Assisted-living Pharmacy Assisted-living Pharmacy ServicesServices

Bob Rhinehart, R.Ph.

Cornerstone Pharmacy

History

• 1990 – established as a Kelley-Ross satellite

• 1992 – partnership

• 1994 – sole ownership

• 1994-1999 – rapid growth

• Today – serving 15 alf’s plus,

200 + prescriptions/day

Then…

Orders Come From:

• Nurses

• Patients

• Family

• Prescribers

Via:

• Fax

• Telephone

• Scheduled (cycle fill)

• Email

• Walk-in

Then…

• Picked up

• Delivered, via:• In-house delivery personnel

• Messenger service

• “On the way home”

• Mail

Processing Orders

• “Man-on-man”

Receive order, fill it

• “Zone”

Staff takes “ownership” of a facility

• Usually a blend

Relations With Nursing Staff

• Important because of their position as caregiver/gatekeeper/conduit/protector

• Easy to play “blame game” when things go wrong or people are stressed

• Common goals – keeping residents happy and healthy. Reducing turnover

• Assisted-living is competitive – pharmacy can add value

Owning the Business

• Similar to parenthood – a blessing and a burden

• Requires lots of time and energy

• You’re in control of more variables

more fun, less hassle

nurture the good stuff/prune the bad

a business can take on a life of its own

Owning the Business

• Know thyself

• What do you enjoy, what are you good at?

• What do you hate or are not so good at?

Hire someone who is good at it

• Rewards

Financial

Creativity

Owning the Business

• Find a mentor

• Find a partner

• Buy into an established practice