Innovating CVS Pharmacy Prescription Pickup Service
Reimagining prescription pickup with AI-Powered Messaging-boosting consumer convenience, satisfaction, and loyalty
Role:
UX Researcher & Service Designer
Timeline:
Sep 2023- Nov 2023
Team:
Tanvi Kokate & 3 Others
Relevant Keywords:
Rapid Prototyping, Storyboarding, Service Blueprinting
Primary Research Methods
Ethnography
Short Survey
Netnography
In-Depth Interviews
Cultural Probe
Co-Creation Workshop
Context
Imagine stepping into a pharmacy and feeling like you've just entered a time machine set to "1990s inefficiency." Long wait times, unclear processes, and tech solutions that feel more like tech problems. That’s the CVS pharmacy experience we set out to revolutionize. With a vision to create an omni-channel digital pharmacy service, we aimed to modernize operations, save time, and deliver delightful experiences for customers across all generations.
Project Summary
The Challenges
Endless waits: In-store wait times of 15-30 minutes. Need a prescription quickly? Better pack a lunch.
Slow messaging: 1-3 days for replies—why not send a pigeon?
Complicated App onboarding: 10-30 minutes felt like setting up a rocket launch.
Overworked pharmacists: Juggling tasks like a circus performer, but without the applause.
The Solution
CVS E-Commerce Platform
Transparency with in prescription tracking via CVS e-commerce platform similar to Amazon, working with current text messaging.
In-store, Pick-up Priority lines
Convenience and Accessibility with in-store, pick-up priority lines only with options involving secured lockers, human, or robotic.
AI-enabled Workflow Scheduling:
AI-enabled scheduling of filling prescriptions based on work load. AI analyses wait times and transfers load.
The Impact
In-store wait time: Down to 5 minutes.
Messaging: Down to 1-2 days, boosting NPS from 4 to 9.
Pharmacist workload: Cut by 50%, with higher retention.
Improved elderly care: Simplified pick-ups = happy seniors.
The Process!
1. Exploration
Our journey began with exploratory research to understand CVS from both business and consumer perspectives.
To understand the business & the services of CVS better, we then created a Stakeholder’s map
To gain clarity on the ecosystem, we mapped out all stakeholders and their connections.
Lack of prescription readiness leading to delays.
Customers unable to communicate to pharmacists.
Accessibility issues for elderly and disabled.
The app is not user friendly for less tech savvy customers.
Tech barriers navigating apps for non tech savvy.
2. Defining the problem
Next, we conducted in-depth interviews with CVS consumers, uncovering a key friction area affecting both backend operations and in-store experiences.
Problem Statement
CVS Pharmacy faces declining customer satisfaction and loyalty due to outdated in-store experiences, lack of digital integration, and failure to meet the diverse healthcare needs of multiple generations, making it difficult to compete with rivals offering more personalized care.
To further validate our findings, we held a cultural probe outside a CVS store, capturing real-time consumer interactions—especially their engagement with the CVS app.
This led us to a value proposition framework, where we mapped out jobs-to-be-done and asked our "How Might We?" statements.
How might we improve prescription readiness and minimize wait times to make pharmacy services more convenient?
How might we enhance accessibility and ease of use for elderly, disabled, and less tech-savvy customers?
How might we add value to the app to help better communicate prescription status and justify the value of pharmacy apps to customers ensuring a smooth onboarding process?
3. Developing Solutions
To ensure our solutions aligned with consumer needs, we hosted a co-creation workshop with CVS customers.
After ideating potential solutions, we prioritized them based on impact and feasibility, focusing on those that could be effectively implemented within our 10-week timeline.
Customer receives a text for refill and is asked for their desired pickup location
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Please scan the QR code to experience the consumer's journey!
But, here's a sneak peek
Customer receives a text for refill and is asked for their desired pickup location
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Next, the AI Workflow Assistant finds a nearest store for the customer & calculates their wait times based on orders.
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Customer scans the barcode received via text and gets a security box passcode
Customer heads to the priority line to collect their package
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Customer collects the medications from the security box
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Anddd, Voila!!
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Customer drives to the pharmacy to pick their prescription
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Finally, this is what the CVS Pharmacy Future State Service Blueprint looks like...
Personal Takeaways
Working on this project was like tackling a 1,000-piece puzzle—I started off overwhelmed, but the end result is incredibly satisfying. I learned:
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To approach challenges with a mix of curiosity and humor (because let’s face it, sometimes all you can do is laugh).
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The power of teamwork and empathy in designing for diverse user needs.
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That even the smallest changes, like shaving 10 minutes off a wait time, can make a world of difference.
This project reinforced my belief in using design as a tool for transformation—not just to solve problems, but to create experiences that people remember (for the right reasons!).
"The pharmacy experience should be enjoyable, with your well-being as the top priority. You should be able to trust that you'll get your medication on time, with full transparency and no hidden costs or worries."
With our research insights, we prioritized challenges using an effort vs. impact matrix and developed consumer archetypes.
