Walgreens shares mHealth efforts

BOSTON-- Walgreens is actively pursuing mobile health as part of the continuum of consumer engagement with impressive results, according to Abhi Dhar, chief technology officer, eCommerce, who spoke during the mHealth + Telehealth World Congress 2013.  

“We want a relationship with our patients and customers across all the channels that are available,” he said. Walgreens’ 2012 revenues totaled $71.6 billion and most Americans live within a three-mile radius of a Walgreens store, he said. As of June, there are 8,352 stores, indicating an “ability to influence change,” Dhar said.

Walgreens “has been very focused on innovating and providing ways for consumers to engage with our brands. Mobile affords us brand new opportunities for what we’ve been good at for a very long time.”

Walgreens’ mobile strategy focuses on whatever, wherever and whenever the consumer prefers, he said. “We speak about mobile but the continuum of care stems from our retail locations.” Walgreens has 12 million visits per week to its properties whether retail or one of its websites and approximately half of that comes from a mobile device. “Mobile is irreplaceable—the customers have spoken. We accept the fact that mobile is now a true omni-channel platform for innovation. More than 40 percent of our customers use our app while in a Walgreens store. More than 70 percent of Pill Reminder app users strongly agree that the app helps them stay on track with their medications.”

More than 35 percent of households are wireless only, according to 2012 data, Dhar said. And, consumers use their smartphones even longer during the day than they use their computers—checking their phones first thing in the morning and last thing at night. However, you can’t just take tools designed for the computer and “jam them into a mobile phone. We concentrate engagement in our brand app leveraging the uniqueness of the channel.” He pointed out that studies have shown that many people use their phones in the bathroom which often is where the medicine cabinet is so they could trigger reminders for prescription refills.  

Using shopping list capabilities, coupons and refill reminders “allow us to build a holistic relationship with our brand. All of that is integrated in that relationship with customers to drive engagement and can create urgency. That allows us to optimize our resources so customers can have a better experience in the store.”

The percent of online refills from mobile devices was 10 percent in 2010 and jumped up to more than 50 percent today, Dhar said. That’s more than one refill from a mobile device every second and indicates actual adherence, he said.

“Digital is a key platform for retail and healthcare innovation,” Dhar said. “We can make our brand engagement seamless and easy.” And, even fun. He cited one customer who said the refill app is “so fun I wish I had more prescriptions to fill.”

Walgreens has a full suite of devices consumers love, Dhar said. But, even if consumers love something, the pharmacists have to like it too, he said. Walgreens is in the process of redesigning its stores to bring pharmacists out from behind the counter. “The next generation of drugstores from Walgreens will allow pharmacists to become true healthcare professionals.”