Pouch packaging has long been established in inpatient care facilities, but with regard to self-payers, pouch packaging is far less common. But especially from the pharmacy’s point of view this would be advantageous. Higher reimbursements can be realized for self-payers than for nursing homes, because family caregivers are willing to pay for the service and assurance of a proper medication.

In the study of Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmid, more than 60 pharmacies were surveyed and the prices for self-payers per weekly pouch were collected. The survey showed that the potential is great. On average, a price of 3.52 Euro per weekly pouch is feasible for pouch packaging for self-payers and thus significantly higher than the price paid for pouch packaging for nursing homes. So the study showed that pouch packaging for self-payers is quite profitable for pharmacies.

In order for pharmacies to take the full advantage of this (untapped) potential, marketing concepts are needed, because the B2C target group is diverse, large, and yet unaware of the product offering. This, for example, includes patients or family caregivers as well as customers who want to obtain pouch packaging for their dietary supplements.

BD Rowa™ has also made it a priority to promote the benefits for this target group of pouch packaging and support the distribution. With the Pouch Campaign starting this summer, BD Rowa™, together with partners, blister centers and pharmacies that already offer patient-specific pouch packaging, will specifically draw attention to the advantages of pouch packaging and thus directly address the respective target groups.

Source:

Schmid, T., & Hörbe, L. (11. Februar 2021). Verblisterung für Selbstzahler – welches Honorar ist möglich? Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung, 7/2021, S. 58-59.