Customer-centric approach pushes healthcare sector to bring agility and transparency in its supply chain

Rajnish Gupta, VP & Head, India and Sub-Continent business, Zebra Technologies APAC emphasises that organisations can offer a convenient and more personalised experience to their customers to build trust. Industry research has shown that companies focused on the human experience are more likely to outperform their peers in revenue growth

Online pharmacies or “E-pharmacies” have been on the rise in India as consumers realise the ease of receiving medications in the comfort of their homes. In the last couple of years, the Indian government has classified E-pharmacies as an essential service and promoted them on the Aarogya Setu App, after realizing the effects of the pandemic. PM Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, Digital India, Ayushman Bharat, Startup India and National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) are some of the initiatives undertaken by the government to boost the online pharmacy sector. As the healthcare sector is redefining its approach to focus on patient comfort, a critical factor to drive patient loyalty is to maintain transparency and agility in the supply chain.

High expectations, low tolerances

Eighty-five percent of patients say pharmacies need to monitor the quality and integrity of medications they dispense, with over half holding pharmacies responsible for ensuring medications are kept safe and uncompromised within pharma supply chains. Pharmacies must show patients that they prioritise patient health and safety if they want them to choose their pharmacies.

Pharmacies must also do everything in their power to keep shelves consistently stocked. If customers are unable to get their medications at one pharmacy or in a single visit, they may be more inclined to go to a competitor down the street or even a mail-order pharmacy in the near- and long-term. Likewise, if they feel they are overpaying at a pharmacy, they will probably shop around unless there are other reasons to stay loyal, such as a strong relationship with the pharmacy staff, convenience, or consistent medication availability.

How technology can help build trust and loyalty

It is not easy keeping medication costs down while preserving profit margins in today’s market. However, there are ways to help lower overheads and give pharmacies more flexibility in medication pricing models. There are also ways to show patients that pharmacies can be trusted to put patient needs ahead of business needs. There are many ways in which technology can help build patient trust and loyalty in the long term.

One such method is moving beyond the barcode. Handheld and fixed radio frequency identification (RFID) readers can capture data from thousands of RFID-tagged pharmaceutical items each second, enabling staff to keep better tabs on what is in stock, what needs replenishment, and what is approaching expiration. RFID can also help with medication authenticity on inbound inventory.

We can use practices such as showing the patients that shipped medications have not been compromised. Adding visual temperature indicators that are simple for patients to read and understand is one way to build trust in the quality and safety of shipped medications. Patients will not likely call about a suspected temperature excursion – and request a costly replacement – when they can clearly see that their medications did not get too hot or cold during transit.

Organisations can offer a convenient and more personalised experience to their customers to build trust. Industry research has shown that companies focused on the human experience are more likely to outperform their peers in revenue growth. This includes putting systems in place that help pharmacy staff get to know and treat patients and make it easy for patients to access pharmacists in the first place, especially in case of a mail-order pharmacy that does not have the luxury of building relationships via face-to-face interactions.

If the pharmacy has a long queue, consider setting up self-service kiosk stations or mobile applications that enable patients to submit orders, consult with off-site pharmacists, or even look up medication information based on personal information retrieved from their electronic health records (EHR). With the right technology in place, it will become easier to provide patients access to well-informed experts who can deliver valuable information in a personalized way – that ultimately builds trust and loyalty.