The 2022 U.S. Pharmacy Study revealed that both Brick-and-Mortar and Mail Order pharmacies are struggling to maintain customer loyalty. Both customer bases reported their intent to shop for a new pharmacy within the next 12 months. With disruptors like Amazon Pharmacy and GoodRx entering the market, strategic initiatives need to be implemented to prevent dissatisfied customers from switching.
A deeper look at customer responses illustrates that Brick-and-Mortar pharmacies are meeting general service expectations but struggle with developing long-term relationships with consumers. With only 35% of customers strongly agreeing that they can trust their pharmacy, there is much to be improved. In the top two reasons to switch, customers cited their desire for more consistent service and unfriendly and unhelpful staff members leading to an overall negative experience.
While consistent service and great personnel have some of the biggest impacts on overall satisfaction, pharmacies have the opportunity to offer more health and wellness services to build loyalty. There is currently a distinctive gap between interest in healthcare services requested by consumers and what is currently offered. Many respondents shared that utilizing their pharmacy for these convenient services, which are typically received at medical clinics, would strengthen their relationship with their existing pharmacy.
Despite their convenience, loyalty wanes among Mail Order pharmacy customers. Mail Order pharmacies attract consumers on the basis that they can deliver medications on time as promised. Long delays and a failure to meet this standard can have a drastic impact on loyalty and cause customers to consider switching.
To bolster customer loyalty, mail order pharmacies should take immediate action to lessen the likelihood of switching by ensuring prompt delivery of medications and consistent service. With less than half of respondents sharing that their pharmacy puts the interests of customers first, there is also an opportunity to build trust through positive and educational interactions with a pharmacist.
While pharmacies are struggling to maintain loyalty, Amazon Pharmacy and GoodRx are disrupting the industry even further. With satisfaction seeing a downward trend, Amazon Pharmacy may be attracting customers who are dissatisfied with their current options. An increasing amount of Brick-and-Motor and Mail Order pharmacy customers shared their desire to switch to Amazon's Pharmacy services within the next 12 months after trying their Pill Pack, and that number is steadily rising year over year.
GoodRx is influencing consumer choices even further. 80% of Mail Order consumers and 77% of Brick-and-Motor consumers state that the information provided by this savings card influenced where they had their prescriptions filled. This indicates that customers may be less likely to search for alternatives due to their reliance on these savings cards.
With loyalty at risk and disruptors entering the market, pharmacies need to consistently evaluate and respond to evolving pharmacy customer needs.
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