Is prescription delivery revolutionizing pharmacy businesses?
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was routine to take the prescription and pick up the medicines from the local drug store. All this changed as the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic started setting in. It became necessary for everyone to take precautions very seriously, with lockdowns and quarantines becoming a way of life. But medicines were needed, and delivery of OTC and prescription drugs became a norm.
The prescription drug delivery market is growing, and it is expected to see a significant growth of around 17.8% CAGR from 2022 to 2030 and an estimated market value of around USD 117.2 million as of 2022. As per a report by Future Market Insights, pharmacy stores had over 65% share within the global market. In 2021, the market value was at around USD 98.7 million, rising to USD 434.3 million by 2030.
Having to go to a drug store for OTC or prescription medicines is a problem for patients who are mobility challenged, elderly, struggling with chronic diseases, or in wake of Covid-19, quarantined. Unable to get medicines to have serious consequences and this is why many pharmacies are now offering delivery services to patients to get their prescriptions door-delivered.
Prescription delivery has many advantages, from getting medicines door-delivered to saving money. Let’s look at some of the benefits from both the customer-patient and pharmacy viewpoint.
● Savings: Pharmacies charge a dispensary fee along with the cost of medication. Ordering frequently adds the fee during every delivery. It is better to order on a three-monthly or quarterly basis to save on fees. The advantage is of getting the prescription delivered and saving on additional expenses.
● Helps in healing: Patients who have had surgeries, are immuno-compromised, or elderly, or have sustained injuries would find it impossible to go to a local drug store to get the prescription filled out. Prescription deliveries for such patients are a necessity. Ordering prescriptions is the best way to avoid movement during the healing period.
● Telephonic advice: Prescription medicines are to be handled carefully and taken as per the prescriptions only. In many cases, it’s better to call and take the pharmacist’s advice. Pharmacists can easily handle these issues while consulting and advising over the phone. The queries can range from dosage, delivery schedule & the medication itself along with practical advice on disease management to help cope with and heal faster.
● Doses: Using a prescription delivery service ensures that delivery of medicines can be scheduled in advance. When medicines are delivered on time, the chances of not taking the necessary dose or forgetting to take medicine are no longer an issue. Prescription deliveries take place as scheduled and the medicine is available on hand when needed. Sometimes prescriptions are revised for higher or lower doses, treatment plans are changed as needed. In such cases, the pharmacy can deliver the medication as per changes so that the patient can stay on track for the treatment.
● Easy access: We live in busy times, and the daily routines start in the early mornings, and a routine stop at the local pharmacy sometimes does not fit in the schedule. Many times the stop is forgotten and suddenly the patient finds that the refill is urgently needed or the medication may have to be foregone. Prescription delivery service is the answer to such issues and helps alleviate such concerns by delivering medicines to the doorstep. Delivery locations can also be changed, not frequently, but in case of an emergency or due to any specific reason.
● Safe delivery: Medicines have to be stored properly away from heat and sunlight. Many times after picking up medicines from a local pharmacy, medicines are kept in the car for the whole day. In the case of drugs like insulin, it can become inert and ineffective if not stored in the refrigerator. Using such products can lead to health complications. Availing prescription delivery helps in avoiding such issues as pharmacies deliver medication is safe and effective packing. Pharmacies are also trained for delivering hazardous goods in case the medication falls under such a label. Proper care is taken while handling and delivering such prescriptions.
❖ For pharmacies, prescription deliveries help in customer retention, increase customer-patient satisfaction, compete with other pharmacies & also contribute to public health initiatives.
❖ Prescription deliveries also help pharmacies with inventory management, reduce stock returns or cancel billing if the prescription is picked up, free the staff, expand the customer base, and help the staff stay safe from contact, especially during such pandemic times.
Some of the success stories in prescription deliveries are:
CVS: It’s the biggest pharmacy chain in the USA and offers same-day deliveries to around 6000 locations. In 2020, its telehealth and virtual visits went up by 600%, and home deliveries up by 1000%. CVS reported an increase in profit by 41%
Walgreens, another well-known pharmacy, also offers multiple prescription delivery options from its 9021 stores all over the 50 states of the USA.
In conclusion, prescription deliveries are a win-win situation for both the pharmacy and the patient. It will continue to see massive growth and to take advantage of this potential, a proper digital system is needed to ensure prompt and efficient prescription delivery. This can be easily achieved by contracting a company specializing in medicine delivery application development to take care of its digital needs.
