With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people to stay at home, it has become more difficult than ever to get all the things you need without having to venture outside. Naturally, people have opted to shop online and get the things they need. However, there are still certain risks attached to this that can expose you to the dangers of the Coronavirus. Fortunately, contactless delivery offers a viable solution to this problem. At PlusVirtual , we prioritize patient well-being above all else. To ensure your safety, we provide contactless medication delivery, allowing you to get your prescriptions filled online and get them delivered to your home without having to compromise on your health and safety.
Read on as we discuss what contactless delivery is and how it works.
What Is Contactless Delivery?
Contactless delivery refers to moving goods from their distribution location and handing them over to the end customer while ensuring there is no physical contact between the different people that support the process. This can primarily include the deliveryman and the end customer. However, it also includes store employees that handle the products and transfer them to the deliveryman.
Ensuring a contactless medication delivery is easier said than done. It begins with making sure that there is no contact between the various individuals involved in the supply chain process. This can be done by following basic safety protocols such as wearing masks and gloves to minimize contact between personnel when handling orders. However, that is not all, and there is a lot more that can be done to support the process. Let’s take a closer look at this.
Digging Deeper Into Contactless Delivery
1-Preparing Orders
Introducing contactless delivery starts with streamlining the order preparation process. This can begin within the store or in a warehouse or fulfillment center. Preparing orders in a contact-free environment is essential here. Since the handover process takes place manually, the people involved may risk making physical contact at this stage. For example, if a pharmacist has filled a customer’s prescription and is handing it to the deliveryman, they may need to sign something to confirm that the order has been handed over. To resolve this problem, they can opt for a digital tool that marks this stage of the supply chain process as complete.
2-Engaging in Digital Conversations with the Customer
It’s important to ensure that any conversations between the customer and the service providers do not involve any physical contact. This can be done by opting for digital communications. For example, once a deliveryman arrives, they can notify customers of their arrival via a phone call or a text message. Service providers can also offer features that allow a customer to track the deliveryman’s progress via an app. This can assuage any concerns they may have about potential delays in the order.
Moreover, to ensure privacy, service providers can also mask the numbers of customers and their deliverymen, allowing them to communicate more freely without having to share numbers.
Finally, there is also a concern about handling returns, rejections, and tips. In this case, customers can consider calling the pharmacy directly to discuss the medication they want to return. For customers willing to tip deliverymen, they can consider leaving this amount outside their front door and inform the person to collect it after depositing the ordered items.
Confirming Delivery of Restricted Items
When you get your prescriptions filled at a hospital pharmacy, you are more likely to buy more medicines than you need. This unused prescription drugs end up as medical waste, which has significant health, financial, and environmental consequences.
For proof of delivery, customers can provide their digital signature via an app and confirm they have received the ordered items.
How Does PlusVirtual Offer Contactless Medication Delivery?
At PlusVirtual, we provide contactless medication delivery allowing our patients to get their prescriptions filled as often as required without risking their health and safety. Here is a brief breakdown of our contactless delivery process:
1-Order Placement
Our patients or their doctor can share their prescriptions with us. We will get in touch with them via phone to confirm their order and gather other details such as their name, address, contact number, insurance, and prescription copy.
Once the order has been confirmed, our handlers will proceed to prepare the order. We require all handlers to wear masks and gloves during this process and engage in no physical contact.
2-Arrival of Orders
Once the order has been transferred to the rider, a notification will be sent to the patient. When the rider arrives at the provided address, they will inform the patient accordingly. We instruct our riders not to hand over the parcel or prescription medicine directly to the patient. Instead, they place the order near the patient’s doorstep.
3-Receiving the Order
The rider will alert the patient by ringing their doorbell or dropping another message. Once they do this, they will step away from the door and maintain a minimum distance of 2 meters. When the patient opens the door to collect their order, the rider can confirm their address and ask them to display their photo ID. This process is done while ensuring that the patient and the rider maintain a safe distance from each other.
4-Proof of Delivery
We no longer require the patient to sign after they have received their order. Instead, the rider can confirm that the order has been successfully delivered.
PlusVirtual’s pharmacy team also follows up after each delivery to confirm the order status. We advise all patients to discard the packaging at once and wash their hands with warm water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds. Patients can also consider using hand sanitizer to disinfect their hands before and after they receive their prescription.
Are you interested in learning more about PlusVirtual’s contactless medication delivery services? Get in touch with us today to speak to one of our customer representatives and place an order!