SingleCare, a company that offers prescription discounts to customers, is jumping into the hot home drug delivery market.
In partnership with online pharmacy GeniusRx, SingleCare will offer free home delivery for 4,000 of the most commonly taken medications across all 50 states, according to an announcement provided first to Fierce Healthcare.
The decision to launch the new offering was spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has kept many Americans at home, Rick Bates, founder and CEO of SingleCare, told Fierce Healthcare. He said that while home delivery has long been available, it hasn't always had widespread interest from consumers.
"The pandemic really created different needs across the marketplace for our consumers," he said.
RELATED: Preventive care dropped during COVID-19 pandemic despite rise in telehealth visits, study finds
Even prior to the pandemic, the drug delivery market was heating up, with Amazon's acquisition of PillPack spurring an arms race among big industry players to shore up their offerings. UnitedHealth Group, for instance, reportedly acquired DivvyDose last month to compete more directly, and CVS Health took its home delivery option nationwide in August 2019.
Demand has only soared during the pandemic. CVS CEO Larry Merlo said earlier this year that the company saw home delivery orders up 1000% in the second quarter compared to the first quarter of 2020.
Bates said SingleCare is not anticipating that the interest in home drug delivery will drop off in any substantial way once the pandemic subsides, and he believes the company brings a unique perspective to the growing market with its focus on cost.
By collaborating with GeniusRx, customers can see prices that are 85% lower when they order delivery from SingleCare, according to the announcement.
In addition, the company's platform is designed to be simple for customers to use, another boon, Bates said.
"One of the greatest advantages that SingleCare has had in the market is consistency of performance for the consumer," he said.