Press releases

DENVER, July 23, 2010 — At its annual trade show for independent retail pharmacies, Cardinal Health today unveiled the industry’s first fully customizable suite of marketing tools that enable independent pharmacists to build and market their own brand within their communities – without having to tie their marketing efforts to a national banner program.

“Extensive customer research has told us that an increasing number of retail pharmacies want to be able to exclusively market their own store names in their local communities. But until now, they haven’t had easy-to-use, quality marketing tools that can help them do that in a cost-effective way,” said Steve Lawrence, senior vice president of independent sales for Cardinal Health. “Cardinal Health is now proud to be the first in the industry to offer independent pharmacies flexible tools to enhance the marketing and advertising efforts of their business at the local level.”

When independent pharmacies want to build their own personal brand within their local communities, Cardinal Health now offers a full suite of marketing tools and resources that can be customized specifically with their store name. The new suite of customizable marketing tools gives pharmacies the option to market their services with or without a banner brand. Cardinal Health is the first in the industry to not require the use of a banner brand in its independent pharmacy customers marketing materials.

Key tools now available as part of Cardinal Health’s new line of fully customizable marketing materials include:

• Custom store websites – featuring new website design templates that are easy to personalize with their own pharmacy name, logo and contact information. The new websites also offer a number of convenient features for patients and pharmacists alike. They allow pharmacies to more easily promote local store specials that correlate to commercials, store circulars and other marketing activities. They also enable patients to place refill orders online, and then automatically integrate those orders into with each customer’s pharmacy ordering system, directly placing refill orders into the pharmacy system for pharmacist approval.
• In-store radio – Cardinal Health’s new in-store radio system allows independent pharmacies to completely control what music their customers hear, while also empowering them to build and run their own radio advertisements to promote store specials and community events. By providing an alternative to playing public radio stations inside their stores, this tool also enables independent pharmacies to ensure their customers don’t hear competitors’ advertisements while they’re shopping.
• New, easier ways to order fully customizable in-store signage – Independent retail pharmacies can now order marketing materials including isle markers, category and general store signs, window clings, store circulars and more – completely customized with their own local name and logo. The new online signage ordering system is easy to use, enabling customers to quickly view all template options, review and approve proofs and order proofs, online, without having to pay significant additional fees for personalization.
• Custom TV and radio tags – Cardinal Health introduced a new series of radio and television ads that promote the individual store brand within the communities that they serve. The commercials identify the values independent pharmacies bring to their communities. They are tailored with the individual store’s featured products and unique patient services, as well as the store name and contact information – without a requirement to reference an affiliation with a banner brand.
• Outbound calling services – Cardinal Health also introduced a new outbound calling system that helps pharmacies improve patient relationships and medication compliance, increase prescription refills and market special promotions and services. The new technology interfaces directly with each store’s pharmacy system – enabling users to quickly identify and send personalized phone messages to patients who need to pick up refills, need reminders about certain medications or may be interested in specials and promotions related to specific products. The system also allows the user to automatically send patients birthday messages and other personalized greetings, based on data stored in the pharmacy system.

The company will also continue to offer retail independent pharmacies:

• a full demographic analysis to determine their community’s key healthcare needs;
• one-on-one consultation with a large team of marketing and advertising experts;
• customized marketing and advertising plans to help them gain local market share; 
• recommendations for integrating best practices to enhance their stores’ visual appeal, by providing plan-o-grams for multiple store sizes, pricing and store layout recommendations, a broad array of private label products and recommendations for how to seasonally merchandise in-store design; and
• the opportunity to participate in its Pharmacy Health Network, which streams advertisements and educational content to flat-panel LCD screens placed in retail pharmacies, enabling advertisers to target consumers while they wait for prescriptions to be filled. More than 650 retail pharmacy locations currently use this tool, which also enables stores to promote customized content regarding in-store programs, specials and promotions.

About the Cardinal Health Retail Business Conference (RBC)
The Cardinal Health Retail Business Conference (RBC), held July 22 to July 26 in Denver, provides independent pharmacies and pharmacy franchise owners with the opportunity to network with and learn from thousands of their peers from across the nation while gaining new insights to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their businesses. With a 2010 conference theme of “Elevate,” Cardinal Health used the scenic backdrop of picturesque Denver to underscore its continued commitment to helping retail independent pharmacies ‘elevate’ their businesses and operate at peak performance. The annual event provides more than 5,300 attendees – including independent pharmacy owners, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmaceutical manufacturers and other pharmacy industry professionals across the United States – with buying opportunities, continuing education sessions and programs to help improve patient care, efficiency and profitability. For more information, visit www.CardinalHealthRBC.com.

About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is a $96 billion health care services company that improves the cost-effectiveness of health care. As the business behind health care, Cardinal Health helps pharmacies, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices focus on patient care while reducing costs, improving efficiency and quality, and increasing profitability. Cardinal Health is an essential link in the health care supply chain, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 60,000 locations each day. The company is also a leading manufacturer of medical and surgical products, including gloves, surgical apparel and fluid management products. In addition, the company supports the growing diagnostic industry by supplying medical products to clinical laboratories and operating the nation's largest network of radiopharmacies that dispense products to aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of disease. Ranked #17 on the Fortune 500, Cardinal Health employs more than 30,000 people worldwide. More information about the company may be found at cardinalhealth.com.