Healthcare technology firm ParcelShield has released a package monitoring and patient communication service designed to protect critical pharmaceutical parcel deliveries via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the company said.
ParcelShield Tracker is a parcel monitoring and intelligence service that uses automated predictive analytics, machine learning, and statistical modeling to track packages that pharmacies ship via USPS. Delays or disruptions trigger phone calls or text messages to patients to keep them informed throughout the package’s journey, according to ParcelShield. This improves patient satisfaction through proactive communication and reduces pharmacy costs by preventing calls from patients inquiring about the status of their delayed order, the company also said.
Improved communication also allows patients to take action if a delayed delivery will cause a problem, the company said.
“Home delivery of prescriptions is not new, but what is new is keeping close tabs on packages from the pharmacy until they reach patients’ homes, updating the patient proactively if there is a delay and providing them options if the delay will create a hardship or interruption in their therapy. An informed patient and pharmacy can take action, such as requesting an emergency fill at a local pharmacy, if they know their medication will not arrive on time. This is more important than ever, now that the postal service is experiencing a surge in demand due to Covid-19,” ParcelShield CEO Guillermo Sollberger said in a statement announcing the service. “With ParcelShield Tracker, patients get better outcomes and pharmacies safeguard revenue. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
ParcelShield cited reports from the National Association of Letter Carriers that indicate the USPS manages 1.2 billion prescription drug shipments a year, or about 4 million daily, six days a week. That number has grown during the pandemic, the company added. Via its own data and analytics, ParcelShield said it has seen the percentage of orders that arrived after the USPS estimated delivery date increased nearly threefold, from 8.5% of prescription orders in February to 22% of prescription orders in July.
