NCPA debuts educational reality series

The National Community Pharmacists Association is getting creative with its educational efforts. This month, NCPA is debuting a new educational reality series, dubbed “Show Me.”

The NCPA Innovation Center announced the project, which is sponsored by Pfizer, at the NCPA Annual Convention in Kansas City. Styled after popular TV makeover shows, the series stars are real pharmacists who need help getting a certain aspect of their business on track.

“We wanted to do something different, something that would be fun, something that can be shared and something that pharmacists will talk about,” said Douglas Hoey, NCPA CEO. “It’s an educational series that tells a story, and we think that makes it interesting.”

[Read more NCPA survey: Three-quarters of community pharmacies report staff shortages]

This season, highlighting immunizations, features five pharmacists who are struggling with a program that they can’t get off the ground, market effectively or figure out how to make profitable. After calling NCPA for help, the struggling pharmacists get a visit from one of their colleagues, a pharmacist from somewhere else in the country who’s doing it well.

“We think our members will connect with the show because they’ll see themselves in it,” said Hoey. “These are real pharmacists with real challenges getting help from other pharmacists who have already made the mistakes, worked out the kinks and are now successful.”

Most pharmacists were doing immunizations long before COVID-19, but the pandemic sent that trend into hyperdrive. It’s a critical public health service and potentially a way for pharmacists to generate revenue while filling primary care gaps. Showing pharmacists how to expand beyond filling prescriptions is a major strategic goal for NCPA and the main inspiration for the series, the organization said. 

“This season it’s about immunizations. Next season we’ll focus on another aspect of health care in which there is a clear public benefit, and a clear growth opportunity for community pharmacists,” said Hoey.

[Read more: Pharmacist shortages are affecting the pharmacy industry]

NCPA is releasing trailers for the first two episodes, which will premiere in the coming weeks on NCPA’s various internet platforms including its website and YouTube channel.