Online pharmacy Newpharma launches "Pharma Consult": a digital consultation service that allows users to quickly and easily get professional pharmacist advice on non-urgent questions within topics such as sleep, stress, nutrition, skin problems or the correct use of medicines. Depending on the availability of Newpharma pharmacists, this can often be done the same day, within the hour, and completely digitally. This launch fits into newpharma's ambition to make healthcare not only more digital, but also faster and more accessible to a wide audience. An interesting option within a healthcare system where patients are increasingly facing long waiting times or misinformation through AI.
After a 12-month test period in Belgium, during which "Pharma Consult" was rolled out and tested on a limited scale, Newpharma is fully implementing this new service in Belgium, and is immediately going for a launch in the Netherlands and France as well.
Online consultation with pharmacist for non-urgent questions
Pharma Consult allows users to book a consultation with a qualified pharmacist online via the newpharma website, without having to travel. The service focuses on non-urgent questions and topics such as sleep, stress, nutrition, skin problems or the correct use of food supplements and medicines.
Newpharma stresses that Pharma Consult complements existing healthcare services. Gilles Jourquin, CEO of Newpharma clarifies; "You can compare it to the conversation you would have as a customer with your pharmacist at the pharmacy counter. Our pharmacists do not make diagnoses. However, they can perfectly play their role as advisers, with follow-up, medication supervision and so on. If we notice that our customer needs a doctor sooner, it is ours to refer them."
According to Newpharma, the positive evaluation of this pilot phase over the past year confirms the clear need for quick and accessible health advice. The recent launch, including in France, generated an immediate and strong interest from consumers, with numerous requests already made immediately.
Fast, digital access to advice
With this launch, Newpharma underlines its ambition to make healthcare not only more digital, but also faster and more accessible to a wide audience.
"Consumer expectations have changed: people today want to be helped quickly, without waiting times," says Gilles Jourquin."And if this allows them to save a physical trip, that's a nice bonus. With Pharma Consult, we respond to this by offering direct access to professional advice, online. In many cases, users can book a consultation the same day, depending on the availability of our pharmacy team. They each have their own specialities; from pregnancy to sports nutrition".
The launch responds to a clear evolution: patients are increasingly looking for quick, flexible solutions to their health questions. In doing so, many today turn to online sources of information, which are not always reliable. Pharma Consult wants to offer a quality alternative in this respect, by providing access to professional and personal advice. "For many health questions, quick professional advice is enough to be able to continue", says Jourquin. "By making that advice quickly available, we help people move forward faster and avoid unnecessary waiting times."
This initiative is part of the broader health strategy of Colruyt Group: making health accessible to everyone. This type of health-supporting advice is thus made easily accessible and seamlessly integrated into the online pharmacy environment.
