Drugstore.com is looking to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions about their own healthcare. That content (i.e. advice) also includes providing consumers visiting the site with access to a list of more than one million healthcare providers in 120 categories.
Last month, Drugstore.com signed a deal with HealthCare.com to give consumers the option of clicking on categories to get a list of specialists and facilities. Visitors are able to search by a variety of criteria, including geography and by insurance coverage.
"We are always looking for new ways to provide service and convenience in addition to competitive prices," Arvin Marchel, director of pharmacy services at Drugstore.com, told Internet Retailer. "This medical provider search solution is an important addition to services we already offer such as the drug information database, drug interaction checker and 'ask your pharmacist.'"
According to Internet Retailer, Drugstore.com's deal with HealthCare.com was the second large content deal it has signed in recent months. In February, the company entered into an agreement with the comparison-shopping service HealthPricer Interactive.
At the time, Ron Kelly, Drugstore.com's vice president of pharmacy services, said, "We expect this agreement will drive highly qualified traffic to our site and increase our conversion rates. As HealthPricer expands its syndication network we expect to continue to reap the rewards of reaching millions of e-health consumers on a monthly basis."
Discussion Questions: What do you think of Drugstore.com's recent content deals? What do you see as the upside or downside to its deals with HealthCare.com or HealthPricer?