Patient Satisfaction with Mail-Order Pharmacies Increases, but Shrinks for Chain Stores

In the 2024 J.D. Power US Pharmacy Study, the company’s findings show customers’ satisfaction with mail-order pharmacy services is steadily increasing. In turn, authors of the report found that retail drug store customer satisfaction is decreasing at an even faster pace, owing to long wait times, failing trust in pharmacists, and difficulty in retrieving prescriptions as contributing factors.

“The critical link that may allow brick-and-mortar pharmacies to keep pace with the rise of mail-order and digital pharmacies is the familiarity that customers have with their pharmacist,” said Christopher Lis, Managing Director of Global Health Care Intelligence at J.D. Power.¹ “This is a big differentiator that brick-and-mortar pharmacies need to closely monitor, as 52% of customers are now aware of digital pharmacies, most notably, Amazon Pharmacy. Customers need pharmacies to deliver on convenience, reliability, and trust—and mail-order and digital pharmacies are working to meet those expectations. As more consumers become aware of digital pharmacies, understand how they work, and determine that many accept their insurance, brick-and-mortar stores risk losing market share.”

Detailing the key takeaways from its report, J.D. Power dove into the year-to-year trends in specific types of pharmacy operations and analyzed customer satisfaction at respective pharmacy locations and businesses, whether it be brick-and-mortar storefronts or mail-order pharmacies.

READ MORE: NCPA: Most Adults Prefer Local Pharmacist Over Mail Order

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References

1. As mail order pharmacies continue to climb in customer satisfaction, chain drug stores fall behind, J.D. Power finds. News Release. J.D. Power. July 30, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-us-pharmacy-study

2. Luu L. What does the rise in mail-order pharmacies mean for patients? GoodRx Health. October 1, 2021. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.goodrx.com/hcp-articles/providers/mail-order-pharmacies-patient-adherence

3. Ladsariya A, McLeod A, Noh G, et al. The retail pharmacy of the future. McKinsey & Company. March 17, 2023. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/meeting-changing-consumer-needs-the-us-retail-pharmacy-of-the-future

4. Perlis RH, Ognyanova K, Uslu A, et al. Trust in physicians and hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in a 50-state survey of US adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(7):e2424984. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.24984

5. National consumer survey: More than 8 in 10 adults prefer their local pharmacist over mail order. News Release. NCPA. March 4, 2021. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://ncpa.org/newsroom/news-releases/2021/03/04/national-consumer-survey-more-8-10-adults-prefer-their-local