Digital Journal: ScriptSave WellRx Interview

Dr. Sredzinski: We have a team of pricing analysts who work on these data every single day. In fact, that’s all they do – day-in, day-out. Prescription pricing really can be that changeable and complex, which is why we encourage our members and patients all over to be regularly checking in with the ScriptSave WellRx app or website ahead of every refill – the data are updated every single day.

DJ: What has the response been from the pharmacy profession?

Dr. Sredzinski: We’ve spent the past 20 plus years working extremely closely with retail pharmacy networks and we’ve always been about more than just providing a discount. The focus is on the continuum of care and, as such, the responses we’ve attracted have generally reflected a visionary status among our partners over time.

From the early pioneering efforts of some pharmacies who had us help with the building and running of their in-store pharmacy loyalty programs to now, it’s always been a humbling experience to roll out new innovations in collaborative ways.

DJ: How have consumers reacted?

Dr. Sredzinski: I’m blown away by the positive sentiment that folks seem to want to share with their family, friends, neighbors, about ScriptSave WellRx. The world has truly become a digitally social place, and health-and-wellness related products like ours are no exception to the “Like” button. When we unveiled the new Medicine Chest feature, that one certainly got consumers’ attention.

DJ: What has the up-take been like?

Dr. Sredzinski: Way beyond expectations, and it’s not solely from the consumer and patient sector. We’ve been inundated by inquiries that run the gamut from health-and-tech entrepreneurs with ideas on possible evolutions, to insurance and pharmacy pioneers wanting to discuss potential opportunities to work more closely together.

Meanwhile, we have prescribing physicians telling us that we’re literally helping them to save patient lives by allowing them to hand out our savings card free with every prescription they write.

DJ: Where can the app be obtained?

Dr. Sredzinski: It’s currently available for iPhone and Android, and there are links on the WellRx website to our listings in each of those app stores.

DJ: What other types of healthcare related technology interest you?

Dr. Sredzinski: Personalization and machine-learning are going to be part-and-parcel of how healthcare will be paid for in the future. Hyper-personalization is the key, and we’re taking this seriously. I recently co-authored a white paper on this topic with Gary Hawkins, the Founder & CEO of the Center for Advancing Retail and Technology (CART). The paper focuses on the massive disconnect between the healthcare, retail and grocery industries, as well as the roll big-data have to play in this regard.

Imagine allowing a patient with diabetes or high cholesterol to seamlessly share this information with local grocery stores and Consumer Product Goods (CPG) manufacturers. The next time this patient restocks the pantry, their personalized offers could easily reflect foods that have been certified by the American Diabetes Association or the American Heart Association.

DJ: What other projects are you working on?

Dr. Sredzinski: We have a couple of big ones in focus at the moment. The first is to take a new look at an older concept we helped pioneer way back in our early days as a young company. The market for pharmaceutical copay cards is ripe for evolution and that’s right in our wheelhouse, so we’ll be working with interested pharma manufacturers to help change the dynamic in this space. In tandem with that, as anyone who attended the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ annual expo in August will know, our innovation in the personalized wellness space won industry recognition as we’re building a product to help connect retail pharmacy, retail grocery and consumer healthcare.

The project sees us working closely with some of the most innovative retail pharmacies and front-of-store retailers in the industry, and we’re bringing healthy offerings from the CPG space then syncing them to personal wellness profiles that patients can maintain within the ScriptSave WellRx platform.