Health Mart Launches New Medicare Part D Consultation Program

PRESS RELEASE

Health Mart continues to invest in national advertising and Local Marketing Support to help independent pharmacies attract new patients.

SAN FRANCISCO — October 14, 2014 — Health Mart^®, an independent pharmacy franchise with more than 3,400 locally owned community pharmacies across all 50 states, this week launched a series of new marketing tools to enable members to assist Medicare beneficiaries in choosing coverage plans that are right for them. With open enrollment here, Health Mart is offering its members resources to help patients choose the best, most cost-effective Medicare Part D plan with the use of personalized consultations. Available through Health Mart’s comprehensive and easy-to-use Marketing Hub, the program includes extra funding for Medicare Part D promotional tools. It also includes discounted pricing on the iMedicare plan comparison tool, an iPad app or online tool that can help compare patients’ monthly costs, coverage gaps, health benefits and enrollment options.

“Using the program helps me know more about my preferred plans and what’s most cost-effective for my customer’s so that I can better answer their questions,” said Bart Caldieraro, Watson Drug, IL, a Health Mart customer. “While it might cost a little more in time, the iMedicare program helps me bring in patients and prescriptions into my store.”

Local Marketing Efforts to Attract New Patients and Retain Current Customers

To help Health Marts promote their pharmacy their way, pharmacies have access to matching funds for local marketing activities that give owners the flexibility to promote their specific service offerings and distinct strengths, attract new patients, and reinforce their value to existing patients. Using Health Mart’s Marketing Hub website, owners can easily access time-saving integrated campaigns or select from a catalog of more than 200 traditional, digital and social media marketing tools. Stores also have access to support, best practices and ideas from other successful pharmacies. Health Mart recently launched other new marketing tools and even more flexible options for matching funds, including:

· Vehicle wraps

· Event rental kits

· Promotional items

· And, more than 100 new flexible templates and campaigns

Health Mart Continues to Drive Success through National Brand Awareness

Building on the success of its summer radio advertising campaign, Health Mart continued to promote Health Mart pharmacies in September and October on more than 1,000 stations nationwide. Designed to reach every local market where a Health Mart is located, the campaign is an example of Health Mart building awareness of the Health Mart brand and attracting new customers to every store in every market. This is a great opportunity for members to leverage this investment with local marketing efforts of their own to attract more customers into their stores.

Health Mart will continue the 2014 Health Mart Healthy Living Tour, a nationwide bus tour with stops planned at more than 130 Health Mart stores and communities across the U.S. The mobile screening vehicle provides health education and free health screenings to help identify people at risk for a variety of health conditions that can be better managed with the help of a pharmacist. At each tour visit, complimentary blood pressure, blood glucose, body mass index, waist circumference, body composition and total cholesterol screenings as well as HbA1C tests* are provided to eligible pharmacy patrons and community members. Three pharmacies on the tour will be recognized with “Community Healthcare Excellence” awards including Brighton Health Mart Pharmacy in New Brighton, PA; Wayne’s Pharmacy, in Frankfort, KY and Fagen Pharmacy in Gary, IN. For more information on the Health Mart Healthy Living Tour and other Health Mart events, click here.

About Health Mart

Health Mart has more than 3,400 locally owned community pharmacies across all 50 states. Health Mart pharmacists provide personalized care and take the time to help patients understand their prescription-drug coverage, how to safely manage multiple medications, and how to take advantage of lower-cost medication options. As an important member of the healthcare team, Health Mart pharmacists possess strong clinical knowledge and partner with their patients, and their patients’ other healthcare providers, to help them manage and improve patients’ health. The Health Mart franchise is owned by Health Mart Systems, Inc., which is an affiliate of McKesson Corporation. To find a locally owned Health Mart pharmacy near you, visit http://www.healthmart.com, where you will also find comprehensive online health and wellness information.

About McKesson

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.

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*For those deemed to be “at risk” for Diabetes