Think blue skies, fluffy clouds, and flowers sprouting all around. The snow is melting, the sun is shining, and the start of spring is right around the corner. After a long, cold winter, it’s finally time to throw out your coat and embrace a new season — and more importantly, get a new start to your pharmacy practice.

If you’re looking to say goodbye to the winter blues and spruce up your pharmacy for the spring, start with a few simple steps. Following these steps can help you to reset, recharge, and restart your pharmacy for the new season.

With a few weeks left until spring is in full swing, here’s how you can get ready:

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1. Start with Spring Cleaning

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Grab a broom, a bucket of mop water, and a bottle of disinfectant — because it’s time to start scrubbing. Every year, you probably take on spring cleaning at home, so why not bring your supplies up to the office and get your pharmacy in on the action?

Set aside some time in your day (before or after hours) to clean and organize your store. Wipe down the counters, clean off the windows, and organize the inventory. Throw out old Christmas candy, holiday cards, and any remaining remnants of winter.

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You can make it a team effort by asking each staff member to take on a different task. Or, if you want to take it a step further, you can use a local commercial cleaning service. Either way, creating a clean space can give you a blank slate for the spring.

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2. Lighten Up, Brighten Up

Spring is all about bright lights, warm colors, and the world coming back to life. Your pharmacy should reflect that. If you’ve found that you’re stuck in the gray, dull days of winter, you’ll want to change up the look and feel of your pharmacy. Make your environment more spring-like in a few steps:

• Paint your walls — Bring in some spring flair with a bucket of paint. The Pantone colors for spring 2022 include pastels (pink, blue, and yellow) and bright pops of color (fuchsia, teal, and purple). Trade out neutrals for new colors, and use different shades to highlight different areas of your pharmacy.

• Open up your windows — Open up the curtains and let the sun in. Taking advantage of natural lighting can brighten up your space and boost your mood. It’s a win for you and your patients.

• Invest in new lighting — If you can’t get the real thing, you can still mimic the effect of natural lighting. Take out the bright, white fluorescent lights in your pharmacy and choose a warm, soothing shade instead. Natural lighting can take away the “clinical” feeling of the pharmacy and help patients feel more at home.

• Bring in plants — Plants are a great way to add in natural scenery and improve the feel of your pharmacy. You can bring in real or artificial plants, depending on the time you have available. Either way, plants can bring in a much-needed spring touch.

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3. Put Up Seasonal Displays

Everyone loves a seasonal display, so switch out your Santa hats and snowmen for bright colors and butterflies. You can use display tables, point-of-purchase displays, or old-fashioned window displays to show off your new spring items.

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To capture the spirit of the season, you can buy decorations at a local craft store, or you can DIY some displays. Try decorating with bouquets, greenery, and gardening supplies.

If you need some DIY inspiration, check out these spring window displays. Or, to take a look at how other pharmacies tackle seasonal displays, look to NCPA’s Overhaul of Fame Gallery.

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4. Set Out Your Favorite Seasonal Items

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On your new displays, you’ll want to set out some must-have items for spring. Start by thinking about all of your essentials and then brainstorm how you can make them more enticing on your displays. Good items to have on your displays include:

• Allergy medicine (including pills, ointments, and creams)
• Vitamins and supplements
• Sunscreen
• Skincare
• Candles (bonus if they’re a spring scent)
• Coffee cups and kitchenware
• Seasonal candy

5. Don’t Forget About Holidays

While you’re setting up for spring, don’t miss out on the opportunity to celebrate all of the popular holidays, like Earth Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Cinco de Mayo. Think about how you can decorate for each holiday — bring in shamrocks for St. Patty’s and maracas for Cinco de Mayo —and set up accordingly.

In addition to decorating, you can bring in retail items specific to each holiday. For Easter, you can sell Easter baskets and eggs. For Mother’s Day, you can offer cards and a few simple gifts.

Finally, remember that you can use upcoming holidays to engage your patients on social media. Posting about each event is a fun way to stay involved and promote your pharmacy in the process.

6. Take Advantage of Promotions

Speaking of promoting, you can use the spring season to bring in many different kinds of promotions.

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You can host BOGO sales, discount different products, or offer giveaways to celebrate the season. You can host a promotion for each holiday, or you can do an all-encompassing spring sale on the first day of spring. No matter how you choose to do it, a promotion can be a great way to show off your seasonal items and bring in more business.

Once again, you can take to social media to share the word about all of your promos.

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If you’re new to social media, or you just need a helping hand, try out RxLocal’s Social Media Assistant. This easy, intuitive tool can help you create posts for promotions and advertise all the other opportunities at your pharmacy.

7. Set a Goal for the Season

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As you shake off the cold and welcome the spring, set a goal or two. Specific, time-oriented goals can help you to accomplish new tasks and keep you accountable. Plus, goals are a great way to build your team and keep each member’s spirits high. Some goals you might want to try out:

• Increase your immunizations
• Boost sales on a particular product
• Improve your adherence rate
• Start a med sync program
• Institute a loyalty program

For best practices on setting (and reaching) goals, look to our blog, 7 Strategies for Sticking with Your New Year’s Resolutions (all of which work well past January 1).

8. Get Your Staff Energized

With a new season comes a new chance to get excited for what’s in store. Take advantage of the chance to invest in your team — from building a strong foundation, to showing appreciation, to fighting burnout. A few best practices  to try:

• Encourage open, honest communication
• Get to know your team on a personal level
• Test out team-building activities
• Encourage collaboration
• Hone in on each team member’s strengths
• Ask for feedback
• Build a culture of growth

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Conclusion

Warm weather, soft winds, and new chances to win are right around the corner. Take some time to invest in your pharmacy this spring, then see how your practice improves. Small changes make a big difference this season and beyond.

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