Customer Service Sales
Resume:
Ric Sykes, RPh
Riverton, UT 84065
***.*****@*****.***
Summery
Licensed pharmacist with 17 years of experience providing exceptional pharmacy services in retail settings, with some pharmacies including service to LTC facilities. Outstanding interpersonal skills with a track record of establishing positive relationships with customers, pharmaceutical representatives/manufacturers, medical professionals, healthcare organizations and insurance providers.
Respected leader, able to train and manage diverse teams to deliver peak performance. Dedicated to providing quality patient care with fast and accurate medication dispensing. Continually seeking to improve current skills and develop new skills.
Education
7/2012 to present Brigham Young University, Marriot School of Business EMBA (currently enrolled)
5/1995 University of Utah, BA Pharmacy
Licensure
7/1995 Utah Licensed Pharmacist
Work Experience
VRx Pharmacy, 5/2010-present
Salt Lake City, UT
Vice President of Pharmacy Operations
VRx Pharmacy opened its doors for the first time in July, 2010 and now has sales averaging $220,000 per week. The success is a combination of working closely with the insurance provider for a major Salt Lake City employer and providing outstanding customer service.
VRx combines a traditional retail setting with a limited, in-state prescription mail order program.
Key Contributions:
Designed and supervised the construction of the pharmacy and front end.
Implemented new pharmacy and point-of-sale software including training team members
Negotiated contracts with vendors to supply merchandise for the pharmacy and the front end
Implemented new ideas and programs to enhance the customer experience
Redesigned workflow to incorporate mail-order operations and VIP customer category
Hire and train staff to work as a team in providing outstanding customer service that consistently exceeds customer expectations
Improved drug-inventory management system to reduce waste and eliminate back orders. Currently maintain an inventory that turns an average of 14 times per year.
Negotiated a new contract with wholesaler that improved gross by 5 points generating an estimated $200,000 each year in profit.
Consistently improve morale of coworkers by rewarding good work performance, leading by example, using humor to diffuse stressful situations and soliciting and using input from all team members.
Associated Retail Stores 10/2005-05/2010
Salt Lake City, UT
Pharmacy Sales Manager
The position of Pharmacy Sales Manger included supervising any business related to pharmacy. Managing 21 pharmacies located in Utah and Nevada involved acquiring contracts, negotiating with suppliers and vendors, providing coaching and training, hiring pharmacy personnel, marketing, tracking sales and other business indicators plus communicating and coordinating with other departments.
Key Contributions:
Supervised and coordinated pharmacy activities for 21 pharmacies including three pharmacies that provided services for Long Term Care Facilities in two states (Utah and Nevada)
Responsible for 150+ pharmacy employees
Coordinated budgets, sales forecast and cash flow with Controller and CFO
Negotiate better contract with wholesaler to improve gross margins
Worked with Associated Food Stores (AFS) Pharmacy team to sell the AFS Pharmacy program to member stores including presentations, visits, and annual AFS trade show
Worked closely with Pharmacy Management System company to improve pharmacy work flow, capacity and efficiency
Coordinated the conversion of 34 formerly Sav-On drug stores to a new company, Associated Fresh Market. The conversion included a new pharmacy management system, new wholesaler and new operational policies and procedures. The full conversion transpired in a single weekend.
Worked closely with Marketing to increase pharmacy and store sales
Standardize the vacation allotment for new and existing pharmacy team members. The new model, based on years of professional experience, replaced an older one that created inequalities among the staff and was copied by other departments within the company
Coordinated remodel of three pharmacies and the build of one new pharmacy.
Implemented automation at four locations.
Coordinated the installation of new, advanced Blood Pressure Kiosk that focuses on developing a Hypertension Program. Required coordination with outside vendors, financing, IT and store personnel to implement
Pharmacy sales and prescription growth consistently outperformed national averages
Restructured the reconciliation of accounts receivable from third party payers to an automated system. Efficiencies created allowed the reconciliation team to decrease from 2 full time personnel that were consistently behind by 3 to 6 months to a single team member that was able to take on additional tasks.
Implemented a marketing programs including one that had front end cashiers and courtesy clerks recommending the pharmacy to guests purchasing groceries.
Designed and provided a training session focused on having each pharmacy team member participate and contribute to the marketing and success of their pharmacy. The program was known as Localization
Improved the flu shot clinics by coordinating nurses and recruiting pharmacists that resulted in a 1000% increase in flu vaccine distribution
Partnered with Harmons (locally owned grocery store chain in Utah) to purchase flu vaccine at a greater discount
Converted all current records from paper copy to electronic copies for easier storage and retrieval.
Harmons 5/1998-10/2005
Salt Lake City, UT
Director of Clinical Programs (2/2002 -10/2005)
Implementing programs to enhance the pharmacy guest experience at Harmons was at the heart of the creation of this position. The programs were created without the benefit of history or a guide for future development.
Key Contributions:
Created the Diabetes club that included a quarterly news letter, nutrition classes, meters demonstrations, and diabetes classes.
Implemented company standards for cholesterol screening events.
Worked with vendors to sponsor Continuing Education classes.
Prepared and provided multiple continuing education classes with an emphasis on how to provide pharmacy clinical services on a daily basis to enhance the pharmacy guests’ experience.
After first year, diabetes related pharmacy business, as measured by diabetes prescription medications and product sales, was increasing while overall pharmacy business was stagnant.
Supervised and coordinated flu shot clinics
Pharmacy Manager (Harmons, 5/1998 – 2/2005)
Key Contributions:
Opened new Pharmacy in Orem using customer service as the key to growth
Provided prescription services for patients in an Assisted Living Center
PayLess Drug Stores/Rite Aid 03/1996-05/1998
Provo, UT
Pharmacy Manager
Key Contributions:
Managed daily pharmacy operations
Provided services for two Long Care Facilities including an outpatient Mental Health Facility
Provided consultation and review for Utah County Jail Pharmacy
Managed transition from PayLess to Rite Aid including a new pharmacy management system
Coordinated change from traditional hours to a 24 hour pharmacy
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