Propeller Health expands in-app pharmacy services to CVS, Walmart, Rite-Aid and Kroger

Digital inhaler company Propeller Health has expanded a pharmacy refill app to include CVS, Kroger, Rite-Aid and Walmart pharmacies.

The Madison, Wisconsin-based digital health company focuses on patients with asthma and lung disease. Propeller Health launched My Pharmacy in January 2019 with Walgreens as an in-app feature that allows users to manage their prescription refills for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to locate a nearby pharmacy.

With the expansion, Propeller Health's app is now available in five of the seven largest pharmaceutical providers in the U.S., the company said.

The company launched in 2007 and built a mobile platform that offers sensors, mobile apps, analytics and services to support respiratory health management. Propeller Health was acquired by medical device giant ResMed for $225 million last December. 

RELATED: BCBS Ohio partners with Propeller Health to reduce COPD costs using digital inhalers

“We know that medication management can be an additional burden for people living with asthma and COPD,” Greg Tracy, chief technology officer of Propeller Health, said in a statement. “We hope that creating a convenient way to refill prescriptions and locate nearby pharmacies from the Propeller app makes life easier for our users.”

Propeller sensors attach to patients’ existing inhalers, and, through the app, users can track their medication use, record their symptoms and triggers, receive environmental forecasts that may affect their asthma or COPD and download progress reports to share with their provider. Providers can also access Propeller to monitor their patients’ progress, adjust treatment plans based on objective data and intervene when necessary.

Propeller Health has partnered with insurers like Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Ohio to test whether the device can reduce emergency department admissions by alerting care managers if a patient is taking too many rescue breaths.

In October, Propeller announced a new feature of its connected inhalers that will help forgetful asthma or COPD patients track down their lost devices. Much like similar products made for car keys, users can “ring” the sensor on a misplaced inhaler to make it easier to find using an update to the Find My Inhaler feature in the Propeller app. The Find My Inhaler feature lets users view the last known location of their sensored inhaler on a map within the Propeller app. 

RELATED: Propeller Health acquired by ResMed for $225M

The new "ring" feature was added based on feedback from patients about the day-to-day realities of their condition, the company said.

“We heard from our users that it’s easy to misplace an inhaler, whether it’s in a purse, down the side of a chair or in a coat pocket,” Tracy said.