REDWOOD CITY, California (Sept. 10, 2020)--NimbleRx, a platform providing independent pharmacies the ability to offer convenient, online delivery, has announced a partnership with Uber Health to offer safe, contactless prescription delivery from pharmacies in Seattle, Wash. and Dallas, Texas, and soon from other parts of the country as well. The service, which is fully integrated with Uber’s platform, is currently live throughout the Seattle and Dallas metro areas.
Consumer habits have changed rapidly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the current health crisis and ongoing social-distancing guidelines in place, it is more critical than ever for people to receive their prescriptions directly and efficiently. NimbleRx is a two-sided marketplace that works directly with independent and regional pharmacies to utilize its delivery platform, and offers consumers a simplified pharmacy experience through multiple online delivery options. Uber Health’s direct integration with the Nimble platform is providing consumers with an additional option to quickly receive their prescription deliveries without needing to leave their homes.
Currently, Nimble offers next-day delivery to 70% of the population of the United States, and same-day delivery to 30%. As delivery demand has increased in hotspots around the country, Nimble has seen demand increase from retail pharmacies nationwide, partly due to increased requests from the senior population.
“Around 70% of doctor visits end with a prescription, and with an increase in telemedicine over the last several months as well as a fundamentally larger acceptance of online healthcare, we’ve seen this number increase further,” said Talha Sattar, founder and CEO of Nimble. “Now more than ever, it is critical that patients have easy and swift access to their medications. Our partnership with Uber Health will allow Nimble to increase our capacity to serve our customers, and more efficiently deliver the prescriptions people need to address their health conditions.”
Built on Uber’s platform and part of Uber for Business’s suite of enterprise solutions, Uber Health is a HIPAA-secure solution that enables its various partners within the healthcare industry to request non-emergency medical transportation for patients and improve access to care for some of our most vulnerable populations including those on Medicaid and Medicare. Part of a larger initiative by Uber to provide access to on-demand and scheduled last-mile delivery solutions to consumers and businesses, prescription delivery provides a ripe opportunity to address the current and critical needs of Nimble customers.
"Given the current crisis, having to pick up prescriptions from your local pharmacy can be an unnecessary and sometimes risky barrier to care," said Dan Trigub, head of Uber Health at the time of the announcement. "Our partnership with Nimble marks Uber Health's expansion into pharmaceutical delivery, and allows us to support the effective and timely delivery of medications to those who need it most."
In response to the growing demand, Nimble implemented several changes to its technology including the enablement of delivery for those without a mobile phone, who make up approximately 11% of customers, as well as adding additional and faster delivery windows.
Following the initial launches in Seattle and Dallas, Nimble and Uber Health are already working to expand the partnership in additional regions across the United States. To date, Nimble has completed over 15,000 deliveries via the partnership with Uber Health.
