Every night on the news, it seems we're hearing about hospitals overloaded with flu patients or about shortages of Tamiflu. While many parents will try to hibernate until springtime in hopes of making sure their children don't come down with any sort of virus like the flu, there are ways to survive flu season without becoming a recluse. 

We're living in the age of customer experience, and leaders in the retail pharmacy world understand how important these interactions are to a successful pharmacy experience. A 2017 Forrester study reported that retailers who score high in customer experience metrics are exponentially better at generating revenue. 

Now in its ninth year, the annual J.D. Power U.S. Pharmacy Study gives us rich insights into the minds of American pharmacy customers, helping us to discern emerging trends, behavioral changes and shifting attitudes that will sculpt the industry in the years to come. This year’s study surveyed 17,326 customers who filled prescriptions over a 3-month period earlier this year.

With retail pharmacy becoming highly commoditized, everyone in the industry is under pressure to provide a stellar customer experience to differentiate from the competition. In order maintain a high level of patient care and engagement, without burning out pharmacists, many companies have started to introduce automated technology to optimize their  workflow and meet customer demand for a speedy and friendly experience at the pharmacy counter.

Each year, five to 20 percent of the U.S. population will become infected with the flu. That’s between 16 million and 65 million people. The impact of influenza is much larger than most realize. Prevention is crucial – largely from vaccinations – and can be supported by employers, health clinics, physicians and community pharmacies.