Building a Robust Pharma Delivery Application to Ensure Smooth Delivery of Medicines: All You Need to Know

Tap a few times on your phone screens and you can order food. Tap some more and you can get a cab at your doorstep. You can even get on-demand home cleaning services or order pharma delivery from your phone and it is the new way of life for us all.

On-demand services have made our lives easier and greatly increased our expectations. We are used to instant gratification, so much so that if there is a delay in package delivery, we feel anxious and, at times, frustrated. So, is there a scope to improve on-demand pharma delivery services? There certainly is!

There is no denying that medicines are an absolute necessity and we all have witnessed times in the past where we had a tough time finding a particular medicine. You might even have come across a scenario where you stood outside a pharmacy only to find out after 30 minutes that the medicine you wanted wasn’t available.

Solution? Many pharma delivery companies have popped up in recent years and are helping people by offering a hassle-free medicine buying experience. Major pharmaceutical companies also have their own pharmacy delivery software to make sure their customers can purchase the required medication from anywhere, any time, and at convenient prices. 

Challenges in Pharma Delivery and The COVID-19 Paradigm Shift 

An on-demand pharma delivery business is not easy to start. There are many challenges that entrepreneurs face when embarking on this journey. Some of them include:

• HIPAA Compliance:

Creating a HIPAA-compliant app is always a challenge. The developers have to go through all of their rules and regulations and maintain a creative outlook at the same time. 

• Data Integrity:

One major challenge today is the protection of customer data. It is compulsory for any pharma delivery app to provide data security with a nondisclosure agreement of user data set in place.

• FDA Regulations:

Rules and regulations laid down by the FDA are critical to the pharmaceutical industry and a digital marketplace is no exception. You must comply with these regulations and follow every instruction word-by-word to become an operational platform.

• Resistance from Traditional System:

Many pharmacies are not comfortable with the digital distribution of medicines. They are still against the idea and find that the traditional approach to things is more reliable and profitable. 

COVID-19 pandemic has outlined the importance of delivery software for pharmacy companies even more. It is evident that in the event of a lockdown, one can only rely on pharma delivery services to buy medicines for their loved ones. 

Moreover, many people suffered because of drug shortages during the pandemic and also saw many pharmacy stores hoarding medicines and other necessities like sanitizers. There is no end to human greed, but if there is an on-demand pharma delivery solution, then people can continue to buy the required drugs at the right price. 

But How Big is the Pharma Delivery Market?

The mobile healthcare market’s worth increased from $21billion in 2018 to around $90 billion in 2020 and it continues to grow at a CAGR of 33.7%. 

According to Statista, mobile health applications will be worth $332 billion by 2025. The growth trends can be understood from the graph below.

Not enough numbers for you? Here are some more:

• There are over 325,000 pharmacy delivery application in different app marketplaces
• Mobile health monitoring increases employee productivity and reduces $200 billion in costs
• Nearly 60% of mobile phone users have a pharma delivery app installed on their device
• Leading pharma delivery apps Netmeds and NowRx have raised $35million and $7million respectively till date
• Zion research states that on-deamnd pharmacy delivery will be worth $107.5 billion by 2025

Creating a Pharmacy Delivery Software to Overcome the Aforementioned Challenges 

If you are a pharmacy owner or want to create an online pharmacy marketplace in your area, then you must make sure that you can deliver medicines to the customers at their doorstep. 

You can either opt to create a single-vendor application or create a multi-vendor marketplace to bring together all the pharmacy businesses on your application. 

One way to become successful in the on-demand market is to create an app with all the latest features. There are four parts to a pharmacy delivery application, namely, customer side, vendor side, delivery agent side, and admin panel. 

Once you are ready to be on the right side of legislation, you can use a marketplace creation tool like NetworkON to start your pharmacy delivery software. Let’s take a look at what features you must incorporate into your application for all sides to launch a HIPAA and FDA-compliant platform that ensures timely delivery of medicines.

Customer App

• Profile Creation: 

It should allow users to create their profiles easily on your application. Allow sign-in through different social accounts to offer a seamless experience.

• Prescription Upload:

Customers shouldn’t have to struggle to upload their prescriptions on the app. You can enable users to upload pictures through their gallery for faster processing.

• Easy Search:

Searching for medicines should be a breeze. Customers should be able to find out which pharmacy stores have the required medication and receive the alternatives as a suggestion in case of product unavailability.

• Detailed Filters: 

Customers should be able to filter medicines into different categories based on their geolocation, proximity, availability, and more. 

• Multiple Payment Methods:

Different modes of payment should be integrated into your app. More ways to pay means more customers will be able to make purchases from your website or app. 

• Last Mile Delivery and Tracking:

Customers should always stay informed about the status of their order and get real-time updates about the package’s movements. 

• Ratings and Reviews:

Make sure you allow your customers to review their purchasing experience and rate the products bought from the app. It keeps the sellers on their toes and helps you assess any shortcomings in your business. 

Seller App

• Drug Management:

The sellers should be able to manage their medicine inventory with ease. Additionally, the app should have a section that can be used to describe every drug’s components, uses, and side effects in detail.

• Order Management:

Your app should notify the sellers of any orders and the pharmacies must be able to manage them all from a centralized dashboard. This includes dispatch, processing, return logistics, and refunds for all orders. 

• Prices and Discounts:

Lets your sellers fix and manage the prices of their products in a few easy steps. It enables the pharma delivery companies to create discount coupons, run promos, and assign loyalty points to their regular customers.

Delivery Agent App

• Order Notifications: 

Delivery agents get informed about new orders instantly and they can respond as per their availability to accept or reject the delivery.

• Order Information:

If accepted, the delivery agents should receive the entire order information like delivery address, location, and customer’s name.

• Navigation and Tracking:

Your pharmacy delivery software should allow the delivery teams to navigate through the city using a reliable GPS system built into the app. Additionally, the agents should be able to track the number of deliveries made on a weekly or monthly basis to keep track of their earnings.

Administrator App

• Central Dashboard:

This panel allows the admin to keep track of all activities within the app. They can verify any pending requests or make changes to the account from a single screen. 

• Stock Management:

Admins can also keep a track of their inventory and update the listings’ status to out of stock when required. It should also inform the admin of the stock’s expiration dates and process the orders accordingly.

• Payments and Commissions:

The admin panel should be able to control the commissions paid to the agents, and pharmacy delivery vendors.  Admins should be able to run price promotions directly from the dashboard and control any unethical surge in prices.

• Analytics and Reporting:

Data is key to building any sort of marketing strategy, managing sellers, and making improvements in the app. Make sure your app has strong and robust analytics and reporting features to make insight-based business decisions.

Benefits of On-Demand Pharma Delivery Apps for Buyers and Sellers

An on-demand pharma delivery app is a win-win for both the customers and pharmacies. Let’s take a look at the benefits they offer.

For Customers

• Helps them save time by giving access to medicines online
• Offers medicines at competitive prices and mitigates black marketing of drugs
• Let’s them know details about a medicine and makes them aware of potential side-effects
• 24/7 delivery of medicines
• They can easily check the availability of required medicines

For Pharmacies

• They can offers a seamless buying experience to customers
• Increases brand loyalty by offering discounts and keeping customers engaged
• Removes geographical constraints for medicines
• Allows them to update their inventory with easy 
• Boosts the revenue for their company

Time to Get a Ready-to-Use On-Demand Pharma Delivery Solution

Yes, you can hire a team to develop your own pharmacy delivery software. But are you ready to commit thousands of dollars and many months into development? Absolutely not!

NetworkON allows you to start your own pharma delivery business in a few steps. You can deploy your solution in a matter of minutes and the best part is, it is always free to start.

Save time and money, create a branded pharmacy delivery software easily and keep your customers happy. NetworkON focuses on the core competencies of your team members and helps you create a marketplace that is loved by customers. 

Let’s Talk

The post-pandemic economic boom is just around the corner making the present the perfect time for entrepreneurs to invest in a pharma delivery app. 

To know more about how NetworkOn can help you get started instantly, talk to our experts over a consultation session today. For more information, you may visit our website or email us at info@networkon.io.

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