NCPA gets real with ‘Show Me’ 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The National Community Pharmacists Association has already been facilitating live coaching, but its new educational reality series, “Show Me,” allows the organization to expand its reach in a popular TV makeover format. 

The YouTube series features real pharmacists who need help getting their business back on track. 

“What our members like the most is peer-to-peer learning,” said Kurt Proctor, president of the NCPA Innovation Center. “(So, we) said, ‘Why don’t we try to film it so we can reach more people?’ And the reality show lends itself to that—to going in and helping a pharmacy with whatever issues they might have.” 

In the first episode, two expert coaches help Chris and Gwendolyn O’Neill, owners of Philadelphia-based Circle Pharmacy, find additional revenue streams by boosting their vaccine program.  

The O’Neills recently relocated from an 800-square-foot rental space to a 3,000-square-foot building to enhance the clinical services they offer and had run themselves in circles trying to implement a vaccine program. Exhausted, Gwendolyn O’Neill came across an application for the show and decided to give it a shot. 

“Within the first month, we surpassed our own expectations, doing three off-site clinics and walk-ins for a total of about 500 vaccines,” said Gwendolyn O’Neill. “We never thought it would take off like it did. We were surprised by the community response, and so many people told us they are happy they can come to us for more than just medicine.” 

The first season will include five episodes that are all focused on vaccination programs but that approach the business from different angles, like marketing and workflow.  

“It may be someone who’s further along and they’ve been doing vaccines for a while, but there are elements that could be improved, and so we’ll go in there and try to help them and capture it in a nice little 20- to 25-minute episode,” said Proctor.