CVS & Walgreens now providing/charging for a service that most independent pharmacies DO FOR FREE and SAME DAY

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Pharmaciststeve

CVS to Offer Nationwide Home Delivery of Prescription Drugs

https://healthitanalytics.com/news/cvs-to-offer-nationwide-home-delivery-of-prescription-drugs

– CVS Pharmacy is now offering speedy home delivery of prescription drugs across the nation as a way to improve medication adherence, boster population health, meet consumer expectations – and potentially get ahead of competitors like Amazon who may launch similar services in the near future.

Customers will be able to receive their prescriptions as soon as the next day, CVS Health said in a press release, by placing orders through an app or by phone.  The service comes with a $4.99 delivery charge.

Same-day prescription delivery has been available since late 2017 in select metro areas, including San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Miami, and Washington, DC, for an $8.99 delivery fee.

Controlled substances, Medicare Part B medications, and medications that require refrigeration will be excluded from the delivery service, the accompanying FAQs state.

“The national launch of our prescription delivery service, including the expansion of same-day delivery in five new markets, is delivering on our promise to make staying healthy simpler for every patient, regardless of where they live,” said Kevin Hourican, President of CVS Pharmacy.

“Through a fully customized digital experience, shoppers are now able to enjoy the convenience of CVS Pharmacy right at their doorstep.”

Delivering medications by mail is by no means a novel idea – mail-order pharmacy services are a standard part of many prescription drug plans, and may encourage lower costs and higher rates of medication adherence due to their convenience factor.

While some independent pharmacies also offer home delivery services within their communities, CVS Pharmacy is the first national chain to dive head first into the on-demand market. 

Customers can also add common health and household items stocked by CVS retail stores, including cold and flu remedies, vitamins, baby care items, and allergy medications, which enhances the allure for consumers who are getting used to being able to summon necessities with the tap of a smartphone app.

“The rollout of delivery from nearly all of our 9,800 retail pharmacy locations nationwide represents another step forward for us in delivering innovative omnichannel solutions that help people on their path to better health,” said Hourican.

The phrase “omnichannel solutions” immediately conjures up thoughts of Amazon, which has made near-immediate, consumer-oriented services a top priority as it expands into new areas of shopping, home services, and potentially the healthcare industry.

Rumors of Amazon breaking into the prescription drug market have been swirling for months, growing in strength as the commerce behemoth moves forward with its plans to disrupt healthcare alongside Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan & Chase. 

Other competitors may include Walmart, which is ramping up its grocery delivery services and offering free 2-day shipping on other items to compete with Amazon Prime. 

The staple mega-mart is also rumored to be in talks to acquire or partner with Humana, which could streamline the process of delivering prescription drug services to Humana members.

Walgreens is also in the mix.  The chain encourages customers to take advantage of free shipping of 30-day or 90-day prescription supplies through its mail order division. 

Walgreens’ free standard shipping takes between 5 and 10 days to arrive, however, and the pharmacy charges $12.95 for 2-day shipping and $19.95 for overnight delivery.  Whether prices will drop in light of the CVS Pharmacy announcement remains to be seen.

The CVS announcement is not unexpected in light of the fierce jockeying for consumer loyalty among a new suite of consumer-driven healthcare companies.  As these entities fight for market share – and race to secure and leverage the big data that will support their strategic decision-making – consumers may find themselves spoiled for choice.

Competition to craft a high-quality consumer experience could be a positive force in an industry that is moving towards value-based reimbursements.  Pharmacy companies that can create satisfied patients while potentially improving medication adherence and lowering drug costs could be among the most successful in this quickly changing marketplace.

Just look at any bottle of medication that has the original label on it… doesn’t make any difference if it is a OTC product or a prescription med.. most all have a FDA statement stating the required storage temperature… normally 59F – 86F… there are some exception to those storage requirements for certain medication.  Most independent pharmacies – who offer same day delivery AT NO CHARGE – your medication is typically kept in the required storage range. But when pharmacies place medications in some sort of carrier/delivery services  – USPS, Fedex, UPS, etc.. etc…  they are typically exposed to whatever the ambient temperature is — or in the case of summer heat – could be exposed to much higher temperature than ambient temperature.

Manufacturers, wholesaler, pharmacies are required to maintain medications under these temperature range…but.. when a pharmacy hands your prescriptions over to a delivery carrier(s) they don’t have to adhere to these temperature storage requirements.

There have been some studies concerning the potency of medication shipped and delivered to a “mail box” … in the summer in the southwest area and the medications tested LOST 50% OF THEIR STRENGTH.

Filed under: General Problems

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One Response

  1. Anonymous, on June 20, 2018 at 12:40 pm said:

    is this some sort of placation attempt to make up for being treated like scum due to trying to fill ‘controlled’meds.?You’ll have to do a WHOLE lot better than that,you corporate vampires!!!!

    Reply

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