To increase non-prescription sales, pharmacies look to identify companion products, products that satisfy additional, complementary needs to the original item. For example, tissues alongside cold and flu medications, or probiotics alongside prescription antibiotics.
Both OTC and Ethical products can have companions applied. For the purpose of this guide, an Ethical product (antibiotic) is used as an example.
Video Demonstration
Set up a Companion Product
Note: There is no report for Companion Products, we recommend you keep an external record.
From Product Maintenance:
1. Click Find. In the Search field, type an antibiotic name/part name, e.g. APO-AMOX and click Okay.
2. Select the required product from the search results by clicking it. In this example, the selected product is Apo-Amoxycillin Cap 500MG 20.
3. Click the Companion button.
The Companion Products for APO-AMOXYCILLIN CAP 500MG 20 window is displayed.
4. Click Add.
The Adding a Companion Product window is displayed.
Note: If this screen already shows a previously linked companion product, delete this entry before adding your companion product.
5. Leave the Sorted by field as Product.
6. [Tab] to the Add field, or click in the Add field and highlight the contents.
7. Enter the name of the companion by typing the barcode, product number or product name and click Okay or press [Tab]. In this example we are searching for Faulding Probiotic.
The Product Search Window is displayed.
8. Click on the required product to select it. In this example, the selected companion product is Faulding Probiotic Cap 30.
9. Click Okay.
10. Choose a location for companion product prompting.
a. Prompt Companion Product at Till.
b. Prompt Companion Product at Dispense.
c. Prompt Companion Product at Both Till and Dispense.
11. Click Okay to confirm your choice.
12. Click Cancel or press [Esc] to close the Adding a Companion Product screen.
The Companion Products for APO-AMOXYCILLIAN CAP 500MG CAP window is displayed.
13. Click Cancel or press [Esc] to close the Companion Products window.
As there is no report in Minfos that displays products with added companion products, we recommend that a record is kept of these products.
Delete a Companion Product
From the Companion Products window:
1. Highlight the companion product you want to delete.
2. Click Delete.
The Companion Products window is updated and displays the number of products that were removed.
Dispense or Sell a Companion Product
Dispense Prompt
When Dispense is chosen as the prompt location, the following prompt will appear in the lower right corner of the Script Options screen.
This prompt is a recommendation only and no action is required.
Till Prompt
When Till is chosen as the prompt location, and the product is added to the sale, the Companion Product prompt is displayed during the sale.
1. Choose the desired option: Click 1. Yes or press [1] or [Y] to select Yes, the product will be added to the sale.
2. The default option is No, click 0. No or press [Enter] to close the prompt without adding the companion product to the sale.
3. Process the sale as per your usual process.