New Service Allows DC Residents To Have Prescriptions Delivered

WASHINGTON, DC — As District of Columbia residents have adjusted to new ways of how they manage certain aspects of their lives when the coronavirus pandemic has affected countless numbers of service providers, a new partnership between Uber and a pharmaceutical company is changing the way prescription medicine is delivered.

Nimble, which partners with locally owned neighborhood pharmacies, announced last month that it has joined up with Uber to allow residents in the greater Washington, DC, area to have prescription medicine delivered to their door by using the UberEats app on their phone.

The District of Columbia became the latest area of the country to add the service, according to a news release, after other metropolitan areas like Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles launched the service earlier this year. Patients are able to add their prescription information — whether it be for a first-use or re-fill — on the app along with the local pharmacy they use and then have their medication delivered.

Controlled substances are not eligible for the service and the app allows patients to add Medicare, Medicaid, or TriCare onto the app. A Nimble spokesperson said that the company works exclusively with local pharmacies to keep them competitive with bigger chains such as Walgreens, CVS, and others.

“When it comes to their health needs, D.C. consumers should not have to choose between convenience and loyalty to their community’s pharmacies,” Nimble CEO and founder Talha Sattar said in a news release. “Our partnership with Uber Eats allows us to both help D.C.-area pharmacies stay competitive, and offer residents access to simple, easy, on-demand prescription delivery at a time when they need it most.”

Nimble is working with dozens of independently owned pharmacies in Washington, DC, and provides them with the infrastructure and technology to connect with local patients. The ability to fulfill prescription services on the app not only provides convenience for local residents, but also provides a way for smaller pharmacies to provide a unique service without residents having to leave their homes to have their medications delivered.

Now, in the same way customers would use the UberEats app to have dinner delivered, they can use the same technology to have prescriptions filled and delivered.

"Our focus is on providing customers with the highest quality of individualized care," Winnie Tewelde, Owner & Pharmacist-in-Charge of Joule Wellness Pharmacy, said in the release. "Through convenient prescription delivery, Nimble will help us save our customers time, better manage medication therapies and refills, and allow us to take on a higher volume of customers in an effort to create the simplest and most meaningful pharmacy experience possible."