GoodRx Launches eCommerce Offering for Retail Pharmacies

GoodRx has launched an eCommerce experience for retail pharmacies in collaboration with grocery chain Hy-Vee.

With this new tool, announced Thursday (April 3), GoodRx will check inventories when a consumer searches for medication, determining whether it’s available at the pharmacy and can be purchased online.

The company will then validate the prescription and complete the order after the consumer pays the GoodRx price online, either via credit card or a pay-later option.

It’s part of a larger digital innovation strategy designed to streamline prescription purchasing for consumers while supporting retail pharmacies, GoodRx said in a news release.

“Today’s interactions at the pharmacy counter are often fraught with friction points, both for pharmacists and consumers,” said GoodRx President and CEO Wendy Barnes.

“We understand the need to develop innovative solutions that make it easier for people to get their medications, and are working with retailers and pharmaceutical manufacturers to modernize the online experience so we can help remove the strain on all sides. There are many ways that we can leverage our e-commerce solution to help industry stakeholders improve profitability and drive innovation in the prescription experience.”

Barnes, who became CEO earlier this year, said during an earnings call in February that the company’s eCommerce platform is crucial to its growth. To that end, GoodRx is expanding its Integrated Savings Program (ISP) to fill coverage gaps, providing savings on both generic and specialty drugs not usually covered by insurance.

Sophisticated clients, Barnes said, “are already demanding an integrated funded and cash benefit experience where consumers, pharmacists, and prescribers are no longer left to solve those gaps on their own. We believe integrating GoodRx is the answer and I am taking this message to the top of every payer, broker, and coalition with whom I already have a relationship.”

As PYMNTS noted this approach aligns with consumer preferences. Data from the PYMNTS Intelligence/Lynx report, “The Digital Platform Promise: What Baby Boomers and Seniors Want From Digital Healthcare Platforms” shows that more than 80% of consumers across all demographics want to use digital platforms to access pharmacy benefits such as discount cards, and to compare information on health insurance plans and benefits.