Prior to the pandemic, employing prescription delivery services was a notoriously difficult task. This can be attributed to the cost of transportation and identity verification difficulties.
As technology has evolved and consumer demands increased, getting your prescription delivered to your doorstep has never been easier.
Customers don’t have to go to a pharmacy to obtain their medication, allowing them to save time throughout the day and reduce the possibility of getting pharmacy staff sick.
This article will cover not only how prescription delivery works but the challenges and benefits you can expect.
How Does Prescription Delivery Work?
It’s amazing to think that life-saving medication can be accessible with just the press of a button like ordering a pizza on a Friday night!
Depending on the platform, prescription deliveries can be made by downloading an app, uploading your prescription and any over the counter items, then selecting the type of delivery best suited to your availability.
Depending on the platform you can also manage your refills and have them delivered automatically.
Prescription deliveries can also be set up so they are delivered on a routine basis, as well as being offered as a direct service from a pharmacy, or handled by a reliable courier company operating on behalf of the pharmacy.
It’s important to note that controlled substances are not available for delivery.
How To Order Prescriptions For Delivery
As consumer demands increase, there are more prescription delivery services available. We can partially thank the pandemic for compelling pharmacies to get creative and find contactless ways to get medication to customers.
If you’re curious as to how you can order prescriptions for delivery, the following paragraphs will focus on how you can medications online and have them delivered when desired.
Prescriptions ultimately need to be left on file at the pharmacy, or can be emailed or faxed by your doctor directly to the pharmacy.
Take SuperPharmacy for example, who are an online pharmacy that provides Australian customers access to prescription medications.
The challenges they faced during the early stages of the pandemic led them to using Locate2u as a solution to optimise routes for their drivers and manage bookings.
“With the pandemic we saw couriers start to slow down and hit delays, so we ended up leaning more and more heavily on our drivers. Our customers saw the benefits of that in ensuring critical medication was being delivered on time by us personally…” Lachlan Fraser-Bell, Product Designer
When ordering prescription medication from this platform, you will be required to sign for the product upon delivery.
You can also receive updates and live tracking once the order has been prepared in their warehouse. This allows you to view its progression throughout the entire delivery journey, giving you peace of mind that your prescription is in safe hands.
Benefits Of Getting Your Prescription Delivered
Time saved
Taking time out of your day to duck to the pharmacy might not seem like a tedious process. However, if you work 9-5 or just don’t have time to pick up your prescription then having it delivered is exceedingly beneficial.
Who wants to spend time waiting in line, when you can simply go online and have it delivered?
Never forget a dose
It’s easy to forget your prescription, especially when life gets busy. Here’s the good news!
Because prescription deliveries can be set up so they are delivered routinely, this means you’ll never forget to refill your order.
Non-contact delivery
No-contact or contactless delivery was first introduced during the early stages of the pandemic and is now a method that is used by customers constantly.
It’s a great way for customers suffering with illnesses or simply wanting medication to stay at home and avoid contact with other shoppers. That way no one’s immune system is compromised.
Reduce possibility of getting sicker
The last you want to do when you’re ill is leave the house and go to the pharmacy. Rest is also prescribed alongside medication, so staying in bed and having what you need delivered is a better alternative.
Plus it minimises the possibility of getting sicker as you won’t be moving around and compromising your immune system.
Why Pharmacies Offer A Delivery Service
Like any service, delivery is more convenient and offering it is key to achieving customer satisfaction.
Whether you’re a smaller or already established pharmacy branch, offering this service will broaden your customer base and the overall reach of your operation.
It’s not only consumer demand that has seen a spike in pharmacies offering delivery services, but the current elephant in the room known as COVID-19.
The presence of lockdowns meant pharmacies had to find ways to get medication to their customers.
By doing so, pharmacies can now better adhere to public health policies with no contact deliveries. It also lowers the chance that pharmacy staff comes into contact with ill patients
Another reason as to why pharmacies provide delivery services is because it frees up time for pharmacists. This allows them to focus on other aspects of their job, enhancing productivity for the pharmacy.
What Is Hindering Prescription Delivery Today?
Whilst there are benefits of prescription delivery, there are still limitations to its effectiveness. The first being that there is a lack of certified couriers who are legally able to operate, making it difficult for pharmacies to access a large driver network.
There are still a lot of patients out there who are unaware this option is currently available. This can be seen in elderly patients who can be deemed out of the reach of today’s advertising. Because of this, they are less likely to be informed of this service.
Another thing to consider is that delivering prescription medication is a lot different than food and retail deliveries. Getting the wrong pizza delivered isn’t the same as the wrong medication.
A customer’s well being heavily relies on receiving the correct prescription. A lot of problems can arise should mistakes be made which is why scripts need to be delivered to the right patient.
How Delivery Management Software Can Help With Prescription Delivery
Those operating a pharmacy who offer delivery services to their customers can benefit from using a delivery management software like Locate2u.
Spending hours manually planning routes and bookings is an inefficient practice? Use Locate2u and have your drivers routes built in minutes, not hours!
With Locate2u’s booking management system you can check the status on any order and determine whether it’s currently pending, enroute or having arrived at its destination. It’s a convenient way to keep your pharmacy’s operations running effectively and maintaining transparency throughout the delivery process.
Still not convinced? Take SuperPharmacy’s word for it:
“Before Locate2u we used to have to generate new routes if we wanted to change the order of things whereas with Locate2u we can adjust the day’s deliveries on the fly, allowing us to move orders into a higher priority…” Lachlan Fraser-Bell, Product Designer
Conclusion
The increasing demand for prescription delivery has seen many pharmacies offer these services to achieve customer satisfaction, meet public health policies and broaden their overall customer base.
Operating a pharmacy that offers this service can be tedious, which is why Locate2u is the solution for you. With route optimisation, real-time tracking, booking management and proof of delivery, you can take your organisation to new heights.
Learn more about how Locate2u can enhance your pharmacy’s performance by clicking here.
About the author
Founder and CEO at Zoom2u & Locate2u (ASX:Z2U). Steve has significant software development and entrepreneurial experience. Operating in the delivery space for more than 15-years, he actively contributes to the development of the industry. He has a strong focus on job management and job despatch systems.
