Organizational Culture Polymedica Corporation Is a Fast-Growing

Organizational Culture

Polymedica Corporation is a fast-growing medical products and services company, well-known for its Liberty brand name that addresses the needs, mainly, of seniors suffering from diabetes and respiratory ailments. Since 1989, Polymedica has been continuously expanding product lines and services to these clients and operating through its three business segments, namely, Liberty Diabetes, Liberty Respiratory and Pharmaceuticals (Polymedica 2004). The company and subsidiaries' manufacturing, distribution and laboratory facilities are located in Massachusetts and Florida..

It has made a name as the leading direct-to-consumer provider of diabetes supplies and related products and services in response to the growing numbers of seniors who develop diabetes. Its own findings showed that the incidence of the chronic disease rose by 49% from 1990 to 2000 and trends indicate that it would continue to grow to 65% till 2050 (Polymedica). The findings also revealed that diabetes among the seniors increased from 18.4% in 1999 to 20.1% the following year alone.

Responding to this trend, the company combined a technology-based operating platform and its successful compliance management approach (Standard and Poor 2003) through its three business segments.

Its Liberty Diabetes segment offers testing kits, insulin, syringes and other products and services directly to Medicare-eligible clients who are unable to buy them at drug stores. Selling is done through contracted managed chronic care organizations (McLellan 2004), professional products and consumer health care markets. This segment is the busiest and most profitable, accounting for 76% of its 2001 fiscal revenues.

Its Liberty Respiratory section makes available respiratory medications and supplies to senior customers using nebulizer therapy in a simple, easy and reliable way (Polymedica). This is also the company response to the more than 16 million Medicare-eligible Americans who are afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD). Polymedica has achieved leadership status in the Medicare respiratory pharmacy market with its superior service (Polymedica): it ships orders directly to customers without fees or charges and bills insurance companies directly as well. Its Liberty Home Pharmacy also educates and updates its customers about the disease while communicating with them and through the company website.

The Pharmaceuticals segment sells prescription oral medications not covered by Medicare and the AZO line, consisting of over-the-counter female urinary discomfort products, home medical diagnostic kits and prescription urology and suppository products (Standard and Poor). These are distributed in major drug stores and pharmacy outlets, supermarkets and through mass merchandisers (Polymedica). Urological products and dressings accounted for 20% of the company's 2001 fiscal revenues (Business.com 2001). Having acquired recognition among senior sufferers of chronic diabetes, it has also reached out to those aged 40 to 65 by offering its AZO product line of pain relievers to those suffering from urinary tract infections (UTI). These products include over-the-counter female urinary tract discomfort products, distributed nationwide through major pharmaceutical oinks, supermarkets and mass merchandisers.

Polymedica Corporation is the unquestioned pioneer in the use of the national television advertising medium in reaching out to customers at home. It is also the industrial and market leader in helping these senior customers, afflicted with diabetes and chronic COPD, comply with their physician-directed regimens (Polymedica). The company accomplishes these through its successful compliance management scheme (Polymedica), whereby it helps senior diabetics more tightly monitor their blood glucose levels and prevent fatal consequences, such as blindness, heart and circulatory disorders, amputation and stroke. Senior patients are reminded to strictly comply with doctors' orders, particularly the use of glucose test strips and providing them with needed testing supplies, which the company delivers to patients' homes directly (Polymedica). They are monitored different times a day by customer service representatives, especially when they inquire about a new supply of glucose test strips. The company's representatives conduct frequent monitoring because the likelihood of diabetes-related complications occurring when done less frequently. These complications include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, nerve disorders and blindness. The company's compliance management protocol also conducts this type of monitoring to senior customers afflicted with COPD. Its services include home delivery of ostomy supplies, therapeutic shoes, hemoglobin A1c test kits and non-Medicare prescription medicines (Polymedica).

In rendering its compliance management approach more effective, Polymedica entered into a partnership with SpiderSpalt Consulting, Inc. For its exclusive electronic services, which include keyword advertising, PPC ads, SEO advertising, newsletter, banner, email, paid-inclusions, paid placements, affiliate advertising, impression advertising and web portal advertising (Press World 2003). SpiderSpalt's capabilities would draw a huge number of target clients to Polymedica's new website, LibertyMedical.com.

Under their partnership agreement, Liberty Medical or Polymedica Corporation would pay only for ads that yield continuing results (Press World). SpiderSpalt furthermore pledges to widen Polymedica's web traffic, leading to sales. Polymedica can keep track of SpiderSpalt's accomplishments through the latter's detailed monthly ad campaign reports, server statistical analyses, keyword search engineer optimization and web analyses (Press World). The heads of both organizations are confident that a greater number of people can be reached, considering Polymedica's present level of success and prominence. SpiderSplat was among the first in the industry to discover and utilize the art of converting web browsers into web customers, which releases the pressure on internal resources and focusing on outside ones.