Summer Trade Show Recap: Driving Pharmacy Engagement and Revenue Artwork

PQS Quality Corner Show

Join Pharmacy Quality Solutions Associate Director of Pharmacy Accounts Nick Dorich, PharmD, for a podcast series "Quality Corner Show" that covers everything quality in the world of pharmacy and patient care. Look for future episodes to interview guests and experts in the healthcare profession.

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PQS Quality Corner Show

Summer Trade Show Recap: Driving Pharmacy Engagement and Revenue

August 05, 2025 • PQS • Season 6 • Episode 7

Nick Dorich, Associate Director of Pharmacy Accounts, and Stephanie Hale, Quality Programs Manager, discuss their key takeaways from the summer trade shows, including McKesson ideaShare, Cardinal RBC, and Cencora ThoughtSpot.

Stephanie and Nick share insights gained from engaging with independent pharmacies and their staff. They highlight the growing recognition and engagement with EQUIPP, emphasizing that it's a team approach involving pharmacists, technicians, nurses, and other clinical staff. A major focus of their discussions at the trade shows was how PQS by Innovaccer can pharmacies earn additional revenue while staying in workflow with EQUIPP Copilot.

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Stephanie Hale

I believe a couple years ago we were just

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Stephanie Hale

rolling out with Enhanced Services, and last year we had a few pharmacies that were doing stuff, but really seeing, how much pharmacies are engaging with our enhanced services or oh yeah, I'm in there all the time doing this or that.

00:00:15:17 - 00:00:38:17

Stephanie Hale

And then of course, now we have some, additional programs in “My Programs”. So just being able to focus on, the additional dollars and I know we, I think we did have somebody that said, like, if it wasn't for Enhanced Services, I'd be making a dollar prescription. So they really liked that additional revenue and, that they could get their EQUIPP

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Voice Over

Welcome to the Pharmacy Quality Solutions Quality Corner Show,

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Voice Over

Buckle up and put your thinking cap on. The Quality Corner Show starts now.

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Nick Dorich

Hello. Quality Corner show listeners, welcome to our PQS podcast. Nick Dorich here, Associate Director of Pharmacy Accounts and I am joined by Stephanie Hale. We are here to talk about the summer trade shows and how we've been engaging with independent pharmacies at McKesson ideaShare, Cardinal RBC, and Cencora’s

00:01:10:21 - 00:01:23:24

Nick Dorich

Thoughtspot. So, Stephanie, let's go ahead. Let's get you introduced or reintroduced to the audience. Can you confirm your, what your role here is, what your role here at PQS and your experience in pharmacy. Stephanie.

00:01:23:24 - 00:01:52:10

Stephanie Hale

Yeah. So I am Stephanie Hale. I'm the quality programs manager here at PQS. So, my role is primarily engagingwith pharmacies to get them into enhanced services and my programs to get started on some programs in there and earn some additional revenue. Prior to PQS, I was a technician for many years, and then, went to the PSAO space and then now, here.

00:01:52:10 - 00:01:57:14

Stephanie Hale

So, you know, a lot of background to over 20 years in pharmacy. So.

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Nick Dorich

Excellent. Well thanks, Stephanie. It was great to be on the road with you. Over the last couple of weeks, you and I were at a couple different shows together and got to be meeting with pharmacies firsthand, which I think is one of our favorite things to do. We've got a lot of new things to share about EQUIPP and how pharmacies can be engaged with patient care services.

00:02:14:19 - 00:02:35:08

Nick Dorich

And I think the important aspect that we like to share, and it's that I think it might be the thing that got the most attention, was how we could help pharmacies be earning money for the care that they are providing for patients in their community. So, let's go ahead. The way that we're going to format this show, Stephanie, I've got in mind, you know, what are the top three things that we learned here from the summer trade show?

00:02:35:12 - 00:02:53:21

Nick Dorich

What were the top three things from our experience with the pharmacies? And what we had is takeaway. So whether you were a pharmacy team member that met with us at McKesson, at Cardinal or at Cencora we had a lot of takeaways. We want to make sure that we're sharing some of this information back with our broader audience, who maybe didn't get a chance to meet with at the shows.

00:02:54:01 - 00:03:02:09

Nick Dorich

So, Stephanie, let's go ahead and jump into it. And what was your number one takeaway? What was your number one thought coming out of the trade shows this summer?

00:03:03:05 - 00:03:24:23

Stephanie Hale

So really just I've been with PQS three years, so this is my third summer of trade shows and just really seeing the engagement and, right, name recognition with a EQUIPP, is really, has really developed in the past three years. So a lot of people, know who EQUIPP is now what they're using it for.

00:03:24:23 - 00:03:31:15

Stephanie Hale

And, you know, if their friends don't know about it, bringing them over to tell about the programs we have available.

00:03:31:17 - 00:03:50:00

Nick Dorich

Yeah, this is really great. And I think, Stephanie, one of the key things that we also saw and experienced was that this wasn't just pharmacist that were knowing about EQUIPP. It was also a lot of pharmacy technicians. Sometimes they're hey, there's a technician in charge of there handling some of the business aspects of the show. You know, even here on this call, I'm a pharmacist by training in background.

00:03:50:00 - 00:04:06:17

Nick Dorich

You're a pharmacy technician. But I think we really saw and heard from the users loud and clear that this is a team approach that it takes. And for the pharmacies that are doing it well, that delegation of those reporting items and follow up is key to their success. Any other thoughts that you had based on that experience?

00:04:06:19 - 00:04:22:07

Stephanie Hale

Oh, definitely. I know we talked to some technicians that were, you know, they're doing a lot with the programs and then even nurses and other clinical members that are in doing stuff. So it was exciting to see how it that work is spread across the team.

00:04:22:09 - 00:04:41:12

Nick Dorich

Yeah, absolutely. Team effort. Always better to go somewhere far together. With, with the with these programs, especially as the programs are growing. So, Stephanie, as we're talking about programs growing, that might have been another big topic. What would be your number two item or take away from our summer trade shows and our meetings with independent pharmacies?

00:04:42:00 - 00:04:47:07

Stephanie Hale

Just again, you know, like the difference in each summer is amazing. So,

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Stephanie Hale

I believe a couple years ago we were just

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Stephanie Hale

00:05:01:19 - 00:05:24:19

Stephanie Hale

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Nick Dorich

Yeah, absolutely. It was very much a rewarding experience for us at these shows to hear pharmacies that they don't they know about these programs, but they're actively working through the programs. And as you said, and the prior comments that they were bringing over their friends or bringing other, you know, classmates, other people that they knew that they were engaging with for these opportunities.

00:05:45:22 - 00:06:03:17

Nick Dorich

Were there any particular comments, Stephanie, or highlights? Were there any, you know, frequent items that pharmacists were telling us, or pharmacy technicians? Were there any key items that people were frequently pointing out to as, hey, this is my priority item? Or if there's one thing that you're doing in EQUIPP, what were they highlighting?

00:06:04:01 - 00:06:26:19

Stephanie Hale

Just making sure that they're logging in on a weekly basis. Text messages were another highlight as well. Saying, oh yeah, I already signed up for text messages that, you know, I get on there when I get that, etc.. And just, you know, making sure they're staying on top of things, even if it's just once a week logging in there, they're getting in and engaging with the programs.

00:06:26:22 - 00:06:48:10

Nick Dorich

Excellent. All right. I think that takes us to our final point. Stephanie. And the other bit of excitement that we had at the summer trade shows, you know, for pharmacies, they're used to logging in EQUIPP and going through from these documentation opportunities or following up and tracking their my programs throughout the course of the year. But one of the things that we've always heard from pharmacies was, hey, can we do this in our workflow?

00:06:48:10 - 00:07:05:05

Nick Dorich

Is there a better way that we can do this so we don't have to go to another site? And I think this year was the first time where we were able to answer, yes, we have a solution for that. So can you talk to our audience about EQUIPP Copilot, what that experience was like, and some of the feedback that we received from pharmacists about EQUIPP copilot.

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Stephanie Hale

Yeah. So a lot of times, so equipped copilot sets directly on the top of a pharmacy's workflow. So if they're in a patient, look, you know, filling a prescription for them, giving them a phone call, it'll tell them right then and there if they have Enhanced Services opportunities or, opportunities for check ins or blood pressure readings or even just if they're in any star ratings programs that they maybe earn additional bonuses on so they can see that right there, instead of having to go, out to our website or to their PSAO’s website to log in, so they can do that right there in their workflow instead of having to, you

00:07:45:01 - 00:08:02:17

Stephanie Hale

know, print out a list, do all that stuff, and make phone calls, which of course, they still can do that if that helps their workflow. But, it was exciting to really see that. I actually had a pharmacy come up to me and say, yeah, we use EQUIPP. But the thing that is most annoying to me is that I have to go to this website to do this.

00:08:02:17 - 00:08:10:16

Stephanie Hale

And I was like, well, listen, we've got a solution for you. So everyone was really excited about that. And looking forward to it launching.

00:08:10:20 - 00:08:30:13

Nick Dorich

Yeah, absolutely. But Stephanie, thanks for the review. And these were really the primary items. We had conversations with hundreds if not thousands of pharmacies and their staff members, you know, across the couple of trade shows, the three shows, again, that was from McKesson ideaShare, Cardinal RBC, or Cencora Thoughtspot. If you came and talked with some of our staff members, we appreciate you.

00:08:30:13 - 00:08:51:19

Nick Dorich

We appreciate the work that you're doing with the patients in your community. We had a lot of great items that we were able to share with pharmacies and Steph, we took a lot of great feedback from pharmacies as well about how we can continue to improve EQUIPP, and really best align the services that we're providing in a way that's meaningful for how pharmacies and how the pharmacy staff are practicing the patient care services that they're doing.

00:08:51:21 - 00:09:11:07

Nick Dorich

So, Stephanie, a couple of items before we wrap up for today, already, you know, talked about, hey, would be some of the recommendations as, as it goes, as it goes to EQUIPP and EQUIPP engagement. But we're going to be getting to into a busy time of the year with flu shots, Medicare, open enrollment. There's a lot of things that happen as we get towards the end of the year.

00:09:11:11 - 00:09:19:24

Nick Dorich

So what should pharmacies be paying attention to when it comes to their EQUIPP engagement and maximizing the benefit of what they can use with our platform?

00:09:19:24 - 00:09:42:17

Stephanie Hale

Yeah. So I think definitely, you know, checking in weekly etc.. And then of course, once Copilot launches, it'll be just right at that busy time of year. So if I'm in there with a patient and, you know, filling for their flu shot, hey, do they need a blood pressure reading as well? So then that way they can go ahead and just do all of that at one time, one trip to the pharmacy.

00:09:42:17 - 00:09:57:19

Stephanie Hale

So, you know, just just double checking those, making sure when you are doing flu shots or whatever type of shot, for those patients that you're also checking in, to see if they have check ins, blood pressure readings, A1c readings, etc..

00:09:57:21 - 00:09:58:01

Nick Dorich

Yeah.

00:09:58:01 - 00:10:22:07

Nick Dorich

And while the summer trade shows are done, we certainly have opportunities for pharmacies through our, you know, EQUIPP support to do demos, to do one on ones, do group meetings to go over for a EQUIPP. And then Stephanie, where is the next meeting that we where when is the next time that we will be meeting with pharmacies showing off EQUIPP Copilot and meeting in person, to help explain some of these opportunities.

00:10:22:11 - 00:10:29:18

Stephanie Hale

So we will be at NCPA in New Orleans in the end of October. So looking forward to seeing everyone there.

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Nick Dorich

Yeah, absolutely. All right. Well, Stephanie, any final words here before we wrap up. You are like you said, pharmacy technician. You've been in the trenches there and pharmacy is always changing. Healthcare is always changing. It's always a new challenge. But any final words, comments, remarks that you would like to share with our audience about you know, what's up and what's coming, coming forward.

00:10:49:21 - 00:11:10:02

Stephanie Hale

So just like I said, super excited about EQUIPP Copilot launching to make things a little bit easier on everyone. And just if you haven't already, get your technicians and the rest of your staff involved too. I know a lot of pharmacies like to do some sort of incentives, so if they're earning additional dollars for the pharmacy, passing that along to the technicians as well.

00:11:10:02 - 00:11:12:05

Stephanie Hale

So and that seems to be effective.

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Nick Dorich

Yeah, absolutely. All right. Well, Stephanie, thank you for your time. Thanks for jumping on here to represent the PQS team. We had a large number of our staff getting out to meet with independent pharmacies, because there's a lot of independent pharmacies out there that are really thriving and working to provide these patient care services. So again, thank you, Stephanie.

00:11:29:12 - 00:11:43:10

Nick Dorich

Thank you to all the independent pharmacies who met with us at these trade shows. Look forward to our next, PQS upcoming webinars, as well as next upcoming episodes on the Quality Corner show. But that's all for today. We look forward to seeing you next time.

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