order to compete,” he says. This idea was con-firmed after he attended a McKesson pharmacy ownership

MaryJo and Frank Bosio are using years of experience in the pharmacy setting to do what Frank says he wishes he had done 20 years ago: Open and manage an independent pharmacy.

13September/October 2015

continued on next page

class. “If you’re going to do a start-up, you don’t want to be behind on the technology,” says Bosio.

Bosio estimates that he and MaryJo made visits to at least 30 pharmacies, taking ideas from all of them, from store layout to the type of inventory to the pharmacy technol-ogy that was installed. Bosio had looked at Winpharm by Datascan at the beginning of the process. After looking at five to 10 systems, he still liked Winpharm’s clean screens and ease of use. After a demo from company owner Kevin Minassian, Bosio found the system offered what he needed at the right price.

“I looked at other systems at shows, and I thought some were too complicated. I like the Datascan screens — they make sense, and everything is right in front of you. The cost factor of course, was important, and I wanted the features offered — scanning prescriptions, IVR, POS — combined to offer the most up-to-date system. I use everything.”

In managing a small business (in addition to Frank and MaryJo, the couple’s four children each work part-time, along with an aesthetician and a part-time employee who’s also a neighbor), Bosio relies on the way the Winpharm system handles the business operations. The reporting fea-tures are key to Bosio, as a small business owner. “When-ever I need a report — on refills due, narcotics, patient logs, daily totals, whatever log I need — it’s right in front of me,” he says. The technology in our system allows automatic communication with patients via email and text. Our smartphone application and autodialing through the IVR let patients know everything about the status of a prescription — autoreminders that a prescription is ready to be filled; notification that a prescription is ready for pickup; and follow-up reminder if a prescription has not been picked up at the pharmacy. This can save not only a lot of time, but also save on restock of inventory. The end result is an automated way to build medication adherence, star ratings, and profits.”

The loyalty program in his point of sale (POS) allows Bo-sio to track his customers’ buying habits. The interactive voice response (IVR) goes into workflow and makes it easy for him to handle refills.

“Datascan is constantly updating the system with new features, to keep up with the everyday challenges and enhanced technology that is needed in today’s market,” says Bosio.

Investing Now for a Profitable FutureEspecially with a start-up, Bosio says, it’s important to

invest in technology. With the Datascan system, he saw a company that was always looking to advance. “They aren’t saying, ‘Here’s your system,’ and in five years it’s antiquat-ed. As new software versions come out they add features; for example, with e-prescribing they were on top of that, and then with the controlled e-prescriptions, they handled that. As an owner you have a lot on your plate, and you don’t need to worry about the systems.”

The pharmacy side of the store has evolved over the first year of business. Although the wholesaler set up the over-the-counter (OTC) items, after a few months, Bosio returned 70% of it. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done a reset. Because when we first opened, the last eight feet was all surgical supplies. I left it there two months and sent it back. I don’t want to be a surgical supply guy. I have two competitors, and I told them that’s their niche and I have my niche. I have basic things. I do have com-modes and wheelchairs, but I don’t sell them, I lend them out. I put it on Facebook: We’ll loan it to you. That went viral. I even brought the wheelchair to one guy. He was so happy.”

Bosio can spend the time with customers and inventory. “The reports I use are easy to run, and we like the loyalty program to keep track of our customers,” he says.

In addition to the POS and IVR systems, Bosio uses a compounding module for his compounding business, and he finds the built-in NPI (national provider identifier) da-tabase CoverMyMeds prior authorization features particu-larly useful. Down the road Bosio hopes to use the nursing home module, as the property behind his store is being eyed by a developer who wants to put in a nursing home/assisted-living facility. “If so, then I have the software to handle the business,” says Bosio. “I am looking ahead, and want the technology I have to take me into the future.”

feature Entrepreneurial Spirit

The pharmacy front end offers traditional OTC items as well as a carefully selected and regularly updated variety of candy and gifts to make Heritage a unique shopping experi-ence.

14 ComputerTalk

Customizing the Technology to Fit the StoreCustomizing the point-of-sale system was important for MaryJo as she started the store’s own line of cosmetics. Datascan added feature buttons in the POS for the skin care line, as well as for the aesthetician who offers facials, waxing services, skin care services, and consultations. Monthly specials highlight different categories in the boutique.

“There is never a time that we feel apprehensive calling the help desk,” says Bosio. “As a growing business, Datascan has been with us every step of the way.” MaryJo agrees. Af-ter a year, MaryJo has continued to expand the boutique from jewelry and basic skin care to clothing, accessories, brand-name jewelry, and the pharmacy’s line of cosmetics.

The jewelry in particular can be tricky to enter into the inventory system and track to be able to run reports and purchase orders. MaryJo finds that anytime she needs Datascan for ideas on how to best accomplish anything

for her boutique with POS, the staff is always available to assist her with the best solutions to a specific situation. “It seems that there are no limits to the Datascan software; it always delivers based off our needs no matter how unique they may be,” says MaryJo. “I still don’t know all the pos-sibilities of the system.”

Why IndependentBeing part of the community, really knowing the neigh-bors, is what drives Frank and MaryJo in their drive to own an independent pharmacy. As customers come in for a refill or to get a lottery ticket, the couple takes every opportunity to chat in the easy way that harkens back to a small-town store. When a mother and daughter ask about gifts for a bridal party, MaryJo gives the customers her undivided attention. As part of the front-end resets, Frank aims to offer items like reasonably priced cards and vintage and bulk candy that bring customers in between refills.

“These are our neighbors, and if they need something, you want to help,” says Bosio. “You encounter patients with a host of problems, and sometimes it is a challenge to help them, but we do what we can, either with free delivery or finding a medication that’s difficult to get, or to help with drugs that don’t have out-of-pocket costs. We are continu-ing with our goal to service the community, day after day, in our unique way, to set us apart from everyone else.”

And Frank and MaryJo agree that he should have done this 20 years ago: “You have to get in there and jump in when opening a store,” he says. CT

Maggie Lockwood is VP and a senior editor at ComputerTalk. If you’d like to share an innovative business solution that’s working at your pharmacy, email details to maggie@computertalk.com.

feature Entrepreneurial Spirit

continued from previous page

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Frank and MaryJo Bosio’s goal for the new pharmacy: Be a trusted resource to the Mount Sinai Community.

10 ComputerTalk

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