Some things are straightforward to deliver, but when it comes to medication, it’s a different ballgame. This is something digital pharmacy, Phlo, knows all too well; consider a long list of security checks and patient sensitivities, and the delivery experience quickly becomes more than getting orders from A to B.

As their delivery partner from day dot, our team of trustworthy couriers have helped establish Phlo as the fastest pharmacy in London, delivering up to 100 same-day orders, often in as little as 2 hours.

More recently our technical team got in on the action to help develop secure delivery codes to ensure all deliveries remain fast and secure. They’re now taking their service nationwide and quickly fulfilling their mission to become the UK’s leading on-demand pharmacy service.

“A combination of the tech and the drivers is where Gophr thrives and stands out from the competition.”Adam Hunter, Chief Commercial Officer, Phlo


How Phlo became one of the fastest-growing online pharmacies

Instead of finding the time to visit the GP and queuing at the pharmacy to collect ‘over-the-counter’ prescriptions, Phlo takes the legwork out of this traditional process. The digital pharmacy empowers patients to access their medication when and where they need it, often from the safety of their own home.

They are now shaping the future of the pharmacy sector with a quick and secure delivery promise. How did they do this? By doing what they do best, and listening to their patients.

 

How patient feedback kick-started an improved delivery experience

When it comes to getting medication delivered, speed and trust are fundamental. Phlo knew from their market research that the existing online pharmacy market was struggling to meet these expectations, leaving patients feeling uncomfortable about receiving their acute medication in the post and not trusting traditional mail order services to arrive on time.

But the anxieties don’t end there – the delivery process also requires a mutual level of trust between driver and patient. The driver is often responsible for delivering life-saving medication without any hiccups, and upon delivery, they are responsible for carrying out sufficient safety checks. 

Phlo has been using a hand-picked pool of Gophr couriers since the very beginning and proudly sees them as an outsourced fleet that represents the brand. The DBS checked drivers have built great relationships with both staff and patients, alleviating some of the anxieties surrounding the delivery experience. 

“The drivers are an extension of the pharmacy. Gophr couriers get that, our pool of drivers are exemplary. We see them as Phlo couriers, not Gophr couriers.” Pritesh Dodhia, Head of Operations, Phlo

But, when the pharmacy started hearing from patients that showing ID upon delivery was inconvenient, they knew they had to shake things up. Phlo needed a smart solution that improved the patient experience but didn’t compromise the security of their deliveries.

Partnering with the Gophr tech team to develop secure delivery codes

That’s where our dedicated tech team stepped in to help develop secure delivery codes (that’s right, we’re not just a team of couriers!) and just like that, our API integration now assigns a one-time numeric code to each pharmacy order. 

When our pool of Phlo drivers collect the medication from the pharmacy, the patient receives an SMS and email containing their delivery code. They can follow the journey of their order on the live tracking map and then simply quote the code to the courier to verify their identity. Secure, convenient, and all within 4 hours of placing the order.

“There’s lots of carriers out there, but not many are tech enabled and can work with an engineering team. Gophr is a partner that doesn’t lose sight of the end user – there are cheaper options, but that’s not the most important thing.” Adam Hunter, Chief Commercial Officer, Phlo

Scaling their real-time, same-day delivery service across England

When Phlo launched in 2019 we were delivering a few orders a week. Fast forward to 2021 and we’re delivering up to 100 orders a day, with an average delivery time of 2 hours. As they expand into new cities across the UK, it’s safe to say our pool of couriers will be expanding with them, along with the fast and secure delivery experience that continues to disrupt the health-tech sector.

 

If you have any questions about our service or want to chat, please get in touch with us at partnerships@gophr.com.