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Conference Leads to Lots of New Ideas and Enthusiasm!

Joe and I recently got back from the Pharmacy Development Services (PDS) Independent Business Growth Conference which we try to attend every February. I think the staff always worries after Joe attends conferences, because he comes back full of enthusiasm and wanting to change the pharmacy with tons of new ideas and schemes to help our patients.

The PDS conference is always inspiring, even if a bit tiring. We are in the conference for three full days from 8 am to 6:30 pm with lunch and breaks spent networking with other independent pharmacy owners–this is a conference for independent pharmacies only. Happily, we receive a lot of continuing education credit for our pharmacy licenses by attending the lectures each day.

The theme of the conference this year was “Destroy the Status Quo” and this idea was touched on by everyone throughout the three day event.

At the beginning of the conference, we are given an “Opportunity Funnel” booklet in which we are supposed to write down all the ideas we get while we are at the conference–from the speakers, vendors, and other pharmacy owners. Some of the attendees fill up book after book with ideas. A prize is given at the end of the conference to the person who captures the most ideas. Joe and I never win, but we do get a lot of great ideas, nonetheless.

Besides throwing tons of ideas at us, PDS also always brings in the best speakers. This year they had several that were utterly extraordinary. Joe and I both liked Ray Kurzweil, who spoke on really futuristic stuff in the world of biotechnology. He believes that if someone can just hang on for the next 10-20 years, we may be able to prolong lives well into the 100’s due to gene therapy, organ growth (using your own DNA to grow organs), and bioengineering. He is a brilliant speaker. He signed and gave each conference attendee a copy of his book, “How to Create a Mind.” If you really want to give your brain a workout, read any of Ray Kurzweil’s books.  He will probably blow your mind with the “science fiction” type stuff he writes about. But the amazing thing is, the things he describes are all possible and not far in the future!

The second speaker we liked was Dr. Nido Qubein who is the current president of High Point University in North Carolina. Dr. Qubein was an immigrant to this country who arrived as a teenager knowing very little English and with only $50 on him. He has since owned and been on the boards of million dollar companies, written numerous books, and won every award available for motivational speakers. He truly was motivational, as well as funny, and we could have listened to him all afternoon.

Many vendors also attend this conference and one of the items Joe and I were very interested in carrying for the pharmacy was Statinzyme. This product is marketed for those who use a “statin” drug for cholesterol. Statinzyme contains nine different nutrients and vitamins that are often depleted in those who take statins and is much cheaper than taking each one separately. Look for it in the pharmacy soon and talk to Joe about it if you are on a statin medication for your cholesterol.

We also learned about some interesting compounding products that are currently being produced on the West Coast and are making their way toward us on the East Coast. One of the products Joe and I asked Bob, our super compounding pharmacist, to check on was Glutathione. Glutathione is made up of three amino acids and helps to repair cells, eliminate free radicals, and does other wonderful things that help in the aging process. Joe and I ordered a couple of bottles from Central Drugs Compounding Pharmacy in California (where it is currently being commercially produced) to try and see what we thought. We think this might be a good item to offer at Midwestern Compounding Pharmacy, producing it ourselves.

Be assured, you will be seeing some new things in the pharmacy as Joe works with the staff to incorporate many of his ideas into everyday functioning. Joe is also working with a business coach through PDS to help him make the pharmacy the best it can be! Please give us your feedback when you notice any changes!

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