It’s the year 2020, and there is almost nothing you can’t get delivered from the touch of a button on your mobile device—from books and apparel, to food from your favorite restaurant, even fresh groceries—but prescribed medication? That’s right, consumers can now add prescription drugs straight from your pharmacy to the list of things they can have conveniently delivered to their doorstep. Implementing pharmacy delivery services may seem like too large of a task to take on without an obvious return on the investment. After all, doctors are not going to stop prescribing necessary medications because they can’t be delivered. However, there are significant benefits that can improve customer satisfaction and boost pharmacy revenue associated with offering delivery.
Here are 4 Benefits to Offering Pharmacy Delivery Services:
1. Improved Customer Retention
Pharmacy delivery can improve medication adherence, which refers to taking medications correctly as prescribed by your physician. Currently, an estimated 30% to 50% of medications are not taken as prescribed. It is often that customers are either unable to get to the pharmacy in a timely manner or simply forget to pick up their prescription. If medications are delivered to their doorstep, there is less of a chance that they won’t be taken the way they are intended. Patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes or high-blood pressure that require regular medication refills are less likely to get them refilled if not taken correctly—which takes business away from your pharmacy. Medication adherence improves customer retention and sales rates.
Pharmacies can also meet the needs of more customers by offering delivery services. Ensure homebound patients receive their medications in the correct dosage on time—expanding your customer base and guaranteeing repeat customers. Non-homebound customers with busy schedules can avoid the wait time to fill a prescription and with the added convenience, they will continually choose your pharmacy over one that does not deliver.
2. Enhanced Prescription Accuracy
Automation and technology make integrating delivery service into your pharmacy easy and more accurate. Leveraging the right pharmacy technology systems equipped with functions to properly manage inventory, track sales, monitor controlled substances, and reduce human error improves accuracy and the quality of service your pharmacy provides.
The built-in features within mobile delivery securely tracks both pending and finalized deliveries through real-time information and order processing. Innovative technology allows for signature capture in the field, so you’re always HIPAA compliant. Customers can feel secure receiving their medications to their home with their information protected.
3. Reduced Medical Waste
The combination of improved order accuracy and medication adherence leads to less chance of unused prescription drugs. This may not seem like a big deal, but reducing medical waste alleviates some serious financial, health, and environmental consequences. The correct dosages delivered on time and accurately reduces the number of drugs disposed into landfills and water supply.
Same-day filling and recurring monthly delivery of medications reduces over-ordering that can lead to unused medication. Delivery service in conjunction with online ordering allows for changes in drug brand choices and dosages as needed.
4. Saved Pharmacy Resources
With pharmacy delivery incorporated into the operations of your business, alleviate some of the customer service responsibilities of technicians in-store. Fill orders faster, more accurately, and more efficiently, reducing labor cost and avoiding potentially costly errors.
Reduce overhead costs with extended hours for customers to fill their prescriptions through mobile ordering and after-hours delivery. Increase the volume of business your pharmacy can handle daily and increase revenue opportunities by extending the reach of your pharmacy to homebound patients who may have otherwise chosen a mail-order service or another pharmacy. There are also money-saving benefits to the customer—nonadherence can cost billions of dollars nationwide in avoidable medical expenses.
Independent and even chain pharmacies may hesitate to implement delivery, but the benefits to both your business and customers are worth the investment. Having the proper pharmacy POS system in place is important when launching delivery services.
The mobile delivery module from Auto-Star is specifically designed for pharmacies and ensures that HIPAA and drug handling regulations are met while effortlessly integrating delivery, streamlining operations, and maximizing revenue.
Contact Auto-Star today to learn how to tap into the benefits of pharmacy delivery.
