At Home with Dealers
Company Name: Miller's Homecare Pharmacy
Location/Contact Info: 678 Wyckoff Ave., Wyckoff, N.J. 07481; (201) 891-3333; [email protected]; www.millerspharmacy.com; fax: (201) 891-6392
Established: 1929
Types of products sold: Retail pharmacy, retail home care products including wound care, ostomy, diabetic, bath safety, support stockings, mobility aids such as walkers and wheelchairs, CPAPs, Tens, incontinence.
Size of Company: 25 employees; sales $5 million annually
Home Health Productsspoke with David Miller of Miller's Homecare Pharmacy.
Q: What sets your store apart?
A: Miller's has been selling home care products since the early 1960s when Doris and Richard Miller cast off all their sundry business and replaced it with a wheelchair, commode, a hospital bed and a sauna. Our employees are trained in many aspects of surgical fittings and specialty surgical items such as Tens and diabetic monitoring. Our focus has always been customer service.
Q: What do you think works well for you?
A: A knowledgeable and friendly staff and a large selection of products.
Q: What is something you have learned from your experience in the HME industry?
A:Bigger is not better. Cash business is far preferable to building receivables. It is safer to rely on the trends of the retail market than the vagaries of third-party reimbursement.
Q: Do you think the HME industry is changing?
A: It is no longer the fun, dynamic marketplace it was 20 years ago. Third party payers have stifled innovation to the point where we have nothing left but a commodity market.
Fun Fact: Family business can be fun!
This article originally appeared in the July 2005 issue of HME Business.
About the Authors
J. Daniel Hull is an environmental lawyer, litigator and lobbyist with Hull McGuire PC (www.hullmcguire.com), which has offices in Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. and San Diego. The firm practices in the areas of environmental law, litigation, legislative affairs, IP, employment practices and international tax and transactions. Mr. Hull can be reached at (619) 239-9400. His blog is at http://whataboutclients.com.
Nikolay Voutchkov, PE, DEE, is senior vice president of Technical Services at Poseidon Resources Corp. in Stamford, Conn. He can be reached at 203-327-7740, ext. 126.
Jay Williams is the HME National Sales Manager for QS/1 Data Systems, a provider of pharmacy and HME management software. He can be reached at (800) 622-4861.
Jackson is the former managing editor of Home Health Products.