Have you ever visited a DSW Shoe Store or a restaurant with a nine page menu and felt overwhelmed by too many options?
Me too.

Podiatrists may also be providing patients with too many options.

Last week I was creating an in-office dispensing training for a multiple provider practice, and I asked the manager to take a picture of the current offerings (to include in the presentation).
What she sent represented years of doctors purchasing different products to treat the same conditions (in this case toenail fungus) and for some reason continuing to offer ALL as treatment options.
My immediate thought was “DSW.”

I then asked if there were protocols in place for when to offer one product over the other. The answer was “Not really, I guess it depends on the patient and the doctor.”

I understand that not all products are a “one size fits all” however, in this case, too many options were resulting in low utilization of ALL.

I suggested that we discuss the compliance rate, efficacy and cost of these similar products and select one (or at most two) as our “preferred” anti-fungal solution to incorporate into the related treatment protocols.

Doctors could then make more definitive treatment recommendations based on patient diagnosis and their expertise. In addition, staff would be trained to understand common conditions and care plan options (including medical grade offerings to support the doctors’ recommendations). This team effort, combined with a “less is more” philosophy will result in successful dispensing.

If you need help narrowing your product selection or training your team to improve their role in dispensing, email Cindy@pinnaclepa.com.