ST. LOUIS, June 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Convenience is
the new currency among consumers looking for faster, easier,
always-accessible services to conform to their daily lives.
As a result, the economy's next big evolution may impact how tens
of millions of people get their prescription drugs. That's the
vision of Express Scripts (NASDAQ: ESRX), which today
announced a strategic investment in MedAvail, a leading healthcare
technology company behind self-service pharmacy centers.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8340651-express-scripts-medavail-collaboration/
"Technology -- and a culture shift -- allow us the opportunity
to evolve and simplify healthcare services to better accommodate
our busy schedules, which in turn can lead to better adherence and
outcomes," said Glen Stettin, M.D.,
Chief Innovation Officer at Express Scripts. "Through our work with
MedAvail's prescription dispensing technology, we are examining how
MedCenter™, MedAvail's self-service, pharmacist-supported, kiosk
pharmacies can provide patients with safe and cost-effective
pharmacy care close to where they live, work or get their medical
care."
MedCenter can safely and securely dispense chronic, acute and
over-the-counter medications under the supervision of licensed
pharmacists. Compatible with both handwritten and electronic
prescriptions, MedCenter can dispense a prescription in under 90
seconds. People who use MedCenter may have 24/7 access to
comprehensive, multi-lingual pharmacist service through
private audio-visual communications built into the pharmacy center,
as well as an integrated smartphone app. Licensed pharmacists
perform the professional functions associated with prescription
dispensing, including review of medical history, allergy,
potential interaction with other drugs being taken, and patient
counseling, so safety concerns can be addressed prior to picking up
the prescription.
"This consumer experience can do for pharmacy care what the ATM
did for personal banking – enable greater access and efficiency,
especially during times of immediate need, while streamlining the
experience for those consumers who need expert counsel and support
from a pharmacist," said Dr. Stettin. "We believe this technology,
when deployed on a larger scale, could have the potential to bring
pharmacy dispensing to employer sites, hospital emergency rooms,
community clinics and university campuses. This technology also
could help community pharmacists increase their community presence
and the efficiency of their operations, relieve congestion at
retail pharmacy counters, extend a pharmacy's hours of operation,
and allow pharmacists to focus on their important role in providing
clinical care to patients."
This pilot is beginning in Phoenix and Tucson,
Arizona, where six MedCenters are now available in a variety
of locations including grocery stores, pharmacies and medical
clinics, with total of 15 to be deployed by the end of 2018.
Express Scripts members living in these areas -- and customers of
the Inside RxSM prescription savings program that
provides discounts on medications to people who are uninsured or
underinsured -- can choose to fill their medication at one of these
MedCenters. Over the course of the next year, we will expand access
to MedCenters in several states, including additional locations in
Arizona and new locations in
Illinois, to thousands of Express
Scripts members.
Investing for the Future
Express Scripts' investment
in MedAvail is being made through the Lewis & Clark Ventures
Fund for Healthcare Innovation. The Fund supports the company's
ongoing efforts to innovate smarter pharmacy solutions that deliver
better outcomes for patients. In addition, as part of the
agreement, Dr. Stettin will join the MedAvail Board of
Directors.
"This strategic collaboration leverages our state-of-the-art
technology to provide the most advanced self-service pharmacy care
to Express Scripts' broad network of members," said Ed Kilroy, CEO, MedAvail Technologies. "There is
a tremendous demand for this type of technological solution to
enhance the pharmacy experience, and Express Scripts'
forward-thinking approach makes it an excellent partner in bringing
anywhere, anytime pharmacy to millions of
Americans."
About Express Scripts
We are a healthcare opportunity
company. That means where others see problems, we see potential.
Empowered by our legacy as an industry innovator, we dare to
imagine a better healthcare system. And we're driven to make it
happen. From pharmacy and medical benefits management, to specialty
pharmacy care, and everything in between – we seek to uncover
opportunities to make healthcare work better.
Our home base is St. Louis, but
our reach extends across the nation and beyond. We stand alongside
those we serve, collaborating with our clients and partners to
develop personalized solutions that make a meaningful difference,
getting better – together. We believe healthcare can do more. We
are Champions For BetterSM.
For more information, visit Lab.Express-Scripts.com or follow
@ExpressScripts on Twitter.
About MedAvail
MedAvail is a pharmacy
technology and services company that has developed and launched a
mobile-enabled self-service pharmacy center solution. The MedAvail
pharmacy platform is uniquely positioned to enable pharmacy
industry operators to create a new 'last mile' channel to patients
with medicine prescriptions, at an industry-low cost-to-fill. The
platform provides "pharmacy services anywhere, anytime", in an era
when most pharmacies are reducing their opening hours.
MedAvail's turnkey offering also enables new entrants to access the
pharmacy market, worth some $300BN a
year in the United States
alone.
For more information visit www.MedAvail.com.
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SOURCE Express Scripts