Albertsons introduces 1- to 2-hour prescription delivery
Albertsons is ramping up its delivery offerings across four of its banners in select markets. The Boise, Idaho-based company is bringing prescription delivery in as little as 1 to 2 hours to banner pharmacies in Louisiana, Texas and the District of Columbia.
The new service will be available from Safeway pharmacies in San Jose, Calif., and Washington, D.C.; Albertsons pharmacies in Louisiana; Randalls pharmacies in Austin and Houston; and Albertsons and Tom Thumb pharmacies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The company said it plans to make the 1- to 2-hour delivery service available to more pharmacies throughout 2020.
Albertsons said the service complements its existing same-day, next-day and mail delivery that it has rolled out to more than 1,700 of its banners’ pharmacies. Patients also can include OTC products in their order, enabling access to medication to those too sick to travel to the pharmacy and the homebound.
“It is our mission to take care of our patients and help them achieve their health and wellness goals. If they can’t make it to the pharmacy, then we want to take the pharmacy to them,” said Mark Panzer, Albertsons senior vice president of pharmacy, health and wellness. “These delivery services eliminate barriers to medication adherence, first and foremost. They also make our patients’ lives easier because our pharmacy services are more accessible and convenient.”
Patients can schedule a delivery by calling the pharmacy where the prescription was processed to request and set up a delivery. At banners with pharmacy apps, they can set up the prescription delivery via app once they receive confirmation that their prescription is ready. Delivery fees vary by market. The prescriptions are packaged in tamper-proof packaging and delivered by Albertsons partner ScriptDrop’s HIPAA-compliant and specially trained delivery drivers. Patients receive live text updates when their prescription is out for delivery and prescriptions must be signed for at the delivery locations.
“Albertsons was an early-adopter of our vision of the future of pharmacy and utilizing technology to improve the patient experience. The entire ScriptDrop team is elated at the opportunity to grow our partnership alongside Albertsons Companies' innovative team," said Nick Potts, founder and CEO of ScriptDrop. "ScriptDrop’s technology and infrastructure allows the pharmacies to follow through with their initiatives to improve medication access for patients, which resonates with the mission of Albertsons pharmacies."