Uber Health Partners With Nimble To Deliver Meds

Uber Health‘s delivery services are expanding to include pharmaceutical deliveries in some states, according to a press release from the company.

The impetus for the program is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exposed a need for new ways for the immunocompromised to access medical care without exposing themselves to the virus. Uber Health was launched in 2018 to provide medical transportation services.

“With COVID-19 cases still on the rise across the U.S., getting to a pharmacy to pick up prescriptions can be challenging for many and nearly impossible for some,” the release noted.

This will be accomplished through a partnership with NimbleRx, an on-demand prescription delivery program. Talha Sattar, founder and CEO of Nimble, said it was “critical that people get their medications safely and efficiently, and over the last several months, we have seen a significant increase in demand for prescription delivery from both consumers and retail pharmacies.”

“Through this partnership with Uber Health, we are able to dramatically increase the availability of on-demand delivery of an essential product like prescriptions, which is leading to a further increase in demand in all markets we are already active in,” Sattar added.

The option is initially available in Seattle and Dallas, but will be introduced to more states in the coming months.

Until now, Uber Health has served as a way to allow healthcare providers to request rides for patients or staff. Now, in partnering with Uber’s main delivery arm, the company aims to ensure that people get their prescriptions on time even when they’re not able to pick them up.

Uber Health has teamed with Ride Health, another transportation company, to help boost medical transportation. Missed appointments account for over $150 billion a year in patients’ costs, affecting around 3.6 million people.