Troy, MI—Most customers in 2021 who visited retail pharmacies took advantage of health and wellness services, in addition to filling prescriptions and shopping.
That is according to the recent J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Pharmacy Study, which showed that 51% of retail pharmacy customers used services such as vaccinations, routine screenings, and physical examinations at pharmacies.
The survey added that overall satisfaction, Net Promoter Scores (NPS), and average customer spend "all increase significantly when pharmacy customers utilize 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," stated James Beem, managing director of healthcare intelligence at J.D. Power. "While we have been seeing consumer satisfaction with retail health services grow steadily, 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."
Here is more on some of the key findings of the 2021 study:
• Users of health and wellness services rose from 43% in 2019 and 48% in 2020. The most frequently used healthcare services are vaccinations and routine screenings.
• Customers who use at least one health and wellness–oriented service provided by their pharmacy each spend an average of $5 more than those who do not use these services ($28 vs. $23, respectively).
• Overall satisfaction and brand advocacy also significantly increase when customers take advantage of health and wellness services. Overall satisfaction scores climbed 24 points (on a 1,000-point scale), and NPS increased by 10 points.
• Mobile app integration is an increasingly important part of services offered by pharmacies. Mobile app utilization increased last year, with 26% of brick-and-mortar customers and 27% of mail-order customers accessing their pharmacy's mobile app.
• Overall satisfaction with brick-and-mortar mobile apps is 848, and overall satisfaction with mail-order mobile apps is 868. Both scores are higher than the average mobile app/text message satisfaction score of 826 seen in its 2021 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan Study.
In terms of how survey respondents viewed pharmacies, Good Neighbor Pharmacy (a network of independent pharmacies) ranked highest among brick-and-mortar chain drug store pharmacies for a fifth consecutive year with a score of 912. Health Mart, also an independent pharmacy franchise, ranked second with a score of 891, and the retail chain Rite Aid Pharmacy ranked third with a score of 866.
Sam's Club ranked highest among brick-and-mortar mass merchandiser pharmacies for a sixth consecutive year with a score of 891, followed by CVS/pharmacy inside Target with a score of 879 and Costco with a score of 877.
H-E-B ranks highest among brick-and-mortar supermarket pharmacies with a score of 896. Wegmans ranked second with a score of 892, and Stop & Shop ranked third with a score of 885.
Humana Pharmacy ranked highest in the mail-order category for a fourth consecutive year with a score of 906, followed by Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy with a score of 887 and Aetna Rx Home Delivery with a score of 884.
For 13 years, the U.S. Pharmacy Study has measured customer satisfaction with brick-and-mortar and mail-order pharmacies. The 2021 study is based on responses from 12,646 pharmacy customers who filled a prescription during the 3 months prior to the survey period of September 2020 through May 2021.
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