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Why Choose Us to Build a Pharmacy App like Walgreens?

Quick Summary: A 42 years old professional named John, who cannot miss his diabetes medication, forgot to refill his prescription last night. The pills need to be taken with lunch.

At 8 am on his way to the office, he realized the missed medication and ordered the same with a quick snap using the Walgreens pharmacy app.

The medicines get delivered to an office within a few hours before lunch, he relaxes and adds, “it’s great to have a Walgreens pharmacy app, it bypasses the frustration of getting medication on time.”

On-demand medication apps are not new to us. But the trend spiked during the pandemic, as most people were restricted to staying at home. During such situations, the pharmacy app turns out to be the savior in concerns with medication accessibility and affordability.

With such an app, users can buy their medicines at an affordable cost and get them delivered to their doorstep. Additionally, customers can save money with membership offers and discounts, connect with expert pharmacists, and also claim medical insurance.

In this article, we will go through the Walgreens online app, its key features, the business model, and why you should count on SyS Creations to build a pharmacy app like Walgreens.

Walgreens business model and key features

Walgreens pharmacy app

Walgreens- An American company that is now a subsidiary of Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., operates as the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States, after CVS Health. It provides a unique way that makes it dead simple to refill prescriptions.

In the online pharmacy market, we generally see three types of pharmacy apps:

  • App for the pharmacy marketplace: Pharmacy app that gives chances to local pharmacies to grow their business.
  • App for online pharmacy stores: The app supports independent pharmacy businesses, and offers direct-to-consumer services.
  • App made for pharmacy stores that operate under one brand: The app supports a chain of pharmacies that provides services under one brand.

The Walgreens online app is a hybrid of the second and third business models as its parent company WBA holds both Walgreens and Alliance Boots GmbH; also it has several other pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution companies. So it takes advantage of its partners to fulfill the customer’s requirement.

Other than medical products, Walgreens provides beauty products, fitness supplements, household essentials, goods and groceries, electronics, office essentials, photo print services, contact lenses, eyeglasses, cards, and stationaries with a same-day pickup and delivery facility.

How does the Walgreens pharmacy app work?

To understand how Walgreens works, let’s have a look at its key features and functionalities.

User account:

Customers can take advantage of Walgreens’ services after creating a user account by filling in personal information such as email address, name, contact number, and address. The services include,

  • Refill prescription
  • Check prescription status
  • View order history
  • Add to cart
  • Auto-reorder Manager
  • Shopping list
  • Free shipping on orders above $35
  • Ship order to a nearby store to pick up for free
  • Secure online payment gateway
  • Easy return & refund policy

While using the app, before placing an order you can search for the nearest Walgreens store to ship your order at the store. Also, you can ask to deliver the products at home. However, age-restricted items may only be picked up from the store.

Order prescriptions:

With the Walgreens prescription functionality, users can,

  • Refill their prescriptions just by scanning the barcode
  • Track order status
  • Access to private online pharmacy records and health information
  • Auto-refill prescription
  • Manage daily medications with a pill reminder feature
  • In-app chat with a pharmacist
  • Access drug information
  • Get same-day delivery of medicines
  • Get notified by email and text when the order is ready for pickup
  • Offers free prescriptions and general health advice 24/7 from pharmacy experts.

Find care:

Walgreen asks users to create Walgreens Find Care Profile and it is compulsory for California and Texas residents. The personal information in the Walgreens Finds Care profile is covered by the terms of online privacy and security policies and is not governed by HIPAA or the Walgreens Notice of Privacy Practices.

The personal information in the Walgreens Finds Care Profile is not used by the Walgreens Pharmacy to render other pharmacy and healthcare services to the user.

  • Walgreens app connects consumers to medical professionals or healthcare providers through mobile apps or in person.
  • Consumers can find flu shots and immunization centers and schedule appointments online.
  • Access to COVID-19 information and support.
  • Find quick answers to health-related queries.
  • Explore Medicare, Medicaid, and Health Insurance plans.

Order contact lenses or glasses:

Customers can shop online for prescription glasses, contact lenses, eye solutions, supplements for eye health, drops, and contact lens cases.

Shop other products and save money:

  • Home essentials, electronics, pet care products, groceries, natural and organic products, and beauty products are available to shop online.
  • On shopping, consumers earn rewards and points.
  • Provides weekly deals and offers.

Photo:

With the Walgreens pharmacy app, consumers can print and upload photos, create photo albums, personalized photo cards, gifts, posters, and calendars.

How can you build an app like Walgreens pharmacy with unique functionalities customized to your pharmacy needs?

Well, from what we know about the Walgreens pharmacy app; it’s clear that the app operates in three segments:

  • Nation-wide retail pharmacy
  • Online pharma care and home essentials (pharmacy eCommerce)
  • Online healthcare

Under the Online pharma care and home essential segment, prescription drugs account for 72% of the sales while only 28 % comes from retail sales (general merchandise, OTC medications, cosmetics, and groceries).

With competitors such as CVS Health (acquired Aetna) and Amazon (acquired Pill Pack), Walgreens’s retail business now has tough competitors, and therefore the company has started offering on-demand digital health services after recognizing the opportunities in the digital healthcare sector.

If you are planning to build an app like Walgreens pharmacy you have an opportunity to redefine the previous business model with a more comprehensive approach by integrating the pharmacy with digital healthcare, support services, pharmacy eCommerce, and additional features.

Here are additional functionalities that you can add to your app:

  • Track real-time pharmacy inventory to avoid medication loss (for admins).
  • In-app assistance to find medication interactions and medicine side effects.
  • Schedule virtual appointments with the medical specialists with reminders.
  • Integrate trackers to check vital signs and manage medications (for chronic patients).
  • Gamification and reward to encourage medication adherence.

As every business has its unique way to offer better services to customers, you must add custom features that help you to stand out from the crowd.

9 key features your pharmacy app must possess

1. Privacy and security

It’s essential to ensure that any pharmacy app must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to maintain the privacy and security of users’ medical information.

2. Integration with Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

By integrating EHRs with pharmacy apps, patients can access their medical records, including prescription history, allergies, and health conditions. EHR integration also enables physicians and pharmacists to communicate better and avoid medication errors.

3. Medication reminders and errors

Medication reminders and alerts are essential features of any pharmacy app. These features can help patients keep track of their medication schedules and avoid missed doses.

4. Personalized medication plans

Personalized medication plans based on a patient’s medical history, allergies, and current health status can enhance the user experience of any pharmacy app. A personalized plan can help patients understand their medication needs and improve their medication adherence.

5. Virtual consultations

In addition to in-app chat with pharmacists, virtual consultations with healthcare providers can be a valuable feature of any pharmacy app. This feature can enable patients to get medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment without leaving their homes.

6. AI-powered medication management

AI-powered medication management can automate medication-related tasks such as prescription refill reminders, medication tracking, and dosage adjustments. This feature can save time and reduce the risk of medication errors.

7. Multi-language support

Providing multi-language support can improve the accessibility and usability of the pharmacy app for non-English speaking users.

8. Analytics and insights

Analytics and insights can provide valuable information to pharmacy businesses about user behavior, medication trends, and sales patterns. This information can help pharmacy businesses optimize their operations and marketing strategies.

9. AI-powered diagnostic

AI-powered diagnostics can enable users to self-diagnose common health conditions and get medical advice. This feature can enhance the user experience of the pharmacy app and improve the accessibility of healthcare services.

Why should you count on us to build your next pharmacy app?

Mobile devices and innovations in healthcare technologies are providing convenience, consistency, quality, and security at an affordable cost in a more personalized way.

Technology defines how you provide digital health services to customers. As healthcare IT experts, we offer services such as enterprise consultation, custom app designing and development, analytics, and QA testing across various platforms and devices.

Well, if you are not sure about how to choose your software product development company, just have a look at our offering, make a checklist for your requirements, and decide whether we fit your needs or not.

Healthcare-focused IT company:

Our company is healthcare focussed and has 8+ years of experience in IT healthcare app development. Till today, we have delivered 125+ healthcare solutions for EMR, and EHR integration, generalized healthcare that includes mental health apps, pharmacy apps, home healthcare, and more; telehealth and telemedicine apps for clinics, enterprises, and startups.

Next-generation app development:

We have worked on various mobile apps that included:

  • Native app development (iOS and Android)
  • Hybrid and cross-platform app development
  • Apps for IoT
  • Enterprise app and API integration services

Besides that, we provide services for startup product development, enterprise healthcare consulting, and healthcare IT support.

A dedicated team of experts that helps you at every stage:

Our expert team has many years of experience and hands-on knowledge of modern technologies. We offer top experts to bring your idea into reality by streamlining your IT initiatives, tech strategies, technology infrastructure, and team.

Our team includes tech project managers, backend and frontend developers, QA and UAT engineers, UI/UX designers, compliance specialists, and a dedicated CTO.

50+ technology:

Whether you want to scale your existing project that uses a particular tech stack or want to build a new one with modern technologies, we have experience in working with 50+ technologies. So you do not need to compromise on the technology while your software solution is developed.

We constantly work to get the desired output from the initial stage of project idea validation, prototyping, designing, and ensuring delivery of secure and scalable healthcare solutions complying with industry regulations.

And last but not the least, we understand healthcare:

Healthcare is in our DNA. One thing we do very confidently and very uniquely is healthcare. Because, for us, healthcare is the only way to help every individual on this planet earth!

Our micro-planning and development approach:

We know what it takes to build an epic healthcare solution.

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