Tips for Stocking Your Pharmacy This Cold and Flu Season

It's that time of year again! The weather is getting colder, the leaves are changing colors, and people are starting to come down with colds. Cold season has arrived. But don't worry — you can protect your customers from their sniffles by stocking up on masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer this year! Today we'll be talking about how to stock your pharmacy for cold and flu season so that your customers can be healthy all winter long.

Even with the pandemic still active, it doesn't mean you can skimp on flu season preparation. The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends masks for everyone who is sick, as well as their caregivers. Some people have already started to ditch their masks after getting the COVID-19 vaccine and might need to restock so make sure you have masks available at your pharmacy. You might even want to consider stocking up on surgical masks, which are a good option for masks that are disposable. At Total Pharmacy Supply, we carry everything from simple face masks to N95 masks that block 95% of flu particles!

Carrying all mask sizes is important too. You never know what masks your customers might need so having a variety will ensure you have the right size available. Children will need masks during flu season as well so make sure you have small enough masks. Also, make sure you have larger masks for people who are taller or bigger.

In addition to masks, protecting hands from germs is also important when you're sick! Gloves are another must-have for pharmacies stocking up on cold and flu supplies. Some medical workers are required to change gloves in between every flu shot so they need a lot of gloves! We carry latex, nitrile and vinyl disposable medical gloves in all sizes.

Hand washing is also key when it comes to protecting yourself from germs. The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water as the best way to remove all types of germs and chemicals. If soap and water are not available, they recommend using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. So make sure you’re stocking up on both soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizers! Here are some other products your customers may have more of a need for:

• Cold and flu medicines: These can be for adults, children, and infants. Stock up on pain relievers as well as cough medicines such as Robitussin DM.

• Thermometers: Digital and no-touch thermometers to help customers detect fever quickly.

• Pain and fever reliever: If your customers are coming down with a cold, they're going to want some Tylenol or Advil. Make sure you have plenty of both available this season!

• Vitamin C: Vitamin C is a great way to boost your immune system. It's also taste-free and sugar-free, so you can add some vitamin C drops to water bottles or juice boxes for kids without changing the flavor!

• Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 can be used to help combat cold and flu symptoms! It's also necessary if people are sick and want to recover quickly or boost their immune system. Keep some on hand in case any of your customers come down with the flu!

• Congestion or sinus pain reliever: If your customers are feeling congested, they're going to want something that will help them breathe more easily. Providing extra cold and flu medicine like Vicks or a generic form can be very helpful!

• Mucus control: If your customers are coughing and struggling to breathe, they can use something that will help break up mucus in their chest. Mucinex DM is a great option if you don't already carry it!

• Antihistamines: When the cold virus spreads around the body, sometimes people get itchiness all over their face or hands from their body fighting the virus. Antihistamines are great for this, and you can carry both non-drowsy antihistamines or just allergy medicine.

• Cough drops: Sore throats are extremely frustrating without cough drops on hand so make sure you have enough for everyone.

• Nasal sprays: If your customers have a stuffy nose from the cold, they can use nasal sprays to clean up their sinuses. You should also carry saline spray that will loosen any mucus in people's noses before you give them a nasal spray!

• Tissues: People get sick all year round but cold season means peak tissue usage at pharmacies everywhere. Make sure you have plenty of boxes on hand so your customers don't have to go without tissues!

• Cold and flu wipes: More surfaces will need to be wiped down during flu season which calls for more wipes.
• Flu shots: If you have a pharmacy that is open during the season, make sure you have flu shots readily available for your customers.

• Pill counter: Pharmacies require some medications to be counted out by a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, but not all of them! With a pill counter from Total Pharmacy Supply, you can offer more services and convenience for your customers.

• Supplies for people with asthma: Cold weather brings lots of allergens from trees shedding their leaves to mold spores in your heating system. If your customers suffer from asthma, you should have them covered with inhalers and allergy medicine.

• Supplies for babies: Medicine is no fun, but it's even less fun when you have to give them to a baby! Make sure your customers can get what they need in terms of baby cold medicines, oral syringes, and teething remedies.

Having a variety of cold and flu medications available, such as over-the-counter pain relievers, cough medicine, decongestants, antihistamines, and nasal sprays can help your customers feel better faster. Having the right cold and flu medicine on hand for your customers can make all the difference in their day. Include plenty of other pharmacy basics so they'll come back to you again when they need more medication or vitamins, too! If any of these items are new to you or if there's anything else we can help with in-store, please let us know! We want Total Pharmacy Supply to be able to provide everything pharmacies need for cold and flu season this year.