Sponsored By

Coborn’s reaps benefits from central-fill pharmacy operation

Automated solution drives higher Rx volumes, frees up pharmacists for clinical services

Russell Redman

January 31, 2020

2 Min Read
Coborns_Marketplace-Pharmacy_Dept.jpg
Coborn’s has more than 60 supermarkets stores across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois and Wisconsin under the Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods and Hornbacher’s banners.Coborn's

Regional grocer Coborn’s has made its pharmacy operation more productive and efficient by shifting to a central-fill model.

Deploying McKesson High Volume Solutions’ ExpressRx Track automated prescription processing system, St. Cloud, Minn.-based Coborn’s moved much of its prescription fulfillment from its in-store pharmacies to a separate central-fill facility. The solution, integrated with Coborn’s ExpressRx pharmacy management system, can dispense up to 2,000 scripts per eight-hour shift with 99.99% robotic accuracy, according to McKesson.

The transition has since enabled Coborn’s to cut script fulfillment queues in each pharmacy by up to 60% at the start of the day — lightening the load for pharmacy staff and freeing up more time for pharmacists to counsel patients on medications and provide clinical services. Coborn’s has 38 retail pharmacy locations in Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

“Investing in central services was on our five-year business plan. Knowing the ongoing margin — DIR [direct and indirect remuneration fees] — pressures facing retail pharmacy and after much research, we decided central-fill capabilities would be the best place to start,” Jim Cox, senior director of pharmacy at Coborn’s, told Supermarket News.

Related:Coborn’s to move Twin Cities grocery delivery to Cub Foods

“A central-fill capability supports our goal to further create a quality-based practice model, while reducing the cost-to-serve — a partial offset to margin degradation,” he explained. “Moreover, this infrastructure creates an opportunity for us to transition into other central services opportunities. For instance, direct-to-pharma buy opportunities, load balancing, mail-order fulfillment, and so on.”

Coborns_pharmacy_sign.png

Deploying McKesson High Volume Solutions’ ExpressRx Track automated prescription processing system, Coborn’s moved much of its prescription fulfillment from its in-store pharmacies to a separate central-fill facility.

Cox said Coborn’s launched the McKesson HVS-driven central-fill system over the summer. Initially, the chain expected the integration to take six months to a year, but the technology was fully implemented in 90 days and reached its one-year throughput goal of 30% of eligible prescriptions. Also, McKesson noted, nearly all of the pharmacies were integrated within the first month.

“We were able to bring all of our pharmacy locations online a lot quicker than originally planned,” according to Cox.

Plans call for Coborn’s to expand ExpressRx Track this year to further increase its central-fill throughput.

“We will be adding a third Parata Max robot with an associated manual-packing station, essentially increasing our capacity from 2,000 prescriptions per eight-hour shift to 3,000 prescriptions per eight-hour shift,” Cox said.

Overall, Coborn’s has more than 60 supermarkets stores across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois and Wisconsin under the Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods and Hornbacher’s banners. The company’s retail network also includes stand-alone convenience stores, liquor stores and pharmacies, for a total of over 120 outlets.

Related:Coborn’s to acquire Hornbacher’s

“Coborn's and McKesson HVS partnered to develop and execute a central-fill strategy that meets Coborn's current business needs, but is also flexible enough to support future expansion,” stated Brian Doyle, vice president and general manager at Malvern, Pa.-based McKesson High Volume Solutions.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News

You May Also Like