Walgreens' website and mobile app will now features access to skin care services for those looking to get quick, affordable dermatology questions answered when they can’t get access to a skin care specialist.
Through a partnership with teledermatology provider Iagnosis, Walgreens will offer visitors the site or app access to DermatologistOnCall, Iagnosis’ flagship program featuring dermatology consultations with US-based, board-certified specialists.
DermatologistOnCall features online dermatology scheduling and consultations, information about common skin conditions (such as eczema or acne) from content partner WebMD, and basic product recommendations through Walgreens Pharmacy Chat service, which offers live, online chat 24/7 with pharmacy staff.
Walgreens said the partnership with Iagnosis was another digital tool consumers now have at their disposal that can increase access and reduce wait times, and the retail pharmacy chain’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Harry Leider called it a “natural extension of some of the services we already provide.”
As the average wait time for patients to see a dermatologist is 29 days, with some patients racking up months’ long wait times, Walgreens said marrying Iagnosis’s technology with the retail pharmacy chains online marketplace was a much-needed solution.
“More than 2 million people visit our digital channels each day, and this is another way we can help address access challenges by giving our customers more convenient channels and resources to meet their health care needs,” Walgreens Vice President of Digital Health Greg Orr said in a statement.
The Iagnosis DermatologistOnCall network can work with patients on more than 3,000 medical conditions affecting skin, hair and nails. Patients create an online profile, including photos and information about their condition, and usually receive answers to their questions from one a provider licensed in their state with in 24 hours. Each consultation is $59.
Dave Zynn, chief executive officer of Iagnosis, said the relationship was made possible by Walgreens’ embrace of telehealth solutions.
“Consistently, 98 percent of DermatologistOnCall patients say they’d recommend the service to a family member or friend, and we look forward to serving walgreens customers as they look for solutions that support their health and well-being,” said Zynn in a statement.
Iagnosis was started in 2010, and has scored on securing partnerships that expand its reach for consumers. In 2014, Iagnosis Chief Strategy Officer and cofounder Larry Eakin told MobiHealthNews that DermatologistOnCall planned to develop more channel partners across what he called the “skincare value chain,” with insurers, pharmacy retailers, large dermatology groups and pharmaceutical companies. A few months later, the company announced it would be covered by Highmark Insurance.
