On-demand medicine delivery apps have become a need of the hour. With hectic schedules and instant service demand, having an on-demand pharmacy by your side 24/7 seems a good idea. The comfort people experience, more sales, and fast delivery must be enough motivation for every pharmaceutical company to initiate an on-demand medicine delivery app development process. Further, new diseases and the need for emergency medical services at odd hours have encouraged the healthcare industry to come up with a solution. That is an on-demand medicine delivery app.
On-demand medicine delivery apps such as Epocrates, Capsule, NowRx Pharmacy, CVS Pharmacy, PillPack, RiteAid, 1mg, NetMed, and Medlife are some of the most popular apps worldwide. Even so, several instant medicine delivery apps have come into the market. You can still invest in innovative on-demand medicine delivery app development services for the futuristic on-demand medicine delivery app.
Market Analysis for On-demand Medicine Delivery App
Every intelligent investor needs to understand the online medicine market of the healthcare industry. The popularity of certain ideas, needs, requirements, the right direction of development, and many other factors contribute to success. In addition, customer behavior, and the pros and cons of developing an online medicine app is also worth knowing.
Let's understand the worldwide market of online pharmacy apps-
- The online pharmacy market revenue in 2023 is estimated to reach $31.64 billion with a CAGR of 13.40% for the forecast period of 2023 and 2027.
- It is estimated that the online pharmacy revenue will be $52.33 billion by 2027.
- As of 2023, about 21.65% of users use online medicine delivery applications for multiple reasons, and up to 29.04% of total users will use online pharmacy applications worldwide.
- China generated the most revenue, about $6.664 billion, through online pharmacy applications in 2022. It is followed by the United States ($3.692 billion),UAE ($1.219 billion),Japan ($1.027 billion),and Germany ($0.9327 billion).
The above points work like indicators for the need and popularity of online pharmacy applications. In addition, it shows the future scope and opens doors for the success of a reliable on-demand medicine delivery app. Thus, you can now think of investing in on-demand medicine delivery app development solutions.
Business Models for On-demand Medicine Delivery Application
The success of an on-demand medicine delivery app depends on its business model strategy. The business model depends on how diverse and big your business is in the physical world, your budget, business goals, etc.
A medicine delivery app development company offers three on-demand medicine delivery business models-
- Online pharmacy app for individual store
- Pharmacy store app for pharmacy chains
- Medicine ordering app for aggregators
Let's understand these on-demand medicine delivery app models-
1. Online Pharmacy App for Individual Store
Even though your pharmacy store is doing well, you must find new ways to sell medicines. An online pharmacy app is the best way to increase your user base. Having an online presence will help your pharmacy business in more ways than one. You can discuss on-demand medicine delivery app development services with the app development company and choose suitable services.
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While users can order medicines online at any time, you can also manage more orders in less time using various in-app features. In addition, an online medicine delivery app helps you understand users' needs & requirements and make business strategies accordingly.
2. Pharmacy Store App for Pharmacy Chains
Managing multiple shops at the same time is already a challenging task. In addition, you must develop robust strategies based on customer needs, market trends, and so many other parameters. The best way to handle such challenging tasks and fast-track your growth is to invest in on-demand medicine delivery app development solutions. It not only helps you manage your pharmacy stores but also helps you schedule orders online and deliver them on time.
Apollo, Walgreens, and CVS Pharmacy are those apps that manage their pharmacy store chains online while expanding their businesses simultaneously. You must also consult a medicine app development company for your pharmacy store app.
3. Medicine Ordering App for Aggregators
An online medicine ordering app is the best way to bring every pharmacy, healthcare company, and expert to one place. Users get full access to their required medicines in one place. The in-app features will help you manage online medicine requests and manage delivery. Several healthcare equipment and tools will be easy to sell online to global users. Therefore, the online medicine delivery aggregator app becomes the best way to provide services to people and expand the business.
Further, the on-demand medicine delivery app has promising growth probabilities for investors. Find a reliable on-demand medicine delivery app development company because the demand is high for innovative and fast medicine delivery applications.
Whichever business model is suitable to your budget and goals, you can start from that. Later, you can expand your business and upgrade your app to the next level.
Monetization Strategies for Medicine Delivery Application
The end goal of hiring on-demand medicine delivery app development is to bring the business online to make profits while delivering services. Thus, you must have a sturdy monetization plan to run a medicine delivery service business for the long term.
Subscription
You can release several subscription plans to set up profiles on the online medicine delivery app platform. These subscription plans must vary offering the most basic benefits to the expensive premium plan. So, every small and big healthcare establishment can set up an online medical store. Most subscription plans are available on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis.
Commission-based Model
On every purchase on your online medicine delivery app, you can charge a fixed percentage from medical service providers. Usually, online pharmacy apps earn from 15% to 40% through commission. Since medicines and healthcare items have become essential, and the app platform offers a diverse and broad user base, medical service providers are willing to pay commissions.
In-app Advertisement Opportunities
In-app advertisements of various healthcare enterprises on your online medicine delivery platform are a great way to generate money. Several medical experts and pharma companies offer advertisement fees to run their ads on such online platforms. The ads can be related to pharmaceutical companies, laboratories, hospital chains, insurance companies, medical experts, etc.
Recommendation List
You can charge a fee to feature the pharmaceutical companies or particular services for users to see on the home page. Besides the recommendation list, it can be any other special section to show the sponsored results for users.
These are some of the most popular monetization methods to consider. Find more marketing paths after thorough market research and discussion with your digital marketing team.
Pivotal Benefits of A Prescription Delivery App
An online medicine delivery app service exhibits many benefits. Whether it is senior citizens, kids, or young people, anyone can use the mobile app and have medicines delivered to their doorstep.
Quick Booking: People can save time by ordering their medicines online. They only need to register themselves on the on-demand medicine delivery app platform and shop online for the required medicines from the comfort of their homes.
Also Read: On-Demand App Development – A Complete Guide!
24/7 Accessibility: Users get to keep their medical documents in an on-demand medicine delivery mobile app and access them in their time of need. I.e. They can update and access their online medical records 24/7.
Digital Flexibility: Most on-demand medicine delivery apps provide the facility to operate on various digital devices, such as smartwatches and personalized items. They also follow the guidelines of HIPAA and PIPEDA.
Availability: Users know about the availability of medicines and other healthcare items through the medicine delivery application. So, They can pre-book medicines as per requirements.
Diverse Service Facilities: Many online medicine delivery apps offer advanced features, such as online consultation, expert advice, healthcare blog, the latest development in healthcare, etc.
How Does Online Medicine Delivery App Work?
Before you contact a mobile app development company, you must understand the working of the online medicine delivery mobile app.
1. The user login into the app platform using a login credential and goes through the two-step verification process.
2. The user sets up their profile and starts searching for medicines they require using the search engine using the company name or medicine name.
3. After selecting the required medicines and medical items in the shopping cart, the user gets the bill in the app. The online payment system helps with digital payments instantly.
4. The medicine delivery app company gets the delivery request and starts the packaging process.
5. They deliver the medicine to the destination via delivery personnel or courier services.
Besides requesting medicines and other healthcare items online, the user can also consult medical experts via in-app features, call emergency ambulances, and take advantage of several other benefits in times of need.
Medicine Delivery App Key Features
1.Features for Admin
The admin is the sole owner of the on-demand medicine delivery mobile application. The object of an admin is the smooth governance of the online medicine delivery business. Several in-app features help the admin ensure effective functionality and business expansion without any hassle.
Here, let's look at those in-app features in detail-
Login to Dashboard
Admin needs to log in to access the medicine delivery app. Now, the admin updates their business details on the app platform to start working. The login credentials are shared with the admin only.
Team Management
Effective team management is one of the most crucial tasks in any business. Admin must hire efficient employees for the business's success. The in-app features help the admin from distributing tasks among team members & getting analysis reports to overseeing the smooth business flow & business performance in real-time.
Stock Management
Managing stock is one of the most crucial features of a medicine delivery app. The admin does not need to go to the warehouse and get the medicine stock updations. The online medicine delivery app eliminates the need to keep the physical log book. With each medicine and equipment sale, the stocks automatically get updates. Once the particular item goes down below the mandatory quantity limit, the in-app feature will send you reminders. It also helps keep track of expiration dates. So, you can throw away unsold expired medicines on time.
Data Management
The data management includes timely updation of finances, tax filings, commission collection, new registrations of customers and clients, upgradation, and many more things. The admin can keep their digital data, including licenses and certifications on the app platform. The medicine delivery app developers install the security features before giving the pharmacy app to the admin.
Analytic Report
The best way to examine the business performance and your customer behavior is to analyze the business activity regularly. The most useful tool to use these days is Google Analytics. You can get to know customer behavior, receive real-time analytic reports, know your consumer base, and many more things. Therefore, it will be easier for you to strategize business models and design marketing campaigns to attract more consumers to your platform.
Complaint Management
Along with feedback and reviews, complaints also help the admin to understand the customers’ needs. This feature will help the admin to know about people’s queries and problems. So, they can resolve the issues as soon as possible. The sooner you resolve the issue, the better your customer relationship will be. For better customer relationship management and business growth, your medicine delivery services must be customer-centric only.
Offers and Discounts
Offers and discounts help medicine delivery app companies to attract more of their target audience. In addition, such offers help medicines to reach the right people at the time. Otherwise, they can go to waste after the expiration date. Another way to attract a target audience is by releasing coupons. For example, a coupon for first-time medicine app users is a good way to gain customers.
Push Notifications
Push notifications are useful to get real-time notifications about various business activities. Push notifications also help market offers, discounts, and coupons to people in less time.
Features for Pharmacy App Panel
The other important app panel is the pharmacy app panel, specifically for medicine & medical equipment providers or pharma companies. Therefore, the features present in the app panel benefit the business working of these establishments. Let’s look at those features-
Registration
Every pharma company, pharmacy store, or medical service provider that wants to set up an online store on the medicine delivery app needs to register itself. They must use their business Email ID, set up a password, and pass a two-step verification process.
Business Profile Setup
The next step is setting up a comprehensive business profile. The business details, such as licenses, certificates, address, achievements, and other business information is essential to add. This way, businesses establish transparency and credibility.
In-app Payment System
The in-app system is useful for both customers and medical service providers. As more people are opting for cashless payments, it is wise to offer different digital payment systems. The most common cashless options include credit/debit cards, net banking, digital wallets, UPI, and more.
Subscription Plans
The medicine app delivery company offers various kinds of subscription plans. The service providers set up their online medical store based on the chosen subscription plan. For example, the most basic plan includes the most basic choices, while the premium plans include advertisements, recommendations, and promotions. In addition, the benefits vary based on the timeline (weekly, monthly, or yearly) of a subscription plan.
Price Setup
The next important feature is setting up prices for every medicine available in the stock. Every medical company decides the price of medicines and other healthcare items. If there is an offer or discount on medicines or healthcare items, the service providers set the discounted price. Users can also compare the prices among different companies.
Product Description
The product description includes the product details about uses, precautions and warnings, and other required information. It helps users to make the right choice and choose the right medicine.
Accept/Reject Requests
The medicine delivery app company allows medicine providers to accept or reject requests based on the stock available. In addition, if the medicine is not available, the display on the section of that particular medicine states that as 'out of stock.' Further, in some countries, the delivery of certain medicines is prohibited. It can be another reason to reject the user's request.
Online Tracking
Once the online payment is received, the on-demand medicine delivery app company cuts its commission and transfers the rest amount to the medical service provider. After receiving the payment info, the pharmacy store starts packaging. The pharmacy store and user can track the package from the packaging till the package reaches the destination.
Feedback/ Reviews
Every medicine delivery app business thrives only when it gets customer feedback. Customer opinions help aggregator medicine apps to improve and provide better facilities. It is the best way to improve and eliminate fake medical shops or scammers from the online pharmacy app platform.
Push Notification
Push notifications help medicine service providers to stay alert for new requests, delivery, payment confirmation, and other pharmacy app company notifications. It also tells them to stock their medicine for online sale once it goes out of stock.
3. Features for Customers
The easier the navigation appears, the better the pharmacy app functionality will be. Customers of all ages must feel the ease to use the app at any time. Here, you will see the key features every medicine delivery app panel must have.
Registration
Customers need to register themselves on the on-demand medicine delivery app via Email ID or Phone number. Then they need to pass a two-step verification process. It helps to keep the scammers away.
Profile Setup
A profile setup is a next step customers must go through after logging in to the online medicine delivery app platform. It includes the user name, address, area code, age, and prescription details.
Search Option
The search option is to find the right medicines using a name or company. The pharma company provides complete information about medicines. So, users can find the right medicines without any trouble and buy them.
Filter Option
To eliminate unwanted options, a filter has many filtering options. It comes under the advanced search option designed to lead the customers directly toward their desired results. It includes a medical service provider, company name, price, and many more options.
Online Cart
The digital cart in the on-demand medicine delivery app is useful to collect the selected medicine and other healthcare items before checking out. Users can select the medicines online and add them to their shopping cart before billing. The items can also be added or removed as per choice.
In-app Payment
The in-app payment system is the easiest way to complete online shopping. Users can save their digital payment details via in-app payment options. It is the most popular option among every age group these days.
Offers, Discounts, and Coupons
Every on-demand medicine delivery app company releases numerous attractive discounts, seasonal sales, offers, and coupons with many benefits. These marketing techniques help healthcare companies to get more registered customers while customers receive budget-friendly medicines online.
History and Reorder
Customers can reorder previously ordered medicines and other healthcare items through the history option. They do not need to search for the same medicines repeatedly.
Scheduled Medicine Booking
Some online pharmacy app companies allow users to set up a schedule to order medicines. Users can save their prescription details and schedule the timeline for autofill instead of ordering the same medicines repeatedly.
Help Center
Every medicine delivery app company sets up a customer care department to cater to consumers' needs and requirements. Users can go to the help center and resolve their queries via text messages or audio calls. The media sharing option also helps to ask questions.
GPS Tracking
The user can track their package via an in-app GPS tracking system. Several GPS tracking is available. Yet, the most used GPS navigation system that on-demand medicine delivery app development companies use is Google Maps for being the most accurate and popular.
Feedback and Ratings
Customers can give their opinion about on-demand medicine delivery app companies and their services. Their opinions help companies to improve or upgrade their services. Other users also get to know about the company culture.
Push Notifications
A study shows that most smartphone users open push notifications more than Emails. Therefore, medicine delivery app companies use push notifications to send alerts concerning marketing campaigns, sales offers, delivery notifications, and more.
4. Features for Couriers
Couriers play a crucial role in delivering medicines on time. Several in-app features help them navigate the location, even if they are in remote areas. Let's look at some of the key features a delivery app panel must have-
Registration
The delivery people need to register themselves on the on-demand medicine delivery app panel via Email ID or mobile phone number. Then they need to pass a two-step verification process to start their delivery tasks.
Profile Setup
The profile setup includes name, experience, ratings, profile picture, and more. Once their profile is set up, they can start performing their scheduled work without delay.
Scheduling
After setting up a profile, the delivery people can start their delivery process. They are given a schedule and delivery packages to deliver on time.
Online Navigation
The online navigation system helps delivery personnel to deliver packages without any hassle, even to remote areas. The most useful navigation tool that most on-demand medicine delivery app development companies use is Google Maps.
Delivery Notification
Once the package is safely delivered, the user confirms the delivery. Then the delivery person and company get the notifications.
Push Notifications
The push notification feature is useful to keep track of company notifications, schedules, user ratings & feedback, and many more.
Now, you know all the key features an on-demand medicine delivery app must have in all four panels. It's time to look at the advanced technical features useful for an online medicine delivery application.
Advanced Features in An On-demand Medicine Delivery App
Advanced technical features help users, service providers, and medical experts to smoothly perform their respective duties. Also, they increase the popularity of the on-demand medicine delivery app among the masses. Let's look at the most advanced technical features in an online pharmacy app-
Online Healthcare Features: You can ask your medicine delivery app development company to incorporate the advanced in-app health measurement features in your online pharmacy app. It includes a heartbeat monitor, BMI calculator, and more. Such features are AI-powered tools and can make the mobile app more futuristic.
Online Medical Expert: By introducing an online consultation feature into your online pharmacy app, you can attract numerous patients to your online platform. Patients can consult the doctor via in-app chat or calling option and share their medical files via the media sharing option. Thus, an on-demand medicine delivery app also helps far-located people get the required medical help on time.
In-app Document Management: The online medicine delivery app development company can help you introduce a new advanced feature for customers. They can use the in-app cloud storage feature to save their medical files. When they need it, they can easily access it anywhere. Thus, their medical files will always be with the patient.
Nearby Lab Guidance: In case, the doctor advises some tests and patients need to go to the pathology lab. Then, these in-app features can help patients find a good pathology lab nearby. Patients don't need to go anywhere and find the best and most affordable pathology lab within minutes.
Multilingual Support: If you want to make your on-demand medicine delivery app successful, then it is advisable to add this multilingual feature to your mobile app. People from various backgrounds and cultures will be comfortable using the app in their preferred language. Therefore, it is better to add several regional and international languages to the online pharmacy app.
Currency Conversion Feature: Since people belong to different nations, they will prefer online payment options. In that case, it is better to give the option to choose their currency feature. So, they know how much they are paying for their purchases.
Informative Blogs:
Online medicine delivery applications are accessible to users all the time. A medicine delivery app company can take advantage of it and launch an informative blog for its users. It will help people to take precautions and make better health choices besides ordering medicines online.
In the end, these futuristic features will help you attract your target audiences worldwide. You can conduct your market research and add more advanced features to make your online medicine delivery application adaptable to user demands.
Team Structure for An On-demand Medicine Delivery App Development
A competent team structure decides the quality of web and mobile app development. You must hire a talented and experienced medicine delivery app development company. To do so, you must check their credibility and previous work. Also, get to know the development team structure before you hire them.
Project Manager
A project manager is responsible for the quality development of web and mobile apps in the company. The person in-charge is directly in contact with company owners and clients. A PM ensures the delivery of quality services within the budget range.
Team Lead
A team oversees the operations during the medicine delivery app development process. A TL helps assign roles in the development team and is responsible for the timely completion of assigned tasks within budget.
UI/UX Designers
Before developers start working on any web and mobile app development project, the UI/UX designers create the client-side medicine delivery app designs. Hence, the client can visualize the final outlook of their medicine delivery app.
Frontend and Backend Developers
Frontend and backend developers assist in developing the client-side and server-side applications respectively. Several programming languages, such as JavaScript, C++, Python, and others programming languages are used depending on the project.
Cross-platform App Developers
These days, cross-platform frameworks, such as Flutter and React Native are used in most web and mobile app development. The reason behind this trend is the advantages of a single code base, less time consumption, and a budget-friendly development process. Even then, still many people choose Android and iOS mobile app development services.
QA and Test Engineers
Quality analysts and test engineers ensure the quality of the medicine delivery app. They check the quality of the mobile app at every stage of medicine delivery app development and approve it only when it passes the industry standard quality test. Thus, in the end, it saves the extra cost and minimizes the possibility of error.
Cost Determination of On-demand Medicine Delivery Application
Online medicine delivery services are most in-demand with a promising future in sight. After the Pandemic, the demand for online medicine delivery applications has only increased. Same as other on-demand applications, the on-demand medicine delivery app development also cost a significant amount. It is also tough to determine the exact cost of online pharmacy app development. Still, it is possible to estimate the approximate development cost to some extent by considering several cost-affecting features. This way, you will know the budget range and how much funds you need to raise.
The cost-affecting factors in an on-demand medicine delivery mobile app include the medicine delivery app development platform, developers’ hourly rate, mobile app development company's geo-location, key features, business model, third-party integration, and others. If you choose to customize a white-label medicine delivery app software, then the total cost reduces significantly along with app development time.
Generally, it takes about $15,000 to $28,000 to develop a feature-rich medicine delivery application in India. In developed countries, such as the USA, the UK, and Australia, the total development cost is high comparatively.
Conclusion
The on-demand medicine delivery apps are one of the fastest-growing on-demand apps worldwide. From food delivery apps to handyman apps and agriculture apps, people prefer online medicine delivery apps for quick medicines delivery and other healthcare items to their doorstep. The new technological innovations are also helping the healthcare industry to step up and offer more unique features. Hence, the online pharmacy delivery industry has been thriving. In addition, it's been generating unprecedented revenues for the last few years. More online pharmacy apps will get launched in the future. If you are also looking to develop an online pharmacy delivery mobile app, consult a local medicine delivery app development company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What are the causes of the failure of the medicine delivery app?
Low-quality UI/UX, incompetent development team, lack of proper marketing, and not following the privacy rules are the main reasons medicine delivery apps fail.
Q2. How to start an on-demand medicine delivery mobile app?
You need to conduct proper market research in the beginning and form a business team. Then choose a suitable business model and hire a good medicine delivery app development company. After the launch with the help of the marketing team, keep the pharmacy app updated.
Q3. What government rules and regulations must be followed in the medicine delivery app?
The most followed government rules and regulations needed to be followed when handling patient information and offering medications include FDA, HIPAA, CDSCO, and GDPR.
Q4. Is the medicine delivery business profitable?
As the demand for instant medical assistance and medicines is growing, it is safe to say that the medicine delivery business is profitable.
Rahul Sukhwal is the CEO and founder of JPLoft, an IT company that has been providing exceptional development services for over 10 years. Rahul has grown the company from a startup to a thriving global business, thanks to his years of industry experience as a thought leader.
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