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18 NEWS CAMPAIGN CATCH-UP DDS PUSHES ‘CRITICAL’ HOME DELIVERY SERVICE Discount Drug Stores is promoting its medication home delivery service, which it says gives customers a more convenient way to get their medication while adhering to social distancing restrictions. “A delivery service at this time is critical as we know so many community members rely on their local pharmacy for essential medication, particularly the elderly, people with a disability, those with compromised immunity or those who are self-isolating,” DDS Head Patrick Stoll said. “We’re doing what we can to assist the local community in the wake of COVID-19. We understand many of our customers are anxious about receiving their medication and aim to provide safe alternatives for accessing essential medication.” DDS says its app allows patients, from their own home, to order, pay and request delivery of their medication. Customers can easily download the app and place their order, the company says, with the option of uploading an image of their script or selecting from their prescription medication list. Then they can pay via the pay-in-advance function or over the phone with their pharmacy and choose between in-store pick-up and home delivery. DDS is promoted as a forward-thinking innovative brand that puts people first, which it says it has continued to do throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with its medication home delivery services. “Customer expectations and the way they receive their medication have changed,” DDS said. “This is especially true for our most vulnerable, the elderly and those managing acute medical issues.” It adds that DDS’s trained and qualified pharmacists will follow standard dispensing processes and package all medication under defined guidelines to ensure the medication arrives safely at the customer’s door. Some medications may not be available for home delivery. Patients should contact their local DDS for more information. ALLIANCE LINKS 100M AMERICANS TO MEDADVISOR Med-tech company MedAdvisor has reached a three-year strategic alliance agreement with US-based HMS, which is promoted as a leading provider of payment accuracy and population health management solutions. The partnership will give more than 100 million people in the US access to MedAdvisor’s technology through their insurers. HMS has a health-engagement solution, Eliza, with which health insurers communicate with patients to improve health outcomes. The new alliance means MedAdvisor’s virtual pharmacist will be embedded in the platform. MedAdvisor says this core integration will enable a deep connection between Eliza and MedAdvisor’s health programs platform so healthcare organisations can proactively communicate and deliver “the right message, to the right person at the right time”. It adds that the agreement will broaden the scope of HMS’ US health programs beyond traditional interactive voice response outreach to include secure digital functionality, including the use of web-based content, SMS and other rich content. It is expected that this new product will go live in the market later this year. This is expected to enhance the response rates and engagement that HMS can provide to its existing and new clients. HMS’ engagement solution has deployed 865 million unique outreaches since 2016, and its highly scalable and proprietary technology systems can handle more than one million patient outreaches in a single week. HMS, a MedAdvisor shareholder, works with 350 US health insurance companies and more than 40 government bodies, which pay medical bills on behalf of patients in the US to better engage patients and to improve medication adherence and overall health outcomes. “This deal opens up a new addressable patient population beyond our existing partnerships,” MedAdvisor CEO Robert Read said. “It also adds the potential to bring a different sponsor for our health programs, in the US health insurer, while leveraging the same MedAdvisor global technology platform. “HMS has a significant pipeline of opportunities to work collaboratively in the US and Australia.” Through this deal, MedAdvisor expects to generate revenue for each of the secure digital messages that are sent on behalf of HMS’ clients. MedAdvisor says it also expects there is strong market appetite for this service and over time could represent a significant portion of the existing outreach volume. All commercial arrangements will be governed by this agreement and the commercial terms will be separately negotiated under discrete Statements of Work. All material clauses have been disclosed. “As MedAdvisor pushes further into global markets, partnerships like this will help accelerate revenue growth and customer acquisition. This integration broadens MedAdvisor’s sponsor reach in the US beyond pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies to now include payers or insurance companies,” Mr Read said. “The MedAdvisor and HMS solutions complement each other nicely and together we can help improve patient health outcomes and reduce medical complications.” RETAIL PHARMACY • AUG 2020