51% of Retail Pharmacy Customers Used Wellness Services in 2020-21

Over half of retail pharmacy customers (51 percent)  have used health and wellness services over the past year, according to the J.D. Powers 2021 US Pharmacy Study. 

This number is up from 48 percent in 2020 and 43 percent in 2019. The most frequently used healthcare services included vaccinations and routine screenings. 

In the study, researchers looked at customer satisfaction with brick-and-mortar and mail-order pharmacies based on responses from 12,646 pharmacy customers who filled a prescription three months prior to the survey period of September 2020 through May 2021. 

The study highlighted that overall satisfaction, net promoter scores, and average customer spend increased substantially when pharmacy customers utilized health and wellness services. 

“It was not long ago that the major pharmacy chains, healthcare providers, health plans and consumers were all asking themselves whether or not people would ever feel comfortable receiving treatment in a retail setting,” James Beem, managing director of healthcare intelligence at J.D. Power, said in the study’s press release. 

“This year marks a significant turning point in which most customers are now using these services. The fact that this happened during a pandemic should send a clear signal that retail pharmacies are transforming health and wellness services in America,” Beem continued. 

Overall, health and wellness service utilization were associated with higher satisfaction and spend.

For example, customers who use at least one health and wellness-oriented service spend an average of $5 more than those who do not use these services. And overall satisfaction and brand advocacy scores also increased 24 points when customers utilized wellness services. 

Mobile app integration in pharmacies is becoming increasingly vital, especially due to the restriction of in-person care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 26 percent of brick-and-mortar customers and 27 percent of small order customers accessed their pharmacy’s mobile app during the study period. Satisfaction with brick-and-mortar mobile apps landed at 848, and overall satisfaction with mail-order mobile apps was 868. 

Researchers noted that both of these scores are higher than the average mobile app or text message satisfaction score of 826 seen in the J.D. Power 2021 Commercial Member Health Plan Study. 

The mentioned rankings for brick-and-mortar chain drug store pharmacies included Good Neighbor Pharmacy at 912, Health Mart at 891, and Rite Aid at 866. Sam’s Club ranked highest among brick-and-mortar mass merchandiser pharmacies for the fifth year, at 891.

CVS pharmacy inside target ranked second (879) and Costco ranked third (877).

H-E-B was highest among brick-and-mortar supermarket pharmacies, with a score of 896. And Walgreen and Stop & Shop ranked second and third, at 892 and 885, respectively. 

Lastly, Humana Pharmacy landed highest for mail order for the fourth consecutive year (906), Kaiser ranked second (887), and Atena Rx Home Deliver fell in third place (884).