Volume 1 | ISSUE 3

How can you quickly boost your profits with little to no effort or costs? Well, consider McDonald’s success with their “supersize” options. By simply adding six words to each order (“would you like to supersize that?”) McDonald’s convinced millions of customers to spend an extra US$0.60 for an extra large drink and french fry. Adding

this question to each order did not take any extra amount of time or money and in turn, increased the fast food restaurant’s profit. So, how does this apply to you? How can you “supersize” your customers’ orders with items they may need? Here are some practical “supersize” tips:

Cross-Selling: This is a quick and easy way to augment revenues while positioning your pharmacy as knowledgeable and caring. When a patient purchases a product, think about other complementary products - but only those with merit for more wholesome treatments. For example, a purchase of diabetes medication may allow you to “supersize” that order by offering diabetic shoes & diabetic socks. “But I didn’t learn Sales in Pharmacy School!” This is correct. However, you did learn about different interactions and side effects of hundreds of medications and how to educate patients on solutions available to them. By simply re-framing your thought process, you can improve your bottom line and Rx brand perception.

Remember, you are not only in the prescription-filling business; you are in the problem solving business! You offer solutions to people’s health issues. And guess what? There are hundreds of opportunities that are readily available within the four walls of your pharmacy.

Recommend the purchase of suited supplements: Don’t only advise patients on major side effects from the drugs prescribed. Educate them on the nutrients that are depleted by these medications or those supplements that will enhance the performance of their prescription. For example: Blood pressure medications deplete co-enzyme q-10 and B-6; Diuretics deplete magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium, B-6 and vitamin-c. Recommend suited supplements in these purchasing instances.

Supersize YOUR BusinessBULLETIN BOARD

Here are some dates you may want

to note:- World Health Day: April 7

- Stress Awareness Month: April

- Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month: May

- International Nurses’ Day: May 12

- Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 12

- Father’s Day: Sunday, June 16

- 28th Annual Pharmacy Retreat: June 21 - 23

at Sunset Jamaica Grande, Ocho Rios

Theme: “Advancing Pharmacy, Improving

Healthcare”

Please note that this publication has been created for use by Health Care Professionals.

w360|It’s Not the What, But the WHO

Having garnered over 25 years of experience in the field of pharmaceutical detailing and distribution, I hope this will prove invaluable to our organization, which is intent on not remaining a small fish, but one in which the competition will always stand and take note of with an ever present awareness of the danger we create to their once safe zones.

As the market becomes even more challenging we have to take a solution oriented approach, finding products and services that are value-added to our customers by listening to their needs, identifying opportunities and then offering a solution.

In this regard building solid relationships with our customers is of paramount importance, as in many cases the only difference which gives that competitive edge between distributors in this industry is the personal service we deliver to our clients.As a consequence the important philosophy guiding our future success and to which we are quickly adapting is that we are no longer in the “What” business but we must move decisively towards building a “Who” business…

As Business Development Manager, I am acutely aware that leaders in pursuit of the ‘Who’ are quite often rewarded with the ultimate ‘What’ they seek – favourable numeric measurements. Take Steve Jobs for example. He rarely babbled about the brilliant features added to a device or the products he created. Instead, he focused on how he could solve problems being experienced by potential consumers and how his products made life easier for everyone. At the heart of his art was the ‘Who’.

As we at MDS increasingly devote more of our attention on ‘who’ we serve - both directly and indirectly – our sense of purpose and reason for being are constantly reignited and renewed. This deeper understanding of the value we offer allows us to execute our individual efforts with greater zeal and provides the collective motivation to chase shared goals with relentless drive.

~ Gerry Whyte, Business Development and Customer Relations Manager

If many of the leading business moguls were placed in a lab for testing, one common philosophy guiding their winning performances is sure to be unearthed: These leaders understand they are no longer in the “What” business. To become successful, we must now all build a “Who” business. ~ Forbes Magazine

It is this vision of seeing opportunities and possibilities where others might see problems and obstacles that will be the underpinning of our success at MDS in the years ahead, as we develop and expand the ‘Who’ of our business into ‘What’ we need to sustain it.

What do you miss most about your birth country?The food: Roti, Pelau, Doubles, Callaloo (Dasheen Leaves). What do you love most about Jamaica? The variety of vacation activities. The experience from Negril, Ocho Rios, Portland or South Coast is so different but all so beautiful. What motivated you to enter the world of pharmacy? Was this something you always wanted to do? Definitely not. My father suggested it but I was initially uninterested because Pharmacy then had the image of an old man in a white coat to me. However, I did a summer job at a pharmacy, applied for a scholarship in Trinidad and got it, so I entered. You have had to combine your pharmaceutical skills with your entrepreneurial acumen to develop your thriving business. Do you have a greater love for one area over the other? No. I have a deep fascination for both areas. I love the creativity and thrill of business while Pharmacy allows me the satisfaction that comes from continuous learning and discovery. So it’s a good marriage. It takes remarkable resilience & strength for a woman to hold the reins of a business. When did you develop an interest in the business side of the pharmacy arena? Actually, I was always interested in business so if I did not start a business in Jamaica it would have been in Trinidad. I have an excellent business mentor in my husband, Stephen. He keeps me grounded and my faith in God has allowed us to succeed even through very turbulent situations. What valuable piece of advice would you give to someone wanting to go into business? Be committed to learning, do your research, NEVER GIVE UP & turn obstacles into opportunities. To obtain the prize of a successful business, be persistent, resilient, hold to your integrity, show zeal & enthusiasm and always strive for excellence. What would you consider to be life’s greatest gift to you? My family: Stephen, Stephen Jr & Tiffany. The support and love we give to each other as a family is priceless.

Imagine your life as a radio jockey. Paint a picture of the type of station it would be by listing a few of the songs you would play: My God is Awesome (Charles Jenkins) | Again (Donnie McClurkin) | Agnus Dei (Michael W. Smith) | No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley) | Driver (Buju Banton) | North Stand (Mighty Kitchener) | Laventil (David Rudder).

At the end of this life your name will be followed by your birth year & date of transition. Between those periods will be a dash to represent the life you lived. What would you want people to remember most about your dash? I loved people and the Lord. I laughed a lot, never a boring person, curious about most things but committed to making a difference even if it was just a small change. I did not give up when the times got rough because I knew that the strength of God was in me.

w360

Dr. Ernestine Watson

Although Jamaica would like to take full credit for having raised Dr. Watson, Trinidad is the island lucky enough to assert this claim. Her 28 years of experience in the field began as a pharmacy student in 1985. She then assumed the challenges of Pharmacist/Manager at Everybody’s Pharmacy in 1989, and in 2008 penned additional titles to her resumé: Pro rated Lecturer at UTech and Clinical Facilitator at KPH.

SCHOOLS ATTENDED:Holy Name Convent, University of Technology and University of Florida

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION:Commonwealth Pharmacist Assoc. (Jamaican Rep) | PSJ (Exec. Member) | Caribbean Assoc of Pharmacists (Member) | T&T Pharmaceutical Society (Member) | American Healthcare of Pharmacists (Member) | Assoc. of American Diabetes Educator (Member) | UTech (Preceptor)| Pharmacy Council of Jamaica (Preceptor)

w360|

Do you know the different types of asthma? If you have asthma, you know how frightening asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness, can be. However, advances in our understanding of asthma have helped experts define specific types of asthma. Understanding the type of asthma you have can help you seek the most effective treatment when you have an asthma attack.

Allergies and Asthma often go hand-in-hand. Allergic rhinitis (also called hay fever) is the single most common chronic allergic disease. With allergic rhinitis, you may feel a constant runny nose, on-going sneezing, swollen nasal passages, excess mucus, weepy eyes, and a scratchy throat. A cough may result from the constant postnasal drip. Many times asthma symptoms are triggered by allergic rhinitis. Medications to control the allergies are sometimes prescribed and, in doing so, the cough and other asthma symptoms may subside.

Exercise-Induced Asthma is triggered by exercise or physical exertion. Many people with asthma experience some degree of symptoms with exercise. However, there are many people without asthma, including Olympic athletes, who develop symptoms only during exercise. With exercise-induced asthma, airway narrowing peaks 5 to 20mins after exercise begins, making it difficult to catch your breath. You may have symptoms of an asthma attack with wheezing and coughing. In some cases, the use of an asthma inhaler (bronchodilator) before exercise helps in preventing them.

Cough-Variant Asthma carries severe coughing as the predominant symptom. Coughing because of sinusitis with asthma is common. Asthma is a serious cause of cough that is common today. Cough-variant asthma is vastly underdiagnosed and undertreated. Asthma triggers for cough-variant asthma are usually respiratory infections and exercise.

Occupational Asthma is a type of asthma that results from workplace triggers. With this type of asthma, you might have difficulty breathing and asthma symptoms just on the days you’re on the job. Many people with this type of asthma suffer with runny nose and congestion, eye irritation or have a cough instead of the typical asthma wheezing. Some common jobs associated with occupational asthma include animal breeders, farmers, hairdressers, nurses, painters, and woodworkers.

Nighttime (Nocturnal) Asthma is a common type of the disease. If you have asthma, the chances of having symptoms are much higher during sleep because asthma is powerfully influenced by the sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythms). Your asthma symptoms of wheezing, cough, and trouble breathing are common and dangerous, particularly at nighttime. Studies show that the most deaths related to asthma occur at night. It’s thought that this may be because of increased exposure to allergens (asthma triggers), cooling of the airways, reclining position, or even hormone secretions that follow a circadian pattern. Sometimes heartburn can cause asthma at night. Sinusitis and asthma are often problems at night, particularly with postnasal drip triggering symptoms such as coughing. Even sleeping causes changes in airway function.

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Understanding the right asthma medications and when to take them are key to managing asthma and its uncomfortable symptoms. Contact our pharmacist at MDS to find out about the different types of asthma treatments we have available in our GSK line including: Ventolin, Seretide and Flixotide. And, for the alleviation of allergies, we can tell you more about our GSK Flixonase, Avamys & Zyrtec brands.

Just Breathe

w360 | Who’s Got Game?!Channel your inner investigator prowess by spotting the 10 things that make these two pictures different.

“SPOT THE DIFFERENCE” CHALLENGE

CONGRATULATIONS CAMILE SIMPSON - Pharmacist, The New Port Maria Rx!!!Camile was the winner in the Jan - Mar 2013 competition and is sure to have a good time when she meets with her friends to un‘WINE’ with her prizes. Her fabulous photo has been used to create your ‘Who’s Got Game’ Spot the Difference Challenge. Let’s see if you can find all 10!

w360 | Summer RUNdezvous Competition!

Images are representational only. Images shown may not be the actual prize on offer. Prize on offer is valued at a maximum of $5000

With the ‘SB’ (aka Summer Body) season upon us, it is only fitting that we help you get a running start on this mission ...but, under one condition: having you put your best foot forward! Earn the PUMA Hot Stepper title in our Summer Rundezvous competition by correctly answering these 4questions (all of which can be found in this W360 edition!)1. What is the name of MDS’ Business Development & Customer Relations Mgr?2. Which country is Dr. Ernestine Watson from?3. Name three GSK medications for the treatment of asthma carried by MDS4. What is the name of the person who inspired the role played by Will Smith in the hit movie ‘The Pursuit of Happyness?’Each entry should include your: answers, full name, phone number, place of employment and position. Submit your entry to MDS via email (nboothe@mdsja.com) OR by writing the requisite information on a piece of paper and passing it to your MDS Sales Rep. The Hot Stepper will be selected on Friday, July 12, 2013. Good luck!

w360|FINANCIAL FITNESS

FROM HOMELESS TO ‘HAPPYNESS’:The Value Of One $tatementChris Gardener’s rags-to-riches journey from homeless dad to millionaire stockbroker inspired the Academy Award-nominated movie The Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith. This motion picture depicted a few of the adverse circumstances that this against-all-odds stockbroker managed to overcome on his way to success - a violent childhood, homelessness and being a single father who broke the cycle of abuse with his children.

His story, however, is much more than one of accumulating wealth and triumphing over adversity. The true magic lies in the force that kept pushing him while his life was falling apart, encouraged him to resist the temptation to quit and instilled the belief in himself that would mobilize him to wealth ...and happiness.

Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.

~Chris Gardener

“I owe so much to my mom, Bettye Jean Gardener, including the moment that got me pointed in the right direction,” he says. “I was a kid, watching a college basketball game on TV, and one of the announcers said that someday one of the best players might make a million dollars. I whistled and said under my breath, ‘Man, a million dollars!’ And my mother, who was in the next room, said, ‘Son, if you want to, one day you could make a million dollars.’ With that one sentence, she convinced me that in spite of where I came from, I could attain whatever goals I set for myself. That one day I, too, could be world-class at something.”

Those seemingly simple words exchanged from a mother to a child were so long-lasting and deeply rooted that it held the secret to financial freedom and ultimate success even when it seemed impossible. It is truly amazing to know that the power of a word can be the key difference in helping us to push through our challenging periods to achieve Financial fitness and The Pursuit of Happyness.

Indulge in a laugh or two brought to you in honour of Mother’s Day & Father’s Day:

“CAN MEN REALLY DEAL WITH LABOUR PAINS?”

Do you know, according to men, women exaggerate everything? Bet these two brave dudes are eating their words now. After years of believing that women were being all extra and hyperbolizing when they talked about labour pains and giving birth, a very smart doctor put them to the test. Needless to say, things went totally awry for them

...in a hilarious way.

(Watch as two grown men squirm, scream and almost cry from the simulated contractions.Have a look at the video by typing the following address in your browser:

http://globalgrind.com/news/men-dealing-with-labor-pains-video)