Boots has announced a new long term partnership with digital healthcare provider LIVI to build up its digital pharmacy services.
An existing Boots and LIVI collaboration of in-store services is expanding, while a trial of a new online GP and pharmacy video consultation service is beginning. The group stated that the trial had been brought forward to assist patients isolating due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Richard Bradley, Director of Pharmacy for Boots UK, commented: “With millions of patients self-isolating at home – particularly the elderly or those with underlying health conditions – access to expert health advice without having travel to a pharmacy or GP surgery is even more crucial.
“We are pleased to work with innovators like LIVI to continue transforming online and high street access to healthcare advice, medical services and medicines.”
The two companies are working together to trial how patients could remotely access a Boots pharmacist via the LIVI app, to get general health advice and to have a conversation face to face about their own prescription medications. It is claimed that this service could help reduce pressure on the NHS.
The partnership will also see a future expansion of an in-store pilot to several new Boots UK stores in high street locations. The stores will offer the LIVI video GP service via a tablet in-store, as well as a range of diagnostic tools, such as blood pressure monitoring. With agreement from the NHS, these services will be added to throughout 2020.
Juliet Bauer, UK Managing Director, LIVI, said: “We are extremely proud to be chosen by Boots UK to be its preferred digital health partner, bringing together our companies’ world-class respective expertise. With our NHS facing unprecedented pressure, we are pleased to be opening up access to pharmacists on our platform and offering more people digital healthcare opportunities.”
