"Old MacDonald Had a Dispensary"

What is a dispensary? 
According to www.thefreedictionary.com, it’s:

1. An office in a hospital, school, or other institution from which medical supplies, preparations, 
   and treatments are dispensed.
   

2. A public institution that dispenses medicines or medical aid.

I've heard ECPs refer to their dispensary as: eyewear gallery, optical department, boutique, frame room or even the “bread and butter” of the business. I must say that bread and butter remind me of toast and your dispensary should not be taken lightly. Your dispensary should be feeding the practice over 50% of its revenue. Sounds more like “steak and lobster” to me.

Whether you are starting a new or purchasing an existing dispensary, get dispensary energized and commit to staying that way. Whiners and wimps need not apply. Unstoppable attitudes are always welcome. Set long term goals (a week is not considered long term, sorry), read and digest industry books and publications, attend trade shows, purchase from the exhibitors, sign up for CE courses, network, learn social media marketing, hand out your business card, keep their business card, and build business relationships with sales reps. 

Find and gladly pay the most qualified Dispensing Opticians to be on the front lines of your dispensary. Ignoring this can lead to serious problems. “Winging it” in the dispensary is extremely dangerous and does not fly! Think of your Dispensing Opticians as eyewear pharmacists. These skills and expertise cannot be learned overnight. Nor can they be taught overnight. Although some of you may be attempting to operate your dispensary as if they can. 

No unskilled, inexperienced decisions should be tolerated in your dispensary. A dentist would not let the new hire that has never worked a day in the dental field clean someone's teeth. Continuous training with close supervision should be required for the newbies. The oldbies (seasoned staff, not age related) should continue training and attending CE courses. In the end, each patient's sight directly correlates with your dispensary decisions.

Patient dispensary boredom and daily lost sales may be taking their toll on your business. This is going to continue if you have the same 'ole, same 'ole, dispensary look and decor year after year. Does it make sense to let it keep happening? It might, if you want your dispensary to be toast. If not, ask yourself, staff, family, loyal patients, sales reps, even the postman, for input on what is missing or needed. Listen and take notes. Reveal your ideas and work with trustworthy dispensary professionals. Updating your dispensary can be tailored to your comfort level and pace. Slow, baby steps are better than all talk and no steps. The least you should be doing is rearranging your current displays every few months.

ECPs need to clue in when patients request a copy of their RX to take elsewhere, especially if they have decided that all of your frames look the same or seem outdated. Maybe it's time to start scheduling appointments with your frame reps. I work with reps that are genuinely passionate about helping dispensaries to grow and thrive. There should always be mutual respect between you and your reps on any business transactions. Reps should have your practice's best interest in mind. They can bring a wealth of information to the dispensing table. Frame reps will work with ECPs to determine if their product matches your patient demographics. 

Selecting frames can be challenging as we are ordering for all walks of life, not just focusing on what we would wear. Eye catching, point of purchase material can be very effective. If you don't have the frame in stock that is represented on the POP, the clue is to remove the POP. Find out about the manufacturer's policy on backorders before you drool over a new frame that may never ship. Give new frames a minimum of six months before you decide that they are not worthy of your “honorable board space”. Some offices will lower the price or offer discounts to sell any slow movers. 

BEWARE: If any rep ever has a tongue twisting story about how you need to sell this much to get this or this won't happen unless they can get approval, but this can, since you are a new customer that looks like they will be a good customer and not everyone is getting this fabulous deal but to take advantage of it you have to order now but wait there's more, it opens up into a pup tent and sleeps six..... Clue in and get them out.

Who started the concept of frame returns and when did they become such a “norm”? Think of them as being a “costly courtesy”. Make sure to get a return authorization (RA) when sending frames back for credit. Include the required invoices and branded cases. Some manufacturers will return the product back to you if you fail to do so. Bummer.

If you have never attended a trade show, you should. There is no better way to stay in the optical industry loop. There are hundreds of exhibitors under one roof. Trade show attendees usually get a packet of information with their registration. Look for special offers, no minimum orders, extended billing, and discounts. You will be surrounded with incentives to make purchases during the show. Industry experts, colleagues, competitors and education--a good time is had by all.

Here are some clues for your dispensary wish list:

• Mirrors- hand held, magnified, swinging

• Frames- determine the number of men's, women's, children's, suns, readers

• Frame Displays- eye catching, wall mount, acrylic, custom built

• Lighting- specialty, bulbs

• Accessories- lens care, personalized cloths and spray cleaners, holder/necklace, cases

• Marketing- personalized pens, bags

• Hand tools- specialty pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches, files, rimless pliers

• Repair kits- nosepads, screws, temple tips

• Measuring devices- pupilometer, lensometer, pd sticks, specialty lens markers

• Frame warmer

• Dispensary table

• Dispensing chairs, stools

• Video education modules

Cleanliness and ambiance can set you apart from the rest. Some dispensaries pamper their patients more than others. Offerings such amenities as: home or work delivery, gourmet coffee, bottled water, movie tickets and chocolates are rarely turned down by patients. 

Cleanliness Dispensary Clues

• Make sure to clean the pupilometer with alcohol wipes after each use

• Dust the displays 

• No fingerprints allowed on mirrors, demo or sunglass lenses

• No marking pen dots on demo lenses

• No makeup on frames

• No bad hair days! The hair from the previous patient that gets stuck in a frame

• No ECPs with stinky breath or arm pits (nor overpowering perfume/cologne)

I hope Old MacDonald doesn't have a cow after reading this! 

Ginny Johnson
LDO, ABOC