Pioneering a fast, reliable medication delivery model
Since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, healthcare access and delivery has been severely disrupted. As health systems shifted more resources toward triaging COVID-19 outbreaks, many people were forced to postpone care. In fact, as early as June 2020, 41% of U.S. adults reported that they had already delayed emergency, urgent, or routine care.
This impact was particularly pronounced among patients with underlying health conditions. The pandemic has added layers of challenges for many patients with chronic and complex medical conditions, who already face additional barriers in their healthcare journeys.
One significant barrier is convenient, reliable access to the medications they need. To treat many chronic conditions like arthritis or diabetes, patients require specialty medications, which are handled and delivered by specialty pharmacies. However, home delivery hasn’t always been as convenient as it should be for patients. With traditional shipping methods, pharmacies often can’t offer a more precise delivery window than “Tuesday.” This can cause added stress for patients, force them to rearrange their day to wait for a delivery if their medication has special storage requirements, and even risk their medication adherence in the event of a missed delivery.
There’s a better way—and we’re working with Magellan Rx Management to bring it to life. Magellan Rx is a full-service pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) that helps patients get the prescriptions they need, including specialty medications, quickly and easily. The company is passionate about building more patient-centric care for all, including people who have traditionally faced additional hurdles in the healthcare process. Together, we’ll deliver both traditional and specialty medications directly to patient homes in North Carolina via Zipline’s autonomous aircraft.
Now, instead of venturing out in-person or choosing a day for their medication delivery, patients can select a precise 5-10 minute window to receive their medication—after their morning workout, during their lunch break, or as soon as they get home from work. No more missed deliveries, worrying about packages sitting out on the front porch, or taking time off from work; instead, patients can get both specialty and non-specialty medications delivered right to their home on their schedule.
Together, Zipline and Magellan Rx are pioneering a healthcare logistics system that’s built around patients, rather than asking patients to build their lives around their care. And in addition to saving patients the headache of rearranging their day to accommodate a delivery, this partnership will ensure that patients can always get access to the medications they need, when and where they need them, improving medication adherence and bolstering patient health.
Magellan Rx will be the first national PBM to deliver directly to patient homes through Zipline—a turning point that comes at a vital moment for the healthcare community. As the pandemic wears on, patients—particularly those with chronic or complex medical conditions that leave them immunocompromised—may be considering ways to limit their exposure once again. Together, Magellan Rx and Zipline will make it possible for these patients to stay safe without missing the care that they need.
To learn more about Magellan Rx and Zipline’s upcoming work together to reduce barriers for all patients, including those with chronic and complex medical conditions, read more here.