Eckerd builds loyalty among seniors with second health expo in home state

Drug Store News,  May 19, 2003  by James Frederick

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Tens of thousands of south Florida seniors flocked to the second Eckerd Senior Expo late last month for two days of face-to-face contact with pharmacists and other health professionals. In the process, they received advice on their medication therapies, tips on nutrition and prevention and the chance to take home health and personal care product samples.

Eckerd Corp. got something, too, according to company insiders. Although the chain hasn't measured the impact the expos have on sales at nearby Eckerd stores, company sources say the events generate a bonanza of good will among Eckerd's prime customers--the seniors who depend heavily on medications and the pharmacists who dispense them.

"The seniors I spoke with were very happy with the event, and we were quite pleased with the turnout," said John Sensabaugh, vice president of strategic communications for the chain. "Our main theme was to make this a total health information and resource center for seniors.

Eckerd insiders estimated the expo drew upward of 30,000 participants to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center on April 24 and 25. Those who attended gained access to free brown-bag medication counseling in both their prescription and OTC drug use by Eckerd pharmacists, as well as free and low-cost health screenings for blood pressure, breast cancer, cholesterol, glucose levels, bone density and other tests.

"Most of the time there were five pharmacists working in the consulting area," including at least one bilingual practitioner fluent in Spanish, Sensabaugh noted. "It's an area with a heavy Latino population, of course, and they really appreciated that they could talk to a pharmacist in Spanish."

The Eckerd pharmacists who volunteered to staff the event were drawn from among the chain's most advanced clinical care practitioners, Sensabaugh added. "They are clinically trained ... pharmacists, [some of whom] operate in our patient care centers," he explained.

"Our pharmacists are always eager to do these community outreach activities," added Joan Gallagher, vice president of corporate communications. "We don't have any trouble getting people to staff them.

Consumers also were drawn by a slew of product giveaways, with more than 250 exhibitors distributing more than 40,000 product samples. "Virtually all our major vendors had booths there," Sensabaugh said.

The event also featured a patriotic tribute to servicemen and servicewomen past and present, along with entertainment by singer Jack Jones, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Stars of The Lawrence Welk Show. Actress Loni Anderson also appeared on behalf of efforts to fight chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The health expo was the second for the 2,686-store drug chain. Eckerd kicked off its first senior health fair at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., last October, and wil I host a third two-day event this August in New Jersey, in line with the opening of the World Trade Center Eckerd store.

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