WAVERLY, Iowa-Competition among pharmacies has never been more fierce.  Community pharmacies' competitors-other community pharmacies and large chains-are turning to new ways to lure away patients, including the Internet.

At the same time, customers are looking to pharmacists as a local resource for healthcare.

One of the easiest ways for community pharmacists to meet both challenges and gain that extra edge is by creating a Web site. 

"It's essential for a community pharmacy to have an online presence," said Steve Firman, president of Pharmacy Marketing Group.  "Patients will only come looking for a pharmacy's Web site once.  If they don't find it, they'll move on to another pharmacy."

Bill Felkey, an associate professor at Auburn University's School of Pharmacy, agrees that for community pharmacists, having a Web site is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.

"Patients trust the bricks and mortar pharmacist that they are able to know and work with," said Felkey.  "But if patients have a good experience with an Internet pharmacy site, and if their pharmacy doesn't offer a similar service, their pharmacy may lose some or all of that person's business and loyalty."

One of the easiest ways for a pharmacist to get their pharmacy online fast is a new product called WebEasyRx.

WebEasyRx is a complete Web development package offered by Pharmacy Marketing Group in Waverly, Iowa.  It is designed to get a pharmacy's Web site online fast and at a reasonable price.

Creating a Web site with WebEasyRx is simple for a pharmacist.  First, the pharmacist chooses from several different templates, or looks, for their site.  Then they supply WebEasyRx with the text they want to see on their Web site.  Finally, they can personalize their Web site with their pharmacy's logo and photos of the pharmacy and its staff.

For a one-time start-up fee and an inexpensive monthly hosting fee, Pharmacy Marketing Group designs, hosts and maintains the pharmacist's Web site.  Other services provided in the package include site testing, search engine registration and six e-mail accounts. 

"Pharmacists have enough to worry about, like managing their practice, counseling patients and interacting with physicians," said Bryan Earnest of Mathis, Earnest & Vandeventer, an agency that helped Pharmacy Marketing Group create WebEasyRx.  "Most don't have the time to create and maintain a Web site or learn HTML.  WebEasyRx takes the complicated world of the Internet and makes it easy for pharmacists.  We take care of pharmacists' Web sites so they can take care of what's most important to them-the health of their patients."

WebEasyRx includes an "Ask the Pharmacist" link and an online prescription filling link to their WebEasyRx site.

"The Internet gives us the opportunity to be more greatly connected to the patient," Felkey said.  "Patients strongly desire to be connected to their healthcare provider by e-mail.  The Internet gives us all kinds of ways where patients can have daily dialog with a pharmacy to see if they know what to do with their medicine and how to do it."

With online prescription filling, pharmacies become open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.  Now patients can order from the pharmacy at any time from the convenience of their home.  Patients' orders can even be delivered right to their door.

"WebEasyRx gives community pharmacists the best of both worlds," said Firman. 

"Pharmacists get their Web site designed by graphic artists and technical support from seasoned technicians.  But they also have Pharmacy Marketing Group, a pharmacy-based organization with years of experience in the industry, helping guide their sites' content."

Pharmacists can find out more about WebEasyRx by visiting Pharmacy Marketing Group's Web site at www.WebEasyRx.com or by calling them at (800) 798-4338.