As COVID-19 encourages many to stay home, a McKinney-based start-up is offering a critical service during the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering health care supplies.
As COVID-19 encourages many to stay home, a McKinney-based start-up is offering a critical service during the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering health care supplies.
CourMed, a crowdsourcing delivery company, launched in 2018. Founder and CEO Derrick Miles said the business has seen a shift in recent months.
“Because of COVID-19, all those big health care systems that said, 'No thanks' are now saying, 'Yes,'” Miles said.
The company crowdsources delivery of prescriptions and health care supplies from independent pharmacies – much like GrubHub or UberEats crowdsource drivers to pick up meals for customers.
Pharmacies pay for the delivery. Pharmacists use the CourMed app to track deliveries and video chat with patients for virtual consultations.
Miles said drivers are trained in medical privacy laws.
“We have a label that you put outside of the bag, so none of our drivers have a clue to what they are delivering. It could be Tylenol PM or it could be Percocet,” Miles said.
According to CourMed, more than 300 drivers in North Texas are part of its network. The company is also operating in Tampa Bay, Florida and Scottsdale, Arizona with plans to move into the Birmingham, Alabama and Los Angeles markets.
“Because we are crowdsourced, we can be up and running in any market in seven days,” Miles said.
He said he believes crowdsourcing prescription deliveries offers a way for pharmacies to compete with storefront chains.
Miles said customers during the pandemic have come to expect more services delivered to their homes. He believes those consumer habits will stick after the pandemic.
“Once they realize they can get their health care items delivered to their home same-day, on-demand, if they’re in pain and can get it relieved same-day, they’re going to want it. And want to keep it,” Miles said.
