Thomas Garza and his team at The Medicine Shoppe in San Benito, Texas have done an amazing job of utilizing the FLAVORx service. We recently interviewed Mr. Garza to discover just what it is about FLAVORx that resonates so well with customers and why they excel with the program.
“Flavored medicine is important to our patients,” said Thomas, who is the head pharmacist at The Medicine Shoppe of San Benito. “FLAVORx is a good way to let our patients know that we’ll go the extra mile for them.”
Letting kids choose the taste of their medicine provides a competitive edge for Mr. Garza’s business, which his father, David Garza, opened 35-years ago.
“FLAVORx helped us create a distinctive place in the market,” he said. “Chain and bigger independent pharmacies rely on mass-marketing, but most of our marketing is word of mouth.”
Despite pressure from larger stores, the Garzas carved out a niche based on stellar customer service.
“We’re known for how we treat people. We’re 100% customer focused, 100% of the time,” said Thomas Garza. “We treat customers like family, and we use FLAVORx to help us care for them.”
The Medicine Shoppe has become the “go-to” pharmacy for San Benito parents with sick kids. When pediatric patients struggle to take poor-tasting medicine, flavoring those prescriptions with FLAVORx can be a real “difference maker,” said Mr. Garza.
Once, a new customer chose to fill their prescription at The Medicine Shoppe, despite working for a national chain pharmacy, simply because of FLAVORx. The customer’s sick child refused to swallow a bad-tasting prescription, which led the child’s pediatrician to recommend flavoring that medication at The Medicine Shoppe.
“We stood out from the chain pharmacies because we got the referral from the doctor,” said Mr. Garza. “We grabbed the customer’s attention with flavored medicine but earned their trust with our service.”
Like other pharmacists who have found success with flavored medicine, Mr. Garza uses FLAVORx as an opportunity to personalize his customer’s in-store experience.
“Our staff talks directly with the sick kid and lets them know we can make their medicine taste better,” said Mr. Garza. “We’ll let the child choose their favorite flavor, which makes them happy, which gets them to take their medicine, which gets them to feel better. Everyone wins. The pediatric patient, their parents, and our pharmacy.”
Creating an in-pharmacy experience tailored to the unique demands of each consumer isn’t just beneficial for the patient’s health - it’s good for the pharmacy’s bottom line.
“Patients come back to us because we solved a problem with flavored medicine that other stores didn’t or couldn’t,” said Mr. Garza.
Allowing children to choose the taste of their medicine tangibly demonstrates customer care. Letting kids choose the taste of their medicine creates a memorable pharmacy experience like few other services can.
“Patients grow accustomed to flavored medicine, which is good because we want the medication experience to be positive for the child,” said Mr. Garza.
Not only does flavor selection resonate powerfully with customers, but it can also improve word-of-mouth referrals from delighted moms and dads.
“We’ll continue to market flavored medicine as a service, but we also use FLAVORx as a tool to market the pharmacy itself,” said Mr. Garza. “Offering flavored medicine lets our patients know the Medicine Shoppe is the place to get the best possible care.”
Thomas Garza understands successful flavoring strategy has less to do with additional fees and everything to do with keeping customers happy. Parents expect a struggle when it comes time to give their children liquid antibiotics or antivirals. By offering to improve that experience pharmacies like The Medicine Shoppe take on the role of solution provider and trusted advisor, which truly sets them apart.
“FLAVORx is going to improve the quality of life for your customers,” said Mr. Garza. “It’s a must-have tool for any pharmacy that’s even moderately busy with pediatric patients.”
