What these sites really have to do as they build their foundation, is create the service-oriented relationships that will allow them not to be a new channel doing the same business, but allow them to really improve the pharmacy business, and therefore allow them to generate more sales. There are early indications that the early groundwork laid by online pharmacies may begin to pay off. Forrester has detected the trend's beginning. Five percent of 3,000 online users recently surveyed by the company reported having purchased prescription medication online in the past six months, and 9 percent expect to make an online prescription purchase in the next six months. But simply setting up shop and selling drugs online, in Boehm's estimation, is merely Phase One.
Smart refill reminders that compel patients to re-order their drugs.
Deep content about medications, their benefits, their side effects, and potential alternative drugs. But she said the physicians with whom she has spoken haven't griped about the idea, largely because they know that pharmacists, too, are well trained in medicine. It's not like the pharmacist is sending them to Joe Schmoe's Random Online Support Group. Pharmacists are also medical professionals with their own ethics and licenses to worry about. So these are going to be legitimate resources that they're pointing to.