Is Your Pharmacy Team Really on the Same Page With You?
Pharmacy team communication is often the missing piece when staff don't follow through. Owen and Tim share the huddles, meetings, and habits that get everyone moving together.
Webinar
Watch the Replay
Your hosts
Meet the Panel
Owen BonDurant
Partner, Independent Rx
A second-generation pharmacy professional, Owen has worked in independent pharmacies all his life, in nearly every role from pharmacy technician to founder of Independent Rx. He has helped start or acquire over 100 pharmacies.
Tim Clark, R.Ph.
Partner, Independent Rx
A third-generation pharmacist, Tim grew his family's business from 3 stores to 15 retail locations plus long-term care and compounding pharmacies. He has owned, purchased, and started over 30 stores and helped over 100 people become pharmacy owners.
Overview
You're Probably Communicating Less Than You Think
Owners often feel they have explained what they want, how to do a task, and what is expected. Then a delegated task doesn't get done, a trained employee keeps doing it wrong, or someone says, "We don't have time." Owen BonDurant and Tim Clark say these are symptoms of poor communication, not always of a bad employee. They may not be telling staff often enough, and they may be talking at people instead of with them.
The hosts share what they do in their own pharmacies: a daily huddle, a weekly management meeting, and a habit of asking staff for input before a big change. Their message is simple. Make communication regular, keep meetings short, and put them on the calendar. Better pharmacy team communication makes your operation more efficient and your financials stronger.
Key numbers
Numbers From the Conversation
30 min
is the weekly management meeting in their long-term care pharmacy, held a half hour before opening.
4
people attend: the two key pharmacists and the two key techs.
~1,000
replies came back to one mass text, which staff then had to sort through.
$2,000
is the kind of machine staff never think an owner would buy to solve their problem.
What we cover
Seven Ideas for Getting Your Team on the Same Page
1
Spot the symptoms
Delegated tasks not done, the same mistake after training, "we don't have time," and people working on the wrong thing are all warning signs. Don't assume you have a bad employee. Ask whether you are communicating clearly and often enough.
2
Treat it like blood pressure
You may think things are fine, but you haven't taken a reading. Huddles and check-ins are clinical snapshots of your business. The basics aren't glamorous, but they prevent self-caused catastrophes.
3
Run a daily huddle
Start each day with a short huddle led by your PIC, a manager, or you. Cover who is where and what happens if the day gets busy. Pick slow days to train someone, and don't be afraid to reverse course mid-day.
4
Make it safe to speak up
A huddle gives your team a voice. A technician who sees dispensing backing up can tell you, so you can move people. Welcome work problems, but redirect complaints. Keep personal situations private.
5
Hold a weekly management meeting
Meet with your key pharmacists and techs on the calendar, and repeat the same message: does this help us grow? Bring action items each week for accountability. Staff may not know you'd fund a fix, so ask what's in the way.
6
Get your team on the bus
Before you add immunizations or new software, ask your key people how it will change their work. In one example, a mass text drew about 1,000 replies that staff had to clear. The fix was to send in batches of 100 a day, or from a separate number with its own queue.
7
Be patient, and respect your team
Transformation is slow, but the vibe can change fast. Treat staff as co-workers and teammates, with grace and kindness. Hiring is like baking cookies. You need a mix of people, including a pharmacist who communicates well with the team.
People want to do a good job, and they will if they know what is expected of them.
From the webinar
Take action
Practical Steps You Can Start This Week
Tim and Owen kept coming back to a handful of habits:
- Put your huddles and meetings on the calendar. A calendar entry creates accountability, like a workout class.
- Keep huddles short. Five minutes is fine, even if it's just who is where and a birthday.
- Ask for input, then decide. You are still the owner, but most bad decisions come from not asking.
- Check in with your pharmacists for five minutes. Ask what problems they see.
- Ask whether an idea helps the pharmacy grow before you act on it.
- Find a peer to talk things through with. Both hosts do this for each other.
Real situations
Common Problems, and What the Hosts Suggest
The hosts shared how they handle situations owners bring up often:
- "I trained them, but they can't keep up." Check the day's workload at the huddle. If three big facilities fill that day, train another day.
- "My staff just complain." Say that belongs outside of work, and ask them to bring real work problems to you.
- "We rolled out a new tool, and it created extra work." Ask the people who use it daily. They will see issues you can't.
- "I hate meetings." So do the hosts. They hate ineffective meetings, so they keep them short and on the calendar.
These are the hosts' own opinions and experiences, recorded in September, and not business or HR advice.
Keep exploring
Ready to improve your pharmacy team communication?
Read our article on the art of delegating for pharmacy owners. Learn to manage to the process, not to the person. Or watch our webinar on moving from operator to CEO.
Ready to get your team aligned?
Watch the full replay, or talk with our team about building a stronger pharmacy operation.
