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In the last one and half years, if we have discussed anything on a large scale and repeatedly, it is definitely about healthcare. The healthcare industry has gained considerable importance worldwide, making it one of the booming industries for digital health startups, including medicine delivery app development.
Before we talk about the concept and features of medicine delivery apps like PharmEasy, Practo, or NetMeds, here is a Statista infographic depicting the market size (in US billion dollars) of medical apps worldwide for 2017 and forecast year- 2025
What is a Medicine Delivery App?
A medicine delivery application is a game-changer in the healthcare industry. It has done wonders since its inception and has been expanding its importance and benefits over time. A medicine delivery or pharmacy delivery app is a smartphone application that helps patients or smartphone users directly order medicines online.
The pharmacy app development is one of the most common application development services in today’s time. Here the digital healthcare startup owner connects with an on-demand medicine delivery application development company for designing a telemedicine app like PharmEasy, Practo, and NetMeds.
Medicine Delivery App: Models
Various models are hired to create a medicine delivery application.
1. Pharmacy Model
It is one of the most common business models where the single or multi-chain pharmacy store owner will design an exclusive medicine delivery app for delivering medicines to the customers. Here there is no third-party involvement.
Business owners generally prefer the pharmacy medicine delivery app model to maximize their sales via online delivery. Hiring a readymade medicine delivery solution is highly preferable here as it is both time-saving on development and quite reasonable.
2. Aggregate Model
Next is the third-party (aggregate) model. If you are using PharmEasy or Practo for buying medicines online, then it is called a third-party model. Here one person will own the app, and he will be partnering with various medicine delivery stores to help patients get their medicines at their doorstep. You can go for customized medicine delivery app development for building a third-party pharmacy app model.
How Does Medicine or Pharmacy Delivery App Works?
The funda of the pharmacy delivery app process is quite simple. Here there are two or three apps required for making the process complete as per the business model.
If you are working on the pharmacy app model, you will require a store app and a customer app to make the process complete. Whereas if you have a third-party telemedicine app, three apps make the process work. These are respectively; customer app, store owner app, and an admin panel.
Medicine Delivery Application Development: In-App Features
A medicine delivery app requires many essential features to keep the business going. Though there are features designed as per the type of apps, such as the customer app or the pharmacy store app- we shall help you know about the latest features.
Types of Apps
There are three types of applications that need to be developed for a successful medicine delivery app, including an admin panel to manage and control the business.
1: Customer App
A customer application is a prominent pharmacy delivery app. It helps with the placing of medicines orders online. Here are the essential features of the customer app.
1) Sign up/ Register
The first and foremost pharmacy delivery app feature is to allow the customers to register with the app. You can register it via email or phone number. Also, if you select a phone number, it is vital to get an OTP for successful registration.
2) Auto-detect Location
Secondly, the essential feature is the auto-detect location. Here the users allow the app to auto-detect the location for helping with an easy delivery experience. As per the location, the pharmacy delivery stores will be shown on the main screen.
3) Search Medicines
Often, the users or patients directly wish to search the nearest medical store by typing the name of the medicine. By utilizing this particular feature, you allow the users to search for medicine directly by using the search tab.
4) Search Pharmacy Store
Like searching for the medicine, the users can search for the pharmacy store by clicking on the search tab. Users can directly enter the name of the medical store and get in touch with the store that can help with quick medicine delivery.
5) Add to Cart
By using the add-to-cart feature, the users can directly add medicines to the cart. Here the added medicines will be displayed in the cart before the payment checkout process. It is essential to have a look at the medicines before processing the payment. Also, the medicine quantity can be added and subtracted directly from the cart.
6) Upload Prescription
In the USA and many other countries- it is mandatory to upload the prescription before purchasing any drugs online or offline. The medicine delivery app development needs to be precise, especially with this feature, as it is required for the patient to upload the prescription before checking out.
7) Payment Options
Payment is one of the essential elements of the medicine delivery app. Here the users will need to have the different payment options available to transfer the money online while placing a purchase request. Payment options include debit card, credit card, net banking, etc.
8) Order History
You must allow your users to check the order history for making a repetitive medicine order. Especially the patients who are suffering from diabetes or blood pressure need to order the same medicines every month. Hence, having an order history feature allows the user to make a repetitive purchase using their pharmacy delivery app quickly.
2: Store Owner App
The store owner application is again an essential app as it accepts or rejects the medicine delivery order from the customer. It has got the following prominent features.
- Store registration
- Push notifications
- Payment interface
- Track orders
- Analysis
- Prescriptions
3: Driver/Rider App
A driver or rider helps deliver the medicines to the customer or patient once the store owner asks for the medicines pickup. Here are the exclusive features of the same.
- Driver registration
- In-app GPS
- Order history
- Earnings report
- Accept/reject toggle
- Order status update
4: Admin Panel
An admin panel is one of the most crucial elements of the entire application. It helps to manage and control the whole medicine delivery business from the backend. Here are the exclusive admin panel features to have a glance at.
- User dashboard
- Medicine Management
- Promo code Management
- Reports
- Delivery area management
- Quantity management
- Tracking tools
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Medicine Delivery App like PharmEasy?
While you are thinking of launching any of your pharmacy business models by designing and developing a medicine delivery app, it is crucial to know its cost. The cost of a drug delivery app highly depends on the technology stack and team’s expertise.
So, let me share the recommended technology stack from our iCoderz Solutions Experts for building a medicine delivery app like PharmEasy or NetMeds.
Technology Stack for Medicine Delivery App
- Backend Scripting Language: Laravel Or Node.
- Front-End Scripting: Vue.JS Or React JS
- iOS Application: Native Swift
- Android App: Native Kotlin
- Server: AWS, Google Cloud, Digitalocean Etc.
- OTP Verification: Google Firebase
- Email Updates : Sendgrid
- Push Notification; Pooshwoosh or Firebase
- Payment Gateway: Stipe, Razorpay, Braintree, and PayTM
Cost of Building a Medicine Delivery App
Suppose you are investing your money in building a pharmacy delivery application like PharmEasy or NetMeds. In that case, you need to make sure that these apps are a great source of monetizing your revenue. In countries like the USA, the cost for building a pharmacy delivery app is approximately 15,000 USD to 35,000 USD depending upon the technology stack and development team’s expertise. Also, the type of engagement model you have selected for building the app matters the most for determining the time and cost of application development.
Takeaway Guide
Many new types of digital healthcare startups are emerging day by day. The Healthcare industry is indeed one of the booming industries to boost the smartphone market by introducing various healthcare apps. If you wish to build a medicine delivery app like PharmEasy or NetMeds, you must consult our business experts at iCoderz Solutions. We will help you get a complete medicine delivery solution for launching your online pharmacy delivery store anywhere in the USA.
