Walgreens Introduces Mobile-first Telehealth Service

  • Tuesday, September 20th, 2016
  • Author: Tim Maytom
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walgreens skin care answersUS pharmacy brand Walgreens has launched a new mobile-first service that aims to connect customers with dermatological information, care and treatment, including the ability to access online consultations with trained specialists.

The average wait time for patients looking to see a dermatologist in the US is nearly 29 days, and in some areas can exceed several months. In order to meet the demand for skin care resources and accessible care and treatment, Walgreens has launched Skin Care Answers via its mobile app and responsive website.

The platform features informational resources and content enabling visitors to obtain extended skin care, including a teledermatology service through Iagnosis, which offers online consultations with US-based, board-certified specialists.

“More than 2m people visit our digital channels each day, and this is another way we can help address access challenges by giving our customers more convenient channels and resources to meet their health care needs,” said Greg Orr, vice president of digital health at Walgreens.

As well as the DermatologistOnCall platform, users can get basic skin care tips and product recommendations through Walgreens Pharmacy Chat, which offers live online chat convesations 24/7 with members of the companys pharmacy staff, and access information on common skin conditions through a content partnership with WebMD.

“This is another example of combining innovation and convenience to deliver tools and services that help deliver quality and affordable care to our customers anywhere, anytime,” said Dr Harry Leider, chief medical officer for Walgreens.

“The teledermatology offering and collaboration is a natural extension of some of the services we already provide and can serve as a resource for screening and potential early diagnosis of a variety of skin conditions.”