Is This App the “Deliveroo for Medicine” During the Covid Lockdown?
bgX App Provides Contactless Deliveries from Local Pharmacies During Covid Lockdown
Beauty delivery app bgX has repurposed its local delivery service to enable contactless online purchases of local pharmacy healthcare and wellness products dispatched direct to their door.
This will allow remote access to essential health-care products in less than an hour for those most at need and also reduces risk of infection of pharmacy staff who lack adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).
The app is available for free on Android and iPhone here.
In normal circumstances the bgX app delivers beauty products and services at short notice but since the Covid-19 outbreak the app’s founders have been in touch with leading high street pharmacies to pilot a new delivery scheme for people to get health-care essentials direct to their door completely contact free.
Customers will be able order from pharmacies via the bgX app, and in about 30 minutes to an hour their products will be delivered safely to their homes. The app sources pharmacies within a five mile radius and shows what products they have available in various categories, including pain management, hygiene and protection products including alcohol sanitisers and protective gloves and masks, immune support and wellness supplements, skincare, haircare and eye care, allergy relief, inhalers, thermometers and other diagnostic devices.
The bgX app is also in discussions about deliveries of prescriptions and Covid antibody home testing kits, and hopefully those will come onboard shortly.
All deliveries are trackable and contact free so customers can easily see when their products are arriving at their doorstep. Payment for the goods and delivery cost is all in the app so no human contact is necessary. People can also order online for elderly friends and family who may not be that tech savvy, and can select Contactless Delivery, so that the rider will merely ring the doorbell on arrival and then leave the package in a clearly indicated safe place.
The bgX platform finds the closest rider from various partner logistic companies around the UK to deliver the pharmacy products to the customer. It’s similar to Uber Eats and Deliveroo and uses bikes, motorbikes, and sometimes cars, but instead of take-away food, they are delivering pharmacy products.
Over 50 pharmacies in central London have already signed up including Go Go Pharmacy and various independent high street chemists, and others can join the scheme quickly and easily. The scheme is currently up and running in central London and will roll out to the rest of London by the middle of April, and nationwide in May.
Ali Rafi, CEO and Co-Founder of bgX said: “We want to help the elderly and those with underlying health issues to get their pharmacy products safely and quickly without having to go to their local chemist and potentially mixing with other people.”
“This way we can help pharmacies do their amazing job keeping the UK public healthy, and
also take away some of the pressure on local pharmacy staff who currently do not have adequate PPE equipment. By using the bgX app they can still provide their amazing service but also maintain social distancing.”
And he added: “We are running this function of our app on a zero-cost basis to the customer, they will have to pay for the delivery cost and the pharmacy for the goods, but bgX will not charge the end user anything for using the service.”
Mrs Sonal Davda, Managing Director at Chel Pharmacy Ltd said: “We were considering closing for the safety of our staff because we lack the necessary PPE equipment and have relatively small outlets which make social distancing almost impossible.
“We are of course extremely reluctant to do this as there is currently unprecedented need for essential Covid-19 health, hygiene and personal care products and we want to continue to care for the communities that we serve.
“The bgX platform has enabled us the flexibility during these tough times to continue serving our local communities with the vital products that they need.”
Dr Omid Masoud Superintendent Pharmacist at Go Go Chemist Ltd said: “The bgX platform has enabled me flexibility during these tough times to continue serving my local community with the vital products that they need. I have also been able to reach new local customers and offer them the full range of essential Covid-19, health and personal care products.
During this time I would ask our local residents to follow the guidelines and stay at home. Be safe, download the bgX app, browse all our products on the pharmacy store of your choice and we will get them delivered to your door.”
