01 March 2019
Well pharmacy committed to helping the NHS achieve its long-term plan through digitalisation
Well Pharmacy, the third largest pharmacy chain in the UK, has pledged its support for the NHS Long Term Plan through digitalisation, and is committed to building the best prescription service in the UK for customers.
The plan published by the NHS on Monday 7th January 2019, aims to make greater use of community pharmacists’ skills and opportunities to engage patients in vital healthcare services. The plan has a heavy focus on a ‘digital first’ approach, following in the footsteps of other industries that have successfully undergone a digital transformation to improve the customer experience.
Well Pharmacy launched its online NHS prescription service in July 2018 and has since signed up over 29,000 customers. In fact, in the week commencing 4th February 2019, it was the fastest growing online pharmacy by nominations in the UK, and the largest Well Pharmacy in the company’s estate.
The service takes the hassle out of prescriptions, enabling customers to order their medication quickly, easily and safely online. It allows customers to manage their own health efficiently - a key focus in the NHS Long Term Plan.
Chris Ellett, Director of Transformation at Well Pharmacy said, "It’s about choice. Most of our customers still prefer to come into our pharmacies, but not everyone can do this during working hours. This online service now gives customers the option to have their NHS prescriptions delivered direct to their door by a trusted provider with years of pharmacy experience, for free.
“We’re doing critical work to bring pharmacy into the digital age whilst creating a joined-up experience with the NHS. A digital-first approach will result in a more streamlined service for customers, and give people choice in how they receive health advice and medication.”
The company’s online pharmacy has an integrated chat system allowing customers to talk to a pharmacist from the comfort of their own home or on the go. The average wait time is four minutes and 90% of users say the customer service is amazing or great.
Well Pharmacy plans to add additional functionality this year, including a feature enabling the ordering of multiple prescriptions on behalf of family members, such as elderly relatives or young children. Long-term, the pharmacy chain will start to look at the integration of their online and in-store services, such as offering ‘Click and Collect’ to their customers.