Good Day pharmacy prescribes niche services to ward off competition

LOVELAND — There are a number of colorful quotes about what it takes to run with the “big dogs.” But one local business already seems to have found the inside track.

Good Day Pharmacy has been on an upward trend for three decades, ever since owners David and Nancy Lamb bought their first drug store in Loveland in 1985. And despite fierce national competition, it remains a thriving family business.

Good Day president and chief operating officer Vicki Einhellig admitted, “It does seem like there are pharmacies on every corner. Pretty much everything is the same price. Everyone takes the same insurance, so the nature of having that many competitors in the community gives people lots of options to get what’s really just a commodity.”

So Good Day’s staff focuses on the things they can control. “It’s all about the customer experience and what happens when you come in the door,” Einhellig said. “Whether you’re selling prescriptions or coffee or jeans, you really want to make a connection with that  customer or that patient.”

The Lesson

• The problem: How to stand out in a sea of national competitors.

• The solution: Focus on customer satisfaction and niche services.

And in order to strengthen that connection, Good Day Pharmacy works hard to separate itself from the chain stores. “We’re small enough to be able to customize our services. I think we do things that other, bigger companies don’t have time to do — maybe they have more layers than we do, or their corporate offices aren’t in Colorado, so maybe they are slower to respond, whereas we empower our team to be able to do whatever it takes and really make a difference for the patient.”

For example, all Good Day locations — in Eaton, Fort Collins (2), Greeley, Johnstown (2), Longmont, Loveland and Wellington — offer delivery service. They can also provide customized medications through a service called “compounding.”

“That means if there’s nothing commercially available or if there’s another form of a drug that’s more optimal for the patient, we can work with the prescriber and come up with solutions,” Einhellig said.

For Jean Cannon, executive director of Aspen House Memory Care Assisted Living in Loveland, the personal touches make all the difference. “They know the meaning of ‘customer service.’ They take such good care of us that it makes me feel like I’m their only customer,” she said. “And I don’t know where they find their employees, but every single one of them is kind and respectful and friendly and they show up with a smile on their face.”

Cannon pointed to several instances where she says Good Day went above and beyond the call to get residents at her facility the medications they needed. And when Aspen House required special deliveries to accommodate patients’ early bedtimes, “… we discussed it with Good Day, and they changed their delivery route so they could meet the unique needs of our residents. Who does that?” she asked, then added, “They’re just wonderful.”

Einhellig is David Lamb’s cousin, and joined the firm in 1992. Since then, Good Day has been on a slow but steady growth track, much of which was accomplished by purchasing established pharmacies in surrounding communities. Then, in an effort to eliminate confusion, the names of all the businesses were changed to Good Day Pharmacy in 2002. The company peaked with 14 locations across Northern Colorado, but has since cut back to nine stores.

“We were in County Market here in Loveland, and also at a location in Boulder, and those two sites were purchased by Albertsons,” Einhellig said. But three other locations, all connected to Poudre Valley Health System campuses, were closed after they were deemed to be under-performing. Einhellig puts some of the blame for the closings on the rise of mail-order pharmacies, what she sees as Good Day’s largest competitor.

Even so, the company’s overall performance remains solid. “Each current store has had good growth from year to year. We’ve been fortunate in that area, and we are approaching $30 million in sales this year, which is pretty exciting,” Einhellig said, noting that the staff has surpassed 130 employees.

Good Day Pharmacy

• 3780 E. 15th St., Suite 102, Loveland, CO 80538

• www.gooddaypharmacy.com

• 970-461-1975

• Persons in charge: David Lamb, CEO; Vicki Einhellig, president and COO; Nancy Lamb, consultant pharmacist

• Employees: 130

• Revenue: $30 million

Brad Young,  government affairs director at RxPlus, an organization that advocates for independent pharmacies, said Good Day’s success is a matter of diligence. “They’ve always been forward-looking in terms of where there are possibilities to do things, and I think they pay a lot of attention to their pricing and look at ways they can cut costs.” Mentioning that Einhellig is on the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy and Lamb serves on a Medicaid rate review committee, Young also noted, “They take a lot of extra time to do the kinds of public service things that help the community and their patients and are beneficial to the industry as a whole.”

“We really just try to fill the niches that are needed,” Einhellig explained. “I’ve always said that our niche in independent pharmacy is every niche, because you need to be able to respond to the rapidly changing environment in healthcare and provide what the patient needs, whether that means they need delivery or a piece of medical equipment or you need to special order something for them.”

The big dogs better take notice.

on Facebook on LinkedIn