A Comprehensive Guide to Pharmacy App Development

Under this blog, we will discuss the details of pharmacy app development and how we can create a  pharmacy app of our own. 

In these recent times, medicines have become the topmost priority in every household. As we have to comply with the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 threat each day, having the appropriate medical aid has become very important. 

One primary challenge that the users are facing during these lockdown phases is the availability of medicines. 

There are a number of inconveniences the customers are facing to buy medicines from the shops themselves. 

The problems mentioned below have become an important issue as people cannot visit the pharmacy physically.

• Long lines
• Social distancing protocols
• Overpriced medicines 
• Unavailability of medicines and injections

To solve such issues, many companies came up with the idea of a pharmacy app. These companies focus primarily on the delivery of medicines at the user’s doorstep. And also, they provide them the comfort and convenience they need during these difficult times.

Brands like iPharmacy, pocket pharmacists, etc., have created a comprehensive platform. they have made medicine delivery become more accessible and easy to buy. With just one click, the required medicines reach your doorstep in no time. 

Hence, the Idea should be regarded as a promising business strategy. As it benefits both the customers and the pharmacy owners.

What is a pharmacy app?

Pharmacy apps have become a significant help in these recent years. These apps provide a platform where it connects major pharmacies to help people in need.

Medicine apps like pocket pharmacist have become the most important source of many health care products like

1. Medicines
2. Lab tests
3. Doctor consultations 
4. Medicine information and so on. 

These apps have been providing wholesome support for years. 

With such facilities being available on our phones, people have become more calm and composed. As dealing with matters as important as first aid, oxygen cylinders, etc., has become easier to gain.

They provide us with relatively economical prescriptions to save unnecessary costs. As hospital pharmacies tend to charge a fortune on medical bills 

 

Exploring the E-Pharmacy Market:

While exploring the market, we need to look at the core elements of the Pharmacy app development. And learn what makes them popular. 

E-Pharmacy Customers

Different app developers and businesses have started seeing the advantages of creating an app for this particular sector. 

In numerous surveys taken before, customers had one single problem. Before the availability of a pharmacy app, it was a lack of communication with the pharmacists.

Around 20% of the customers who are pharmacy app users are 23%more satisfied than those who aren’t using one.

As expected, many retail businesses have gained customer loyalty and retention through pharmacy apps. It gives easy access to the users to pick their prescribed medicines. And get it delivered without any hassle and complete security. 

E-pharmacy Business Growth

While talking about the Idea behind pharmacy app development, we can see several competing brands. 

As online medicine delivery has drastically changed the customer experience, people have become more environmentally sound and responsible. Especially those who are suffering from various medical conditions have their prescriptions delivered at home without any delay. 

Since the last decade, the online pharmacy market has seen tremendous growth.
With the constant advancement of mail-order medicines, E-pharmacy has taken a big leap.
Focussing on better health conditions, the popularity of these apps is showing in their market share. 

In 2018, the global online pharmacy displayed a net worth of 49.7 billion US Dollars. It is predicted that the market will increase its reach by 177.8 billion US Dollars. 

It has created new doors of convenience for customers enabling them to save time and effort visiting pharmacies.

 

What are the benefits of a pharmacy app?

Through online pharmacy apps, businesses and retailers have created an important place in the market. Not only have these businesses upgraded the pharmacy app development, but they have made a better connection with their customers.

Hence these vendors saw more revenue and an increase in goodwill.

Here we have listed down few benefits that pharmacy app development offers to a user:

High-Level Patient Assistance

Customers are entitled to a series of features under these apps. Following are few important services they provide:

• Drug reference materials
• Pharmaceutical consultations
• Medicine trackers.

Better Chronic Illness Management

Patients dealing with chronic illnesses can track their doses and order medicines until three months’ worth of supply online.
It also eliminates the usual procedure of monthly prescriptions and repeated visits to the store. 

Customer Loyalty 

To maintain customer loyalty and interest. To increase better communication and connection, these pharmacy apps provide a gamut of options to the user. Features like: 

• Promotional offers and discounts 
• Push notifications
• Free consultations
• Faster delivery (for exclusive membership subscribers)

Convenience and Privacy 

Time and cost savings have always been the topmost priority for consumers. 

Some customers are not comfortable buying their medicines in front of other people.

Some people are not always open to buying medicines in front of a crowd. 

With the help of these pharmacy apps, the privacy and convenience of the customers are enhanced. And the respect is mutual. 

Driving New Customers 

You can scale your business quickly when you enter the medicine and pharma market in the US / Europe. At Idea Usher, we implement tried and tested marketing strategies in this regard. You get more traffic to your website and create a presence online. 

The online presence of your pharmacy app not only maximizes your customer base but also helps you to grow your business overall. 

 

Types of Pharmacy apps:

Building your app must to the existing online pharmacy business model, and You may choose among the following types:

To know how to build your business in the E-pharmacy market, you must know various pharmacy apps that you can create.
So as to help you choose your pharmacy app purpose, we have streamlined a few kinds of pharmacy apps. 

Below are the types to guide you align with the strategies you implement in your pharmacy business.

Apps for Pharmacy Marketplaces

Pharmacy apps give the local pharmacies a chance to grow their business in the ongoing market.
With services like medicine ordering and delivery services, pharmacies can avoid monopoly while giving every store a chance. 

This makes it easier for the users to choose from a plethora of options and support local providers. 

Apps for Online Pharmacy Store

Online pharmacy stores are growing day by day. These Pharmacies support independent and medical businesses. The company can directly connect and help the customers on a personal level. 

Furthermore, the products get directly delivered through the app, and the stores perform delivery. 

Apps made for Pharmacy Stores.

Having an application for a pharmacy network mainly under one brand can help increase business and customer loyalty.

Core Panels of Any Pharmacy App in 2023

Based on the user’s needs and requirements, a pharmacy app has four prominent user roles to distinguish: 

• Customer
• Pharmacist
• Admin
• Delivery

Before the development phase, defining a feature list for pharmacy applications associated with each user role is crucial. 

Let’s go over each one by one:

Customer Panel

1. Upload Prescription

A receipt of the prescription can be easily uploaded to the application for the pharmacist to verify.
For special medication, the pharmacist can connect with the customer for verification over in-app chat/ calls.

2. Easy Onboarding

The easy onboarding process is the most important feature the app is required to have. Customers don’t need complex interfaces in times of need.
Easy login by various means like social media accounts, email, or phone number works perfectly fine. 

3. Category Search

Filter search should be available in your app as scrolling through loads of options will waste time and delay the process.
Advanced search helps to garner customers’ attention as well. 

4. Drug Information

Details on manufacturers, price, and descriptions of available drugs should be easily seen.
Accurate information about the drug is an essential part of purchasing medicines. 

Details mentioned below impact the most while one buys a medicine. 

• Manufactures
• Price
• Description of the salts available 
• Expiry dates 

5. Find Substitutes 

A feature where you can compare the medicines regarding the price can help the customer opt for a better option.

6. Refill Prescription 

With a history feature available in the app, the users will be able to repurchase the prescription easily. Repeated searches and lengthy procedures will defy the customer’s interest immediately. 

7. Order Tracking

An essential feature of order tracking should be present in the pharmacy app.
It is as a customer needs to know the delivery of the orders they make to prepare themselves accordingly. 

8. Medicine Reminders

Medicine reminders, alerts, and notifications on regular intake are a must-have component of the feature set. 

9. Payments and Offers

With technology advancing with each passing day, various on-demand payment applications have surfaced online.
As contactless delivery becoming a necessity, online payments are the only option to complete an order. Payment options like the mentioned below are few options the user can try to fulfill their payment.

• Debit/Credit Cards
• Online payments 
• Net banking 
• Cryptocurrency/ crypto wallets

10. Manage Profile

The ability to edit the existing details on our profiles as per the need is very important. This feature lets users manage the following 

• their profiles 
• delivery addresses
• payment details

 

Admin Panel

From the administrator’s panel, the pharmacy app development is created on an organizing level. Inventories, orders, data, logs, and so on comes under the admin panel. 

Let’s discuss what features come under the admin panel. 

1. Manage Inventory 

Inventory management takes a lot of time and effort as the goodwill of the supplier lies majorly in this section. This feature helps to spot expiration dates of the stock, availability, and pricing of the items. 

2. Manage Orders 

Admins should manage the status of all the orders placed and update them as the order process progresses. Order management is the core of any pharmacy app.
The main features under order management for the admin panel is as follows: 

• Segregate orders
• Manage the delivery status 
• Update the status as the process progresses

3. Manage Customers

Customers are the reason why these apps are developed in the first place.
Such on-demand pharmacy apps have created a smoother path between the customer needs and the business providing the service. 

With each customer enrolling themselves in the app, a lot of data is entered to keep track of the process the business makes. 

The topmost priority is to secure the information and act accordingly. The data is advisable to be accessible to the admins only as leaking the database will be less. 

4. Payments and Offers 

To keep up the goodwill of the customers, the app provides numerous offers and discounts. Such deals and different discount promos should be accessible. And for admins, they can keep track of how payments are handled.

5. Content Management

The content is an important feature that displays your Idea and helps you sell it to your audience.
Content like

• FAQS
• Blogs
• Terms and conditions
• News
• Articles
• Testimonials
  have always played an essential role in defining the thought process of the application. 

6. Reporting and Analytics 

 A lot of customers place orders daily. It becomes a bit of a challenge to keep track of each order and its details. 

Due to logistics, payment management, or order mismanagement, customers often face issues that need to be addressed immediately. 

An option of reporting and analysis will help bridge the miscommunication between both parties. It will also help the business to improve and adhere to the customer’s suggestions. 

7. Marketing Tool 

Through this feature, administrators can manage the external factors that drive the customers to the app. Aspects gave below to many play a significant role in building a niche for the app in the pharmacy app development:

• Advertising
• Marketing emails
• Marketing campaigns
• Promotional Activities

 

Pharmacist Panel

1. Dedicated Interface 

To have better order management and inventory management, the vendor (pharmacist) can use the web console. 

2. Order Notification 

From the side of the pharmacist panel, they should be able to access the orders quickly. Moreover, pharmacists can connect with their vendors to fulfill urgent requirements of rare medications.

3. Digitize Prescription 

As every procedure around us goes paperless to reduce waste, digital prescriptions as one big step to follow. These digital prescriptions are

• easy to save
• acquires less space
• can be shared or mailed.
  The fear of losing these prescriptions amidst the massive pile of papers has become relatively less them 

As for the doctors’ handwriting issue, well that’s also taken care of.
Digital prescriptions eliminate them making it easy for the pharmacist and the user to analyze efficiently. 

4. Provide Support 

There can be instances where pharmacists are not able to fulfill the customer’s demands and requests.

Either due to unavailability or lack of logistic support, users feel the need to enlighten the pharmacists about the issues they have been facing.

With the feature of support and contact, the problem will reach directly to the provider.

Customer support should be readily available for clients’ needs which is key for customer loyalty and retention.

 

Driver Panel

While we focus on all the necessary options revolving around the application, there is a lot to discover.
The main objective of these applications has always been to deliver the promised goods to the customer. 

The delivery section holds a vital role in the functioning of the pharmacy app development. 

These on-demand apps have become popular because of the easy accessibility and delivery options available to the user. 

In these challenging times of COVID-19, people have become wholly dependent on these apps.
Apps for  in tiffin services, medicine delivery, grocery delivery, etc became extremely popular. 

As the requirement of

• Social distancing
• Avoiding public places 
  Is substantially increasing, the app’s goodwill falls on the quality of the services they intend to provide. 

Here is a list of all the necessary features from the perspective of the delivery team, which they need to follow. 

1. Driver Login 

Through this feature, the drivers can log in using their designated login credentials. Log In can also be handled through emails, phone numbers, or social media accounts of the driver. 

2. Driver Profile

The driver’s profile is a must in the case of the delivery option. As they are in charge of delivering the order to the customers, pharmacies place a lot of trust. 

Through the driver’s profile, the service providers can analyze the efficiency of each team. On that basis, the salary system, incentives, and so on can be adjusted. 

It also allows the couriers to store the history of deliveries.

3. Delivery Information/Status 

Delivery information and status features help the driver to make essential changes regarding the delivery status. 

4. Map Tracking

Map tracking provides a massive help to the delivery team.
As the customer base of these pharmacy apps is increasing day by day, the responsibility of the delivery team is also growing. 

This feature helps the drivers in a very obvious way; they guide the delivery team to the leading destination. It also eliminates the possibility of mismanagement of the orders or late delivery.  

5. Push Notifications

Through the feature of push notifications, couriers can also get notifications and alerts when orders are made. 

For example

Suppose the customer is not physically present or no one’s answering the door. In that case, the Idea of contacting the customer through messages or notifying them accordingly will be a great help. 

Both the user and the service provider will be able to maintain quality and respect. 

 

How To Operate A Pharmacy App: The Complete User Experience Flow

Under user experience flow, the main focus is on the accessibility of the on-demand pharmacy app you have created. 

Let’s take a look at the working of a medicine delivery app in full detail. 

• The primary thing a user does is to search the medicine in the search bar. A well-functioning search bar helps the user to see their options in full detail. 
• A detailed filter option can help the user to search for the product they intend to buy. 
• When the medicines users’ need meets, they can add to the cart and proceed to the payment section. 
• When the orders places, the pharmacy store gets notified. They pack the items, and delivery executives travel to the indicated location. The moment the order enters, the pharmacy receives the notification.
• Payment options are laid for consumers, and delivery details should be made available to track their orders.
• The service provider prepares the order and hands it over to the delivery team. 
• Upon receiving their orders, users can rate and review the overall process.

In addition, pharmacy app development abides by high-security standards regarding the financial sensitivity of health-related information.

 

Top 5 pharmacy apps in the USA and Europe 2023

The technical panel of the whole pharmacy app development team comprises the driver panel. The creation and layout play a significant role in showcasing your ideas and service in front of the customers you want to target.

To help you learn more about pharmacy app development. Let’s look at the big brands that have made a significant contribution in developing E-pharmacy. 

Here are the top brands in the pharmacy app development market

1. Epocrates

Epocrates is one of the leading medical reference apps in the USA. It aims to offer information regarding 

• Patients, 
• Drugs, 
• Diagnostics, 
• Diseases. 
• Pill identifier
• Drug calculation helps in the dosage as well. 

This app has become quite popular among Android users with an updated OS.

 

2. Pharmacy2U 

Pharmacy2U has created a prominent role in the market of pharmacy app development. Based in the UK, this application implemented electronic transfer of prescriptions and became the first of its kind in E-Pharmacy. 

They offer a great variety of services, making them popular among the masses. These features are 

• They offer NHS repeat prescriptions on behalf of the patients. 
• NHS is an acronym for National Health Service. People usually pay for drugs, medications, and treatments prescribed by a National Health Service (NHS) medical practitioner. 

Pharmacy2U provides a better and an economical pathway for this service.
Unlike other medical applications, this app tends to ease the user’s issue regarding the NHS. Their service offers better facilities than the traditional method and even costs less.
Pharmacy2U dispenses from one pharmacy facility, which results in fewer location-based repayment fees for the NHS to pay.

They also provide multiple services under one roof. below is a list of features they provide:

• Pharmacy2U allows the user to order and edit prescriptions without any time constraints. 
• It also ensures that the Chemist is just one tap away from your one-stop-shop for your healthcare needs.
• Apart from NHS prescriptions and better connectivity, Pharmacy2U also provides notifications on vaccine availability. 
• They also help people with immediate consultations from online doctors. 

 

3. Walmart Pharmacy

Walmart pharmacy comes under the retail company Walmart. 

As an application, Walmart pharmacy offers a variety of options to its customers. These features focus on the users’ convenience and better pharmacy experience. 

The options mentioned below help Walmart pharmacy stand apart from its competitors. 

• Easy refills & prescription transfers
• Manage medications for you & your family
• Mobile Express Pickup
• Pet medications
• Flu shots and immunizations
• Medication reviews
• Mail orders

 

4. Lexicomp app

Lexicomp is an application that is famous among pharmacy technician students.

The primary reason behind its popularity is, the app offers comprehensive information on medicines and their composition. 

Apart from the information sector, Lexicomp also offers an extensive set of features on its application. They are as follows.

• Drug Administration
• Possible interactions
• Potential side effects
• Contraindications and necessary measures for pediatric and adult patients

 

5. Echo Pharmacy

Echo Pharmacy works as a free app containing an online repeat prescription service by Lloyds Pharmacy.

It is known for its GP surgeries in England. 

This application operates on a simple idea. They are providing an easy pathway to help out the people in need.

They also provide free NHS prescriptions without any hindrance.

How does echo work?

• You just have to order your medicine.
• Your designated GP approves and sends you a digital prescription
• Once accepted, your order approves
• Finally, you receive your order at your doorstep

 

Choosing Idea Usher as your Pharmacy app developers 

Pharmacy application development stands on three main pillars: the user, the pharmacist, and the business. 

Creating a pharmacy app consists of many essential aspects as many users blindly trust and depend on the services they provide. 

Building an app involves thorough research, and all the necessary steps like design and interface need to be in check. 

We at Idea Usher aim to provide you the best platform to try your Idea till execution. But we don’t stop there. We plan to offer you all the available facilities like design, planning, organizing, and promotion of your app. 

Your Idea is our mission. And we aim to fulfill it at all costs. With economical and viable solutions from our end, your plan will look as intact as you want. 

 

Conclusion

While the world is fighting a pandemic, the businesses around have shifted their services online. To comply with the ongoing norms laid by the government. 

On-demand apps like carpooling, grocery shopping, and food delivery see a hike in their business. Everyone prefers to stay at home and follow them due to social distancing and closing public places. 

These apps have helped a lot in bringing balance to our new everyday life. 

Medicines, regular checkups, vaccinations, and consultations have become more important than ever before.

Through the help of these pharmacy apps, people can get their dose of medicines without being physically at the store. 

It helps the user in terms of their safety and brings business to the local pharmacies and shops, and helps them survive in the market. 

Each business is shifting towards the new everyday life of on-demand apps. Exploring the idea of opening an online platform shouldn’t be neglected. 

With a lot of scope to increase a better customer base and interaction, pharmacy app development provides huge scope to each pharmacist worldwide. 

If you want to know more about how pharmacy app development works and how you can develop your pharmacy app, we are here to help. 

Contact Idea Usher to know more about pharmacy app development.