Walgreens' home delivery pharmacy rebrands

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AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, a specialty home delivery pharmacy owned by Walgreens, will be rebranding this summer as AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy, reflecting Walgreens' full ownership of the service, which was announced in January.

AllianceRx Walgreens Pharmacy CEO Joel Wright said via statement that while the name is changing, the service itself should remain largely the same.

He also said additional company changes include the promotion of senior vice president Tracey James to chief operating officer. James, a licensed pharmacist who has been with the organization since its inception, will oversee pharmaceutical and payer relations, clinical and professional services, and Specialty360 therapy teams.

The Specialty360 therapy teams, said Wright, were developed to facilitate better patient outcomes and lower the cost of care. 

"As the pharmacy industry evolves, the complexity of our patients' needs led us to change our operating model to support them with therapy-specific teams," he said.

Specialty360 therapy team members will continue to specialize in various therapies. New, dedicated therapy directors will work to oversee the delivery of patient care. 

Team members, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, nurses and dietitians will be certified in specific diagnoses along with their associated therapies. Those diagnoses include behavioral health, bone health, chronic inflammatory disease, endocrine, neurology, nursing and infusion-supporting therapies, oncology, organ/infectious disease, pulmonary and allergy, and reproductive health.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

Digital pharmacies and prescription delivery services have been gaining footholds in the market for a few years now, and some major players are getting in the game, perhaps sensing a shift in how patients are procuring and managing their medications.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen patients utilizing more virtual services, has helped to bolster the popularity of such business models.

Ride-sharing service Uber said last year that it was expanding prescription delivery across 37 states with ScriptDrop. Health systems, grocery chains and pharmacy chains are signed up with ScriptDrop, with Uber, integrated through an API, acting as the default application for those select pharmacies, depending on location and driver availability. ScriptDrop integrates with a pharmacy's existing software and workflow.

Meanwhile, late in 2020, Amazon built up a foothold in the digital pharmacy space by rolling out Amazon Pharmacy, which allows for online ordering and managing of prescription medications, along with home delivery.

Two years prior, Amazon acquired digital pharmacy PillPack for just under $1 billion. PillPack was rolled into the Amazon Pharmacy shop, but continues as its own service to prepackage multiple daily medications for its users.

The rise in digital pharmacies is attracting investment dollars. Virtual pharmacy Medly scored $100 million in Series B funding in 2020, Alto announced a whopping $250 million Series D round, and Capsule scored $200 million in funding in 2019.

THE LARGER TREND

Walgreens is eyeing more than just prescription medications when it comes to home delivery.

The company is looking to expand its on-demand delivery services, and will seek to do so through a collaboration with Shipt, an online marketplace that offers home delivery.

Walgreens said in an announcement in February that it would provide access to about 25,000 of its items on Shipt, including over-the-counter medications, beauty, personal care, household and convenience products.

In some cases offering same-day delivery, Walgreens said the move is meant "to put those frantic dashes to the store in the past."

The products available on the online platform comprise nearly all of Walgreens' inventory, and at launch about 6,300 locations will utilize the service. The chain operates more than 21,000 stores.
 

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com