Help your customers survive allergy season through a best in class front-end
By Good Neighbor Pharmacy
That’s what makes this season the perfect opportunity to leverage your pharmacy as a valuable one-stop shop for managing allergies through prescriptions and over-the-counter products.
Just how bad is allergy season?
According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly one-third of adults aged 18 and over had a seasonal allergy, food allergy, or eczema2, in 2021. Similarly, just over one-quarter of children in the United States had at least one allergic condition and 18.9 percent had a seasonal allergy3.
Pollen, the main culprit of seasonal pain and discomfort, is an airborne allergen affecting different people in different ways. For the most part, pollen exposure triggers various allergic reactions such as:
- runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and congestion
- throat irritation
- red, watery, and itching eyes
- respiratory illnesses like asthma
These symptoms have been linked to negative impacts on sleep, daily activities, productivity, concentration, and quality of life4.
Know your allergies
Seeing how approximately 26 percent of adults in the United States5 suffer from seasonal allergies, it’s important to focus on getting the right kind of relief to your patients – and not just in spring. True, tree pollen season starts at the end of February, but it lasts all the way into early June, followed closely by grass season in the summer and ragweed allergies in the fall.
However, seasonal allergies are not the only ones to worry about, as other types cause irritating symptoms and suffering. The most common are:
- drugs and medications
- foods
- latex
- mold
- pet dander
- venom (stinging insect)
Get treatments front-and-center
It’s important to keep your front-end well organized, featuring the most cost-efficient and highly sought-after medications so patients feel empowered through choice, and convenience from their local pharmacy.
The key, according to Andy Clarey, AmerisourceBergen’s senior director of Merchandising and Pharmacy Transformation Services, is keeping your shelves fully stocked.
“A lot of the strategy is being properly stocked, ordering on a regular basis, and having more than one piece of product in stock,” he explained. “Be prepared for multiple sales a day during allergy season. Not everyone is going to make a trip into your store to get a product to relieve their symptoms at the same time of day. You’re going to have to ensure you have the product to sell to them, and that means not just having one or two pieces of product.”
Clarey pointed to his own personal allergy experience as an example. “I was at my local pharmacy to look for something to help with some poison ivy. They only had one bottle on the shelf, and I felt a little guilty buying it because I’m thinking in the back of my mind, if anyone comes in after me, they’ll have to go up the street to fill that purchase.”
The ideal strategy for independent pharmacies is ordering on a daily basis, taking advantage of AmerisourceBergen’s ABC Order and its ability to ship daily. You can take advantage of our ordering system by reaching out to gnp@amerisourcebergen.com.
Clarey advises carrying not only the standard allergy medications but also Good Neighbor Pharmacy private label products as an alternative – they include the same active ingredients but cost a little less for the patient and offer a larger margin for the pharmacy.
Another important consideration is displaying a pharmacist recommended allergy product list or standalone shelf in a high-visibility area people can’t miss. Ideally, this area would also include a call to action for patients to consult with pharmacy staff, to make sure there are no bad reactions when combining products such as is sometimes found with patients on blood pressure medication.
Your allergy front-end display should feature an assortment of at least six pieces of product each, adult allergy meds and nasal sprays on top and children allergy meds on the bottom shelf.
“Things like lip balm and tissues can be part of the allergy end cap with cough drops and nasal sprays to help alleviate any allergy symptoms,” Clarey said.
Displays should reflect a holistic approach toward caring for the full spectrum of a patient’s needs, in order to build loyalty.
Clarey oversees a merchandiser team available to Good Neighbor Pharmacy members, providing access to an expert who understands the full spectrum of how to optimize your front-end for a crucial time of the year.
“Our merchandisers have really good relationships with their stores, and want to help them be successful,” he said, adding, “Every pharmacy is different, but the one commonality is the pharmacy team making the time to engage with patients, remembering that a personal touch goes a long way.”
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Spring Pollen Season is Getting Longer & More Intense. March 2024. Accessed 11 March 2024. Available online at: https://www.hhs.gov/climate-change-health-equity-environmental-justice/climate-change-health-equity/climate-health-outlook/pollen/index.html
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnosed Allergic Conditions in Adults: United States, 2021. NCHS Data Brief No. 460. January 2023. Accessed 11 March 2024. Available online at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db460.htm
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diagnosed Allergic Conditions in Children Aged 0–17 Years: United States, 2021. NCHS Data Brief No. 459. January 2023. Accessed 11 March 2024. Available online at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db459.htm
4. Meltzer, Eli; Rosen, Judith; and Sennett, Cary. Findings from an Online Survey Assessing the Burden and Management of Seasonal Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis in US Patients. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. May-June 2017. Accessed 11 March 2024. Available online at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27914815/
5. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. AAFA.org. Accessed 18 March 2024. Available online at: https://aafa.org/allergies/