While same day delivery and prescription medication delivery is not new in the pharmaceutical sector, they are outdated and there is a more efficient and cost-effective way to meet changing customer demands, according to Sherpa CEO, Duncan Brett.
Delivering the keynote speech at the recent APP Conference on the Gold Coast, Brett said there is a revolution happening in pharmaceutical delivery, with the pharmacy industry’s reliance on online pushed into overdrive with Covid-19.
“This has forced pharmacies to focus on convenience and deliveries at scale, which are now a necessity. They needed to find a better way to meet customer demand that is less clunky, costly and inefficient and this is what Sherpa does,” Brett said.
“We are providing a sophisticated and better way for pharmacies to get medical products to their patients outside their retail facility. The feedback from pharmacy retailers who have taken advantage of the Sherpa model of same day delivery is that it has changed their business because we have turned their stores into mini distribution centres.
“Sherpa has become experts in the area of delivering highly regulated goods, by working with industry bodies to find the best solution, enforcing regulatory compliance and providing a better customer experience.”
Sherpa has become Australia’s number one on-demand delivery partner, operating in 17 cities across the country, boasting a Delivered In Full, On Time (DIFOT) standard of 94% and working with some of the biggest global brands.
“While we are retailer agnostic, we have aligned ourselves with the pharma industry as a whole, with different business models, retail, suppliers, wholesalers and ecommerce to provide a better way for pharmacists to get much-needed medication to their patients,” Brett said.
“Sherpa’s job is delivery. We do not compete with pharmacies or hold inventory. We simply get medical products in the hands of pharmacy patients quicker than anyone else. We are big, we are broad and we are good at what we do and the industry is discovering that they need our expertise to help them meet the challenges of the same day model at scale.”
The benefits for multi-store retail, using the same day delivery model, has turned five days delivery into one hour and two to three days into one hour.
“This provides pharmacies with the opportunity to efficiently and conveniently reach their customers, retain loyalty, ensure profitability and remain competitive. Sherpa has the expertise, technology and capability to help pharmacists do the whole process better,” Brett concluded.