Pharmacies provide some of the most essential items on the planet, including medication. With so many companies diverting to using apps to deliver their goods, it won’t be long before having medications delivered becomes as convenient as using Uber.
A few apps currently offer medication delivery, and experts expect this market to grow and become more effective as time advances. Modern-day consumers prefer shopping on their phones, and the pharmaceutical market may follow this trend, especially considering that pharmacy patients may have ailments that prevent them from driving to the pharmacy. In this sense, there is a significant demand for pharmaceutical delivery to attend to those who can’t leave their homes.
Pharmaceutical Delivery
Launching a pharmaceutical delivery app seems simple, but real-world obstacles—like regulations, logistics, and competition—complicate operations. For one, pharmacies would have to confirm that each prescription is legit and run the insurance information of each patient. Another issue that should be addressed is the case of underage individuals obtaining delivery information, in which case, patients should present their ID to their delivery drivers to confirm their age and identity.
It is absolutely essential in this day and age to deliver medication to patients, mainly because we have the capability to do so. Delivering medication can help ailing patients who need immediate assistance or those who are unable to travel. Although rideshares like Uber are not intended for emergency situations, it’s essential to consider that no one else will deliver that medication to a patient.
Benefits for Female Patients
Female patients could also greatly benefit from medication delivery. Pregnant mothers and those who need women’s health treatments could have their medication brought to their doorstep. Women with infant children could also benefit from having medication delivered to their door, and the convenience of medication delivery can help women better plan for their day in medical recovery.
So, medication delivery sounds great, but why hasn’t it become a mainstream option yet? Why isn’t there an Uber or a Google for medication delivery? Simply put, there are too many laws for pharmaceutical companies to navigate in order to operate in every city, and there is significant competition from pharmacy stores like CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid for a medication delivery app to successfully establish a functioning pharmacy delivery warehouse in every city.
Delivery Issues
Like most rideshare apps, why doesn’t a delivery driver just pick up my medication and bring it to me? This is one of the most common questions that could be answered rather easily. Since pharmacy medication is technically a drug, this means that a delivery driver may choose to omit delivering the product and keep the medication for their own use. Most rideshare apps don’t conduct thorough background checks.
Even if they did, delivering medication is too sensitive an issue for an average delivery driver to handle, given security concerns. This is why most pharmacies have hired their own delivery drivers to deliver to local patients, rather than relying on a driver from an app to deliver their products. However, these mom-and-pop shops only deliver locally and thus cannot create an app to deliver to every city. This, in return, is the reason why there is no Uber for medication delivery.
Although hope may be on the horizon for a medication delivery app to emerge. Alcohol delivery apps had a similar problem when starting out, but after cutting deals with local liquor stores, they were able to deliver alcohol. Similarly, the medication must be delivered from existing pharmacies rather than an app creating its own warehouses. In this way, the medication delivery app can deliver from existing pharmacies to patients anywhere in the United States. The only remaining issue would be screening delivery drivers to ensure they are trustworthy enough to deliver the medication.
Future Delivery Apps
On-demand medication delivery via app is likely in the future. Current laws and retail pharmacy competition make nationwide coverage unlikely for the time being. Some apps have succeeded in local areas, but this is not a consistent solution nationwide.
Medication delivery via app is on the horizon, with developers likely already building the system. As demand grows, streamlined solutions will emerge, paving the way for a nationwide Uber-style model.
An Uber-style medication delivery system will let millions conveniently receive prescriptions at home. Thus allowing them to enjoy the convenience of staying there.