Dive Brief:

• Giant Food Stores has launched a new pharmacy app that allows users to request refills, transfer prescriptions and view their prescription history, according to a press release. The company has also launched an app for Martin's Pharmacy customers.
• The app contains a health library featuring medical resources and information trusted by pharmacists, the company said. 
• The apps are free to download from the Google Play store and Apple app store. Customers must create a username, password and provide a recent prescription number to start an account. The patient will then be contacted by their local pharmacy to authenticate the account. 

Dive Insight:

Aside from traditional drug stores like CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens, few retailers have apps for their pharmacy business. But Giant and Martin's are joining a growing number of grocers turning to apps to add to their digital pharmacy capabilities. Publix and H-E-B have designated apps just for pharmacy customers, while Wegmans' pharmacy function is integrated into its grocery app.

For Giant, the pharmacy app is one more way for the grocer to offer convenience to shoppers. Director of pharmacy operations Leigh Shirley said the pharmacy app will build on Giant's digital offerings and make it easy for busy customers to request refills and transfer prescriptions. 

According to a recent study by J.D. Power, 89% of customers surveyed interact with their pharmacists face-to-face, but individuals who use email or online chat features are also highly satisfied. However, only 20% of pharmacy users have used a mobile app. The survey also found that though the adoption of mobile apps has slowed, the 20% of customers who use a pharmacy's app reported satisfaction scores about 23 percentage points higher than those who don't use apps. 

Pharmacy performance is a key metric for grocers who are interested in customer retention and loyalty. Shoppers enjoy the convenience of picking up their prescriptions while also taking care of grocery shopping, and because retail pharmacies account for nearly half of all prescriptions dispensed, many retailers see it as a good way to build customer loyalty and generate additional revenue.

Customer reviews of pharmacy apps are mixed. H-E-B's app has a 4.8 rating out of over 9,000 reviews on the Apple app store, while Publix's pharmacy app has a 2.6 rating out of about 260 reviews.