We're hitting the two-month mark now for the Confrence, and we still haven't firmed up the Forum Get-Together.

If you check the Sponsor Brochure on the website, you'll see there are activities Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night. So we need to decide when we are going to get together and where.

Let's get some ideas here!

Name of Facility: Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook

City, State: Newsletter

Years as a Buyer: 30+

don't publish - VENT

Well - I would love to join you. However, my hospital just informed me that they will not pay for my airfare. So, I unless a miracle happens - like I win the Outstanding Buyer Award - I will have to cancel my reservations.

I am so ticked. I bust my butt 40+ hours a week to keep this pharmacy running, thus the hospital running. And they can't pay a losy $500 for me to fly out there. UGH!!!!!!

Name of Facility: Arnot Ogden Medical Center

City, State: Acute Care 256 beds

Years as a Buyer: 7

We have been trying for yeara, and years and years to make it easier for Pharmacy Buyers to attend our conference. Right now, if you convinced a Pfizer, or a Wyeth, or a Genentech or dozens of other deep pocketed vendors, to display as a Silver vendor, your hospital pharmacy would earn $490.00 on just this one referral. For $10 out of your pocket, your air fare is paid! Do NOT say you cannot accept this revenue. If someone came to your pharmacy for a bottle of Tylenol(R), would you give it to them free? No! Every pharmacy I have ever known accepts revenue.

We have put such revenue earning programs into place for your and your hospital's benefit. Please, please take advantage of some of these programs that will earn your way to the conference. Throwing your hands up and saying I cannot come because I will not get reimbursed for airfare is not a valid reason. In the example stated above, you can pay for your airfare (with this earned commission)if you contribute a mere $10, and that is for referring just ONE vendor. Every Buyer deals with dozens of drug companies. So you could fund your entire Pharmacy Department Educational Fund Budget for successfully referring several vendors. But it takes a slight amount of effort on your part next time a sales rep ambles into your office. Make sure they list you and your hospital as the referring agent when they send their paperwork and payment here to Summerdale Enterprises, Inc. Tear it out of the latest version of PPO, write your name in the referral area, and then make a copy of it which you then hand to the rep. (Some tell us the companies often forget to fill in the referral line on their paperwork, so this is how you make sure they cannot forget.)

Believe me, I want to meet the buyers who contribute comments to this Buyers Forum too. But I cannot travel all around the country trying to do it. Your attendance and the attendance of every person who contributes comments here would be appreciated, not just by us, but by the vendors who invest their funds to meet you Buyers face to face. You control multi-millions in purchasing dollars, so every buyer who attends is a key person to the displaying vendors. It is that important!

Note: See page 52 of the May 2008 PPO as the subscriber who earns the most revenue in commissions during the period May 22 through July 22 earns, in addition to your 7%, a $250.00 prize! You could earn that as easily as any other subscriber right now if you worked this program with even a small amount of effort.

Name of Facility: Summerdale Enterprises, Inc.

As another, likely easier, & more direct, option to get help with funding travel & registration costs, have you ever thought to ask your Wholesaler Rep or GPO Rep, or another company who is ALREADY Sponsoring the Buyer's Conference, that you do a lot of business with? They will often agree to pay for the registration fee to the conference, at least...

Years as a Buyer: 5

Here's a link to take you to the restaurants at the Hilton

Let's pick one, or decide to meet at one of the Reception/Hospitality functions

Name of Facility: Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook

City, State: Newsletter

Years as a Buyer: 30+

Mike I think we should just pick one and run with it!!!

Years as a Buyer: 6 Years

I vote (again) for Benihana... and they have group rooms available.

Years as a Buyer: 2

I like Benihana, too. You can put everybody at one big table, plus it's dinner and a show!

Name of Facility: Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook

City, State: Newsletter

Years as a Buyer: 30+

I move that we do Benihana on Sunday evening August 10th at 7PM. Mike can you make a reservation for us since you all probably have some pull with the hotel as the organiziers of the conference? Will everyone please let Mike know by June 27th if you plan to attend so that he can make the reservations? This will be Dutch treat I am assuming. (Sorry to be pushy, but we need to get on with this dinner if we are going to do it.)

Mike- Please mark me down for being there.

Looking forward to seeing all of you there:)

Name of Facility: St. Francis Health Center

City, State: Acute

Years as a Buyer: 5 in health care & 20+ in retail hard goods

Okay, so we all know what we're getting into, here is a sample menu with prices at Benihana. These are the prices for the Benihana in San Diego. The Benihana in Vegas is a fancier and little more expensive, so we can pretty much plan out our menus and know approximately what we're going to spend. Lastly, we have to move the time a little later than 7:00, because I'll need some time after registration to get ready. So could we shoot for 7:30-7:45?

Also, I can wait until after the holiday (July 4th), so people don't have to think about it before. You can email me for your RSVP; you don't need to let me know what you want, that can wait till we get there.
And don't expect me to have any "pull" on the hotel. I'm just another joe with a party of (?), and will be treated as such.

Name of Facility: Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook

City, State: Newsletter

Years as a Buyer: 30+

7:30, 7:45 is good by me....I just wanted to get everyone off square one. I think we have now moved to square two....YEAH!

Name of Facility: St. Francis Health Center

City, State: Acute

Years as a Buyer: 5 in health care & 20+ in retail hard goods

woohoo! Benihana at 7:30!

Should be early enough to hopefully get one of those party rooms or something...

RSVP for 2 right here :)

Years as a Buyer: 2

I just saw Sunday...

My flight doesn't get in until 11pm... can we do Monday? I'm not sure how many people will be there Sunday night...? Maybe I'm the only one. I (unfortunately) have no control over my flight, our admin folks book everything.

Years as a Buyer: 2

Monday is the Med-Search Opening Reception. They usually have a decent spread, with drinks. We'd have to get a concensus.

Name of Facility: Pharmacy Purchasing Outlook

City, State: Newsletter

Years as a Buyer: 30+

I am open to what ever night. I know Munira was really wanting to do this as well. Any thoughts out there? Let's get organized and spread the word. We have work to do as a group and getting to know each other in a face to face informal meeting will help us to establish what we want to be when we grow up as an organization and possibly address Dale's concerns about "Is our profession expiring". Dale & Mike have provided great leadership and those of us who are active on this board need to step up to assist them in making our professional organization grow and prosper. I for one am stepping up, won't the rest of you join me in stepping up?

Let's set a date of June 30 to get the details completed and get people coming to this informal meeting of the regulars of this board.

Looking forward to meeting all of you face to face:)

Name of Facility: St. Francis Health Center

City, State: Acute

Years as a Buyer: 5 in health care & 20+ in retail hard goods

Thank you Kathy,
Thank you for missing me...I really want to meet you all!
We have all voted on the restuarant now lets get to the day!!

Vote People!!!

I had planned on driving down on Monday but one more evening in Vegas isn't going to kill me. Lets get the concensus by July 6th (is it ok with you Mike) and see what day is good for you....I believe the program on Monday is light so I am good! Let's get the concensus I will start driving either day!

Years as a Buyer: 6 Years

Changed my flight so I'm good to go!

Years as a Buyer: 2