Did you know the global online pharmacy market will reach over $104 billion by 2024? With the growing need for convenient healthcare solutions, more people are turning to online pharmacy apps for their medication needs.
And here comes an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs like you! Follow the current trends of pharmacy app development and invent the most convenient digital healthcare application. Win over today’s online healthcare consumers with a Pharmacy App that quickly becomes a market favorite!
So, what does it take to build an exceptional online pharmacy app? What features should it have? What’s the best pharmaceutical application development strategy to follow? Let’s get there step by step!
Review Current Dynamics Of Online Pharmacy Apps Market
Since 2018, the global online pharmaceutical market has grown by 250%, with a projected market value of $178B in the next two years. Doesn’t it sound surreal? Here are some more interesting statistics that you might find helpful in building the best pharmacy app in 2024:
a) Pharma revenues reached $1.48 trillion globally last year.
b) The online pharmacy market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 16% by 2032.
c) Pfizer was the top pharma company, making over $100 billion in 2022.
d) The U.S., China, and India have the largest pharmaceutical markets worldwide.
e) Most pharmaceutical sales happen in the European and North American regions.
f) The e-pharmacy market still lags in digital health trends.
g) Most popular pharmaceutical apps were for delivering medications.
h) 75% of customers expect high service levels from health providers.
While over 80% of adults prefer local pharmacists over online ordering services, modern pharmacies must digitize most healthcare services by developing pharmaceutical apps. Do you agree with that?
Now, let’s check the available e-pharmacy applications across iOS and Android and what are the popular categories!
Also Read: Technology Trends in Healthcare
Common Type Of Pharmacy Apps Available For Downloads
Modern pharmacy app development should balance convenience with usability for online consumers. Most e-pharmacy apps available in the market are for managing users’ prescriptions and medication routines.
Popular Pharmacy Applications For iPhone & Android
a) Amazon Pharmacy App: Amazon offers customers an easy way to order prescription medications online with a convenient home delivery facility.
b) Practo: Practo provides a comprehensive healthcare platform where users can book doctor appointments, order medicines, and access telehealth services.
c) Apollo 247: This app offers a seamless online healthcare experience with 24/7 availability of doctoral consultation services, diagnostic tests, and medicine delivery.
d) Banner Pharmacy: The Banner Mail Order pharmacy delivers medications at the most affordable pricing to the doorsteps through the mail.
e) Rite Aid Pharmacy: This app offers online and in-store pharmacy services and allows users to easily manage prescriptions, order refills, and get health advice.
Categorizing The Pharmacy Application Types
So, if you plan to build the ultimate online pharmacy app development solution, you have to pick any of the popular categories that include:
a) Apps for Online Consultations: These apps combine telehealth services with pharmacy services so that users can consult with doctors and get prescriptions filled online.
b) Apps for Medication Delivery: These apps allow users to browse and purchase over-the-counter medications, health products, and wellness items for home delivery.
c) Apps for Marketplaces: These apps serve as pharmacy marketplaces that collect medication and healthcare supplements from multiple suppliers in one place.
d) Apps for Store Chains: These apps are designed for large pharmaceutical companies with multiple in-store locations or pharmacy chains.
e) Apps for Handbooks: These are the best apps for pharmacists, doctors, and patients to find drug-related medication information in one place.
Are you clear on your online pharmacy app development blueprint and design concept? If so, let’s proceed to the next part!
Also Read: How Salesforce is Revolutionizing Patient Care?
Estimate Your Pharma Application Development Efforts & Pricing
Start by planning the application development roadmap by estimating the project scope and associated costs. If you plan to hire a reputed pharmacy app development company, the development cost will depend on the charges of the professional app developers. You can either have a dedicated team of developers or let the company handle the workload themselves.
The introductory pricing of hiring professionals can range from $40,000 to $150,000 or more. Once you confirm what features and functionalities they are doing to develop, they will send you custom estimations to confirm the next plan! They will also share the overall project timeline so that you have a clear idea about when to expect the grand launch of your pharmacy mobile app!
Finalize The Pharmacy Mobile Application Features & Capabilities
Are you happy with your estimations? Then, select the most futuristic features you plan to offer online e-pharma consumers through your mobile app. We’re listing some of the must-have application capabilities that you can consider for your Pharma App:
a) Customer Registration: You should include multiple sign-up options so that customers can pick a suitable registration process and set up their account.
b) Prescription Management: You can add this feature to allow users to upload and manage their prescriptions online and use them to place medication orders.
c) Medication Reminders: Help the users maintain their medication or health checkup schedules by sending timely notifications through your application.
d) Advanced Search Functionality: You must build a powerful search feature that allows users to find medications quickly and required healthcare services.
e) Cart Payment Options: Your app must accept various types of payments, such as cards, e-wallets, and online banking, so users can quickly pay their bills online.
f) Chatbots For Customer Assistance: Ensure application users get immediate assistance through live chatbots and telecommunication services.
g) Order History Tracking: You should focus on keeping users’ past order histories to suggest personalized medication plans and retain your online customers.
These features are just the basic capabilities you must build through pharmacy app development at the initial stages. Later, you can add more innovative features to please your customers. Now, let’s begin the actual development work!
Step-By-Step Roadmap To Develop Your Online Pharmacy App
We’ve already covered the preparatory work and estimations required in the pharmacy app development process. Now, the following blueprint will highlight the significant phases of application development for you!
1) Creating The Initial MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
In simple terms, an MVP is the basic version of your product needed to sell it to the market. It allows you to learn about customers with minimal effort and investment. Here’s how to create your online pharmacy app MVP:
a) Look for users’ pain points based on customer surveys and interviews.
b) Validate the demand for potential features through market research.
c) Analyze competitors’ movements to find profitable opportunities and trends.
d) Work on developing a simple and functional app version focused on solving issues.
e) Test with a beta group to make necessary refinements based on the feedback.
Are you now clear about the first step for creating an MVP for developing pharmacy delivery apps? Keep going!
2) UI/UX Wireframing and Prototyping
After creating your MVP, the next critical step is mind mapping to visualize your app’s structure and create wireframes. Ask your online pharmacy app development company to make rough sketches that lay out the key elements and features of your e-pharma app.
The main focus should be designing intuitive user interfaces that ensure a seamless experience for users while ordering medication and seeking healthcare support. Then, develop a complete design concept with a UI kit with fonts, icons, and buttons to begin with prototyping. Keep refining the interactive flow and user experience by using tools like Figma and enhancing the application’s usability for better user engagement.
3) Back-End Coding & Development
This is the most crucial step in bringing your pharmacy app to life by developing its core features and capabilities. From creating the server-side logic to establishing database connections, developers do end-to-end coding using the following tech stack:
a) React.js for Front-End: It develops the user interfaces for customers to interact with.
b) Node.js for Back-End: It handles databases and server-side logic.
c) Electron.js for Desktop: It enables cross-platform desktop app development for MacOS and Windows.
d) React Native for Mobile: It builds iOS and Android apps with one codebase to reduce development time.
e) JavaScript: It ensures application compatibility across all devices and browsers.
Thus, this step completes the overall development of your pharmacy apps for patients. Your development team can now begin with quality assurance and testing.
4) Application Testing & Release
Once you complete pharmacy app development, it’s time to test its functionality and quality readiness to prepare for the ultimate market release. Here are some testing methods you can follow for maximum quality assurance:
a) Functional Testing: Checks the app’s functionalities against the users’ demands.
b) Usability Testing: Evaluates the intuitiveness and user-friendliness of app instances.
c) Performance Testing: Assesses the app’s responsiveness under different conditions.
d) Compatibility Testing: Verifies the app’s performance across different platforms.
After successful testing, you can make your application publicly available through application stores and other platforms. But make sure that you pre-check your application compliance with all relevant regulations.
Compliance For Your E-Pharmacy App
Now that you are almost ready with your application, you must comply with all the legal and ethical standards based on your geographic location. Listing here some of the common standards:
a) HIPAA Compliance: It protects sensitive patient information like diagnoses and prescription details to ensure privacy and security.
b) GDPR: It ensures strict handling of personal data for European users while emphasizing user consent and data protection.
c) CCPA: It’s for California residents to protect their privacy rights and transparency to control their overall personal information.
d) DSCSA: It enhances drug traceability and secure authentication of pharmaceutical distributions.
Even though some of these compliance standards are for specific geo-locations, you must check your local laws to maintain the legality of your e-pharmacy market.
Post-Launch Monitoring & Maintenance
After you launch your e-pharmacy app, get assistance from the online pharmacy app development company with ongoing monitoring and maintenance. Keep receiving user feedback to plan for future improvements and feature updates in subsequent releases. Also, you must maintain high-security standards to protect customers’ sensitive healthcare data.
Thus, the final step becomes a continuous process that involves tracking the application performance and addressing different issues. This cyclical process ensures your app remains competitive and aligned with evolving industry standards.
Be The Market Favorites & Provide The Best Healthcare Services With Your Pharma App!
The online pharmacy market is booming with innovative apps providing convenient healthcare solutions. As you launch your e-health startup, ensure your app stands out with its unique features and user-centric design. Closely analyze your competitors and check what’s trending to plan and execute your next big move.
Bring out the best healthcare services by completing top-notch pharmacy app development with the help of industry professionals like Algoworks! As a leading application development company, we are excited to plan and build your dream-come-true pharmacy mobile app. Contact our skilled developers and transform your app vision into reality!
About Us: Algoworks is a B2B IT firm providing end-to-end product development services. Operating chiefly from its California office, Algoworks is reputed for its partnership with Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Dell, Salesforce, and Microsoft. Algoworks is an expert in Mobile App Development with experience in catering to enterprises belonging to all domains. This includes: Android App Development, iOS App Development, ReactNative App Development, Flutter App Development etc. For more information, contact us here.
