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CVS to begin nationwide delivery.
- Thread starter WVUPharm2007
- Start date
I wonder what this will mean for CVS pharmacists. I am glad it will be local delivery set-ups but I can only imagine the phone calls. Great idea though
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Between this and trying to buy Aetna, CVS is making moves. Wonder what Walgreens is thinking? Don't think the purchase of the rite aid stores is going to be that big a a boom.
Here’s my thing about this (and I’m not naive to the changes that could be on the way to the retail pharmacy setting).
I watch the cash register at our store and I’d wager half of the pickups have some issue that demands more than a simple pickup, pay and go. A coupon. Wrong drug filled (doctor or customers fault, not the pharmacy). You all know the rest of the scenarios that I won’t list.
So what happens when these customers order meds to be filled and oops it was delivered with one of the above issues. Granted I know there will have to be some form of customer confirmation, but I don’t think that will play out that easily. (Some customers will love this and are perfect for it...but across the board aren’t there going to be some issues?)
A good independent could probably manage this well and be ahead of he game on issues. But an understaffed CVS that fills 500+ a day?
I watch the cash register at our store and I’d wager half of the pickups have some issue that demands more than a simple pickup, pay and go. A coupon. Wrong drug filled (doctor or customers fault, not the pharmacy). You all know the rest of the scenarios that I won’t list.
So what happens when these customers order meds to be filled and oops it was delivered with one of the above issues. Granted I know there will have to be some form of customer confirmation, but I don’t think that will play out that easily. (Some customers will love this and are perfect for it...but across the board aren’t there going to be some issues?)
A good independent could probably manage this well and be ahead of he game on issues. But an understaffed CVS that fills 500+ a day?
You are so right. I wanted 30 days, not 90! I wanted 90 days, not 30 days! This only happens every other prescription...
At cvs you used to be able to hit delivery on the register instead of in store / drive thru and you wouldn't have to worry about scanning in the stupid signature after the register transaction like you did with drive thru.
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I don't understand if your frontend sales are down then how does increasing mail order help that plus losing sales in the drive thru. I understand that they are trying to compete with Amazon but I'm wondering if they build newer stores will they have all that square footage if its not profitable.
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Last I checked this was called mail order. People can already do this. The ones that go to the pharmacy don't want to
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Except customers know front end stuff are overpriced by 20-50%. They only way to get them to buy overpriced front end items is when they are in the store.
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Will the delivery person be subject to metrics and “turning red”...
Feel bad for the pharmacists... customers who want delivery are generally cranky, high maintance, stupid... get ready for requests like “hey can you pick up my prescription for Norco when you deliver my viagra and get me a pack of Trojans, milk, and beef jerky”... then a call one hour later, “no I wanted valsartan not viagra and the delivery man didn’t have change for my 100 dollar bill”... this will be a huge disaster for everyone involved.... this is an act of desperation
Feel bad for the pharmacists... customers who want delivery are generally cranky, high maintance, stupid... get ready for requests like “hey can you pick up my prescription for Norco when you deliver my viagra and get me a pack of Trojans, milk, and beef jerky”... then a call one hour later, “no I wanted valsartan not viagra and the delivery man didn’t have change for my 100 dollar bill”... this will be a huge disaster for everyone involved.... this is an act of desperation
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I would imagine this would all be done online and not verbally. At least that's what they should do.
I think the self driving cars and drones will be able to help with all this. The only problem is how the hell are they going to handle the phone calls. I got chewed out trying to use the doctors line to get a copy from CVS because the regular pharmacy line was busy all day.
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It would have to be done online. If they call stuff in randomly then logistics and cost go up especially if your doing same day delivery. I do think CVS could take market share from mail order and increase profits by selling higher margin products by shipping from stores but if they try to do it on a shoestring budget then Amazon will just come it and take over that market. CVS has to come in hard and show that can do it better.
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Most rite aid stores have delivery and yes its a PITA for all the reasons already stated however the work is all done at the individual store level and ties up tech time to prepare and paying a delivery driver to hand deliver the medications. If CVS' system actually uses the mail system and is done centrally through a call center/online that specifically handles it this could be effective - not sure how it would work otherwise with handling payment and change, packaging pickup and mailing out next day.
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Why do you think sending business to a competitor would take precedence over your own customers?
I’d imagine there would be a confirmation where the patient knows the drug, strength, qty, day supply before hand. Thats why these things get tested in a few stores before being thrown out company wide. Say what you want about CVS but they do whatever they can to stay up and competitive.
This is how I imagine it!
There are too many problems that happen at the pharmacy that cannot be dealt with by a delivery driver. Also will the person have to be home to confirm delivery? I cannot imagine just leaving it...even though I'm pretty sure mail order does? It is a good idea for CVS but there are lots of logistics that need to be sorted out. Amazon is not making our life easier
I would not mind paying for their overpriced stuff if it had free same day delivery or even next day delivery. Amazon prime is 2 day shipping plus required a yearly membership fee.
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Typical day at CVS:
Customer: "I'm here to pick up my medicine".
Pharmacy: "It was picked already picked up, sir."
Customer: "I never picked it up!"
Pharmacy: "I'm sorry but the computer shows that it was picked up 3 days ago".
::Takes out cell phone and holds up the drive-thru for 5 more minutes::
Customer: "I never picked it up!!"
An hour later... customer calls, "I found it!"
What I imagine delivery to be:
Customer: "I haven't received my delivery yet."
Pharmacy: "It's on its way, sir. It should arrive in about an hour"
Two hours later... customer calls, "I never got my delivery"
Pharmacy: "I'm sorry but the computer shows that it was delivered an hour ago"
Customer: "I've been home this whole time it never came"
::Holds up the phone for 5 more minutes::
An hour later... customer calls, "I found it!"
Customer: "I'm here to pick up my medicine".
Pharmacy: "It was picked already picked up, sir."
Customer: "I never picked it up!"
Pharmacy: "I'm sorry but the computer shows that it was picked up 3 days ago".
::Takes out cell phone and holds up the drive-thru for 5 more minutes::
Customer: "I never picked it up!!"
An hour later... customer calls, "I found it!"
What I imagine delivery to be:
Customer: "I haven't received my delivery yet."
Pharmacy: "It's on its way, sir. It should arrive in about an hour"
Two hours later... customer calls, "I never got my delivery"
Pharmacy: "I'm sorry but the computer shows that it was delivered an hour ago"
Customer: "I've been home this whole time it never came"
::Holds up the phone for 5 more minutes::
An hour later... customer calls, "I found it!"
