The Medicine Shoppe, an independent pharmacy based in San Benito, Texas, enjoys strong working relationships with local pediatricians.
“Partnering with doctors just makes sense for us,” said Thomas Garza, head pharmacist at The Medicine Shoppe. “Doctors and pharmacists both make a living by taking care of patients; there’s no doubt that synergy is excellent and beneficial to everyone involved."
The Medicine Shoppe has offered personalized, friendly service to the San Benito community for over 35 years. During that time, Thomas Garza and his father David learned that earning new customers from doctor referrals was a reliable way to grow their pharmacy business.
“We’ve earned our reputation by offering the best possible care to our patients,” said Thomas Garza. “Our pediatrician colleagues work well with us because they know we work well with their patients.”
Pediatricians need patients to take their medicine as prescribed. But for a variety of reasons, that’s not always possible. That’s where pharmacists can play a crucial role.
“Partnering with physicians allow our pharmacy to create customized care plans for each patient and deliver positive treatment outcomes,” said Thomas Garza.
To achieve a positive treatment outcome, the pharmacist should pick-up where the doctor left-off by helping to manage the patient’s care.
“We treat folks the right way by giving patients our full attention and ensuring everyone feels comfortable, ” said Thomas Garza. “Our staff takes the time to explain a medication so that patients understand why and how they should adhere to their prescriptions.”
According to Mr. Garza, doctors and pharmacists hear the same complaints from parents “My kid won’t take his medicine because it tastes bad or it’s too hard to swallow. What can I do?”
“Doctors get that question all the time from parents,” said Thomas Garza. “FLAVORx gives the pediatrician a solution to that problem.”
That’s why Mr. Garza positions FLAVORx to pediatricians as a service they can offer kids who have difficulty taking their medicine. In that sense, FLAVORx helped The Medicine Shoppe carve out a niche in their local market.
“When a young patient has a problem with the taste of their medicine our pharmacy is at the top of [the doctor’s] list,” said Mr. Garza. “Doctors trust us to use FLAVORx as a tool to get kids to take their medicine and feel better. “
But Mr. Garza says that simply offering flavored medicine alone is not enough to earn a pediatrician’s referral. Instead, FLAVORx is one tool in a thoughtful customer care plan.
“FLAVORx is a tool that helps our pharmacy offer great customer service,” said Mr. Garza. “We treat folks the right way, whether it's taking care of something another pharmacy can’t or won’t do - like changing the dosage or taste of a given medication.”
Beyond facilitating customer care, Mr. Garza believes flavored medicine helps deliver good treatment outcomes.
“Children who were scared of taking their medicine are more willing to take that same prescription after we tell them how it’s going to taste," said Mr. Garza. “Pediatricians need sick patients to take their medicine, and they don’t care how that gets done, so long as it’s safe," said Mr. Garza.
Mr. Garza’s staff uses Fillmaster to reconstitute medications and FLAVORx to make prescriptions more palatable, which leads to increased adherence.
“Doctors appreciate that Fillmaster automates reverse osmosis filtration and that we don’t change the volume of the medication when using FLAVORx,” said Thomas Garza. “They know their patients will receive the appropriate dosage.”
Mr. Garza stands behind his pharmacy’s products and service. He says demonstrating efficacy is vital.
“When physicians refer patients to our pharmacy, they need to know we won’t compromise their patients’ health,” said Thomas Garza. “Fillmaster data helps us prove we’re not changing concentrations or the stability of the medication.”
“Flavored medicine is just one of many quality services our staff stands behind and that doctors and patients value,” said Mr. Garza. “We work hard to expand our expertise when it comes to pediatric medicine. We deploy the best practices that get pediatric customers to take their medication and FLAVORx is one of those best practices.”