
Bridging the Gap: Building Community with Millennials and Gen Z
October 4, 2024As time marches on, new generations spring up and move to the beat of their own drums. Data shows that Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers to take the crown of the largest generation and that 20 percent of the US population is Gen Z, making engagement with these generations critical to pharmacies nationwide.
It’s no secret that Millennials and Gen Zers see the Internet as the holy grail of convenience. Evidence shows that these digitally inclined groups prefer shopping online to going into stores, with 32 percent of Millennials and 34 percent of Gen Z choosing the Web over the real world.
With a large population hold and a propensity to do everything online, brick-and-mortar pharmacies now face a dilemma that could impact their revenue opportunities if they don’t establish relationships with Millennials and Gen Z.
Meeting the Expectations of Millennials and Gen Z
Technology touches nearly every part of our daily lives, but XiFin’s Chief Pharmacy Officer (CPO) David Pope says sincerity plays a big part in garnering the attention of younger generations.
“I think we have to be authentic if we want to reach these generations. Maybe it’s just my sphere of influence, but we are seeing this resurgence of the younger population truly wanting to engage,” Pope said. “But we have to make it easy to be a patient seeking care at a pharmacy. Whether it be a patient wanting to fill a prescription or to talk to someone: we have to make that easy,” he added.
Dr. Pope says pharmacies can create a safe space in healthcare for Millennials and Gen Z by combining a desire to truly provide care with innovation in technology.
“If I come in and I have to give you my card and it’s going to be a few minutes, then all of a sudden I have to fill something out—that could be a challenge, and that’s something that becomes a barrier,” Pope explained. “We have some real innovation happening in the space from a technology perspective so that when a patient walks in the door, the pharmacist says, ‘Hey, I know you’re here for a flu test—let’s roll.’ I think if we can have those tools that make it easy to be a pharmacist providing care and make it easy to be a patient seeking care, it’s a win-win.”
Utilizing Technology to Connect with Younger Generations
Pharmacies that want to establish themselves with Millennial and Gen Z patients need to meet them on their playing field, which most likely means connecting with them on their cell phones. A robust patient engagement solution that empowers pharmacies to proactively deliver relevant, timely, and personalized messages via the patient’s preferred communication method—including text messaging—is the way to go.
Making patient check-in quick and easy is also necessary to bond with younger generations. A purpose-built electronic health record (EHR) that allows pharmacists to send their patients a check-in form via text before the visit and empowers pharmacies to efficiently document, deliver care, and bill for clinical services could make all the difference in your pharmacy.
XiFin was recently recognized with the Pharmacy 500 award for being one of 500 pharmacy supply chain businesses and associations that significantly impacted dispensing pharmacies in the US over the past year. Our technology serves 11 of the largest 13 US retail pharmacy chains, and our solutions are proven to improve patient engagement, enhance financial stability, and optimize workflows.