Pharmacy Firms Add Pets to Digital Platforms

The pet prescription market in the U.S continues to grow, with pet medication sales across the nation reaching $12 billion in 2022. The industry predicts that this market will reach $17.9 billion by 2029, indicative of the strong, growing demand for pet medications. This is sparked by several factors, such as a rise in pet ownership, pet owners’ inclinations to consider pets as family, and increased awareness of infection control and prevention—especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Pets are now an option on many pharmacy digital platforms. Several notable pharmacies in Corporate Insight’s Pharmacy Monitor coverage set are making strides in the online prescription and care space for pets on their digital platforms. Below are some examples from our research.

Innovative pharmacies provide prescriptions for both owners and pets

While pharmacies commonly allow members to add a dependent to their account, retail pharmacy Kroger Pharmacy and online pharmacy DiRx uniquely offer pet profiles. With these profiles, pet owners can conveniently manage, order and refill their prescriptions, along with their pets’, from a single account. At DiRx, members can indicate their pet type from an extensive list, choosing from options such as dog, cat, horse or rabbit. Pet owners must fill in their pet’s name, date of birth, sex, health conditions, current medications and allergies, creating a comprehensive view of their pet’s medical history.

GoodRx, which offers telemedicine and coupons for drug discounts, recently dedicated a new tab on its public site to pets. From this page, the company offers discounts for pet medications, a list of medications by pet condition such as Fleas & Ticks or Heartworm, and educational articles on pet care. Users can easily find the page from the site header, showing the firm’s commitment to caring for pets. Similarly, Costco also offers savings on pet prescriptions through its membership, creating a one-stop shop for groceries and prescriptions, for both the owner and pet.

Along with medications, digital pet care is also on the rise

Earlier this year, PetMD—owned by Chewy, an online pet product retailer—launched a public symptom checker for dogs and cats. After providing basic information such as the pet’s sex and age, users must enter their pet’s main symptom and additional details before obtaining a symptom report. The tool offers possible causes of the symptom, next steps and questions to ask a veterinarian. Most notably, users can chat with a veterinarian at Chewy for free about the generated report, providing pet owners with immediate reassurance while they wait for an appointment.

From a design and user experience perspective, the PetMD symptom checker aligns with best practices from Corporate Insight’s Symptom Checkers and Diagnostic Tools Report (Health System Monitor subscription required). The tool directs users to actionable next steps—such as chatting with a veterinarian—and includes a progress meter to display the user’s status as they navigate through the tool. Users can also easily start over, move back and forth within the tool, and obtain an email copy of results.

For more insights into digital innovation in the healthcare space, check out our subscription research services In four areas: Pharmacy, Health Plan, Medicare and Health System. And don’t forget to check out our Insights section for more industry trends and best practices in the healthcare space.