Turn viral reels into repeat refills with Ferbz’s AI‑powered automation journey

Below is a step‑by‑step walk‑through of how a typical independent pharmacy in Sydney would set up and run an AI‑powered refill automation journey that starts from a viral Reel. The description follows the exact navigation and fields available in Ferbz.

1. Create the video and WhatsApp share link

   • From the pharmacy’s social‑media manager, upload the Reel (e.g., “3‑minute guide to checking your blood pressure at home”).
   • Copy the short URL that points to the video. In Ferbz, go to Patients → New Patient and add a custom field called Reel URL – paste the link there for future reference.

2. Add the video to a WhatsApp broadcast

   • Navigate to the Broadcasts tab.
   • Click Create Broadcast → give it a name such as Glucose Reel Launch – May 2024.
   • In the Message editor, paste the Reel URL and write a short call‑to‑action: “Tap the link to watch our new Reel and let us know when you need your next metformin refill.”
   • Choose the audience filter: Patients where Medication includes “Metformin”.
   • Schedule the broadcast for the desired launch time (e.g., 9 am on Monday).
   • Click Send. Ferbz will deduct the appropriate number of credits for each WhatsApp message sent.

3. Define the automation journey

   • Open the Automation tab.

   • Click New Journey and type the natural‑language goal:
     “When a patient clicks the glucose Reel link, send a refill reminder three days before their next Metformin order.”

   • Ferbz’s AI instantly generates a visual flow:

     • Trigger – Link Click on the specific Reel URL (auto‑detected from the broadcast).
     • Wait – 3 days before next sale due (the system reads the patient’s last Metformin sale date from the Billing module).
     • Message – “Hi {{patient.first_name}}, it’s {{pharmacy.name}}. Your Metformin is due in 3 days. Reply YES to confirm you’d like us to prepare it, or call us at {{pharmacy.phone}}.”
     • Branch – If the patient replies YES, move to Confirmation; if NO or no reply, move to Follow‑up.
     • Confirmation – Send a PDF receipt link for the upcoming sale, generated automatically by the Billing module.

   • Review each step on the canvas, replace placeholder text with the pharmacy’s own branding, and click Activate.

4. Link the journey to the broadcast

   • Return to the Broadcasts screen, open the Glucose Reel Launch broadcast, and under Post‑send actions select Enroll recipients in Automation Journey → choose the newly created Reel‑to‑Refill journey. This ensures every patient who receives the broadcast and clicks the Reel is automatically enrolled.

5. Monitor the reminder flow

   • Go to the Reminders board. Here you will see three columns: Scheduled, Sent, and Failed.
   • For each patient, the board shows the exact reminder date, the WhatsApp status (sent, delivered, read) and any branch outcomes (e.g., “Replied YES – Confirmation sent”).
   • If a reminder fails (e.g., invalid number), the row turns red; click the row to open the patient profile and correct the contact details.

6. Complete the sale

   • When a patient replies YES, the system automatically creates a New Sale in the Billing module, pre‑filled with the medication (Metformin 500 mg, 60 tablets) and the patient’s price.
   • The pharmacist finalises the sale, prints or emails the PDF receipt, and the reminder clock resets for the next refill cycle.

Worked Example – “Harbour Health Pharmacy”

Harbour Health Pharmacy in Newcastle runs a Reel titled “How to Use Your Home Blood Pressure Kit”. The Reel URL is https://reel.link/HPBP2024.

1. Broadcast – The pharmacy sends a WhatsApp broadcast to 342 patients who have ever purchased Amlodipine or Metformin. The message reads:
   “Watch our new Reel on blood pressure checks → https://reel.link/HPBP2024. Let us know when you need your next refill.”

2. Result – 78 patients click the link (tracked automatically).

3. Automation Trigger – Each click enrolls the patient in the Reel‑to‑Refill journey.

4. Wait Step – For patient Sarah Lee, the last Metformin sale was on 12 April 2024 (30‑day supply). The system calculates the next due date as 12 May 2024, then subtracts 3 days → reminder scheduled for 9 May 2024.

5. Message – On 9 May 2024, Sarah receives:
   “Hi Sarah, Harbour Health Pharmacy. Your Metformin is due in 3 days. Reply YES to confirm you’d like us to prepare it, or call 02 4920 1234.”

6. Branch – Sarah replies YES. The journey moves to the Confirmation step, automatically generating a PDF receipt for a Metformin pack worth $45. The receipt link is sent back to Sarah via WhatsApp.

7. Sale Completion – The pharmacist opens the Billing tab, sees the pending sale for Sarah, confirms the payment, and prints the receipt. The reminder clock resets for the next 30‑day cycle (next reminder on 6 June 2024).

8. Dashboard Insight – On the Reminders board, Harbour Health sees:

   • 78 enrolled patients
   • 73 reminders sent (5 numbers invalid – flagged for update)
   • 58 read receipts (80 % read rate)
   • 46 confirmations (79 % conversion from reminder to sale)

   The pharmacy records an additional $2 080 in revenue (46 × $45) that would otherwise have been lost to missed refills.

Time saved – Before Ferbz, the owner of Harbour Health spent an average of 12 minutes per patient each week manually logging refill dates, drafting WhatsApp messages, and chasing overdue orders. The AI journey automates the wait, message and follow‑up steps, reducing that effort to under 2 minutes per patient per week (approximately a 83 % time reduction).

Revenue recovered – In the month after launching the Reel‑to‑Refill journey, the pharmacy captured 46 extra sales worth $45 each, adding $2 080 to monthly turnover. Without the automation, only an estimated 12 patients would have called in, based on historical win‑back rates (≈ 25 %). That translates to a ≈ $1 710 revenue lift directly attributable to the AI journey.

Stock optimisation – By moving 46 patients onto the next refill cycle, the pharmacy avoided 46 × 30 = 1 380 tablets of Metformin sitting on shelves beyond their optimal sell‑through window. This reduces the risk of expiry and frees up shelf space for new stock.

Reduced manual errors – All patient contact details, medication histories and reminder dates are pulled from the unified Patients and Billing records. The chance of double‑booking, sending a reminder to the wrong patient, or forgetting a patient entirely drops from an estimated 12 % error rate to under 1 % (as shown by the single‑digit failure count on the Reminders board).

Improved patient engagement – The WhatsApp read rate of 80 % and reply conversion of 79 % demonstrate that patients prefer a quick, familiar channel. The visual status on the Reminders board lets the pharmacist intervene only when a reminder fails, focusing effort where it matters.

Overall, the AI refill automation journey turns a marketing moment (a viral Reel) into a measurable, repeatable revenue stream while cutting staff workload and protecting inventory.

Ready to turn your next viral Reel into a steady stream of repeat refills? Sign up for a free trial at https://dashboard.ferbz.com/, top up your credit wallet, and start building an AI refill automation journey in minutes. If you need help tailoring the workflow to your medication mix or have any questions, our support team is on hand at support@ferbz.com.

Take the guesswork out of refill reminders, protect your stock, and let your social‑media content work harder for your pharmacy. Ferbz makes it simple, reliable and fully compliant with Australian regulations.