Monday, November 19, 2007 Drugstore offers medicine delivery, phone-in order services in Cebu
A MANILA-based drugstore company has brought to Cebu the first “mail-order” pharmacy in Asia, which offers delivery and drive-through services for medicines.
MedExpress Drugstore, located along M.J. Cuenco Ave., Cebu City, allows customers to call the pharmacy’s contact center for delivery of any medication, either prescribed or over-the-counter, said Marilyn Tiu, company purchasing director.
“Upon the customer’s first purchase, we automatically keep a record of whether they simply buy paracetamol, or any other kind of medicine,” she said.
Tiu said the company’s decision to establish its first outlet outside of Manila is due to Cebu’s fast-paced lifestyle and the attractiveness of the local economy to investors.
“Cebu is a very attractive market. We thought, since it (service) is a hit in Manila, it will also succeed here,” she said, adding that the company offers its delivery services all over Metro Cebu.
In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu during MedExpress’ official launching at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino last Friday, Tiu said customers can avail themselves of the service for a minimum purchase of P250 with an added P30 as delivery fee.
“MedExpress offers competitive prices for its medicines,” she said.
For purchases above P700, no delivery fee is charged, Tiu said.
Customers can also order medicines and have these picked up from the store to avoid long waits, she added.
Tiu said that for prescriptions, customers have to fax the doctor’s statement to the store. Customers can also give MedExpress the name of the doctor and his or her confirmation of the prescription.
Surprisingly, the drugstore has become popular not only among the A and B markets but even among working professionals, Tiu said.
In Cebu, MedExpress has been operating its delivery service since July.
“For our Cebu branch, we are still thinking of adding the drive-through service,” Tiu said.
Apart from its delivery services, MedExpress also offers medication counseling, which give customers professional assistance from the company’s 50 licensed pharmacists.
“If you have a question about a certain medication, our pharmacists can also give free information,” Tiu said.
She, however, clarified that MedExpress does not encourage self-medication. Its pharmacists will not recommend prescribed medicine without doctor’s approval, she said. (MMM)
