Ensuring Patients Had Access to Critical Medications Through Prescription Delivery

My role: Product designer, Domain lead

Deliverables: End-to-end design solutions, journey mapping, research and testing

Timeline: May 2019 thru October 2020

As the product design strategist, I led efforts to transform CVS’s prescription delivery service during quarantine by reimagining the patient journey and addressing key barriers to access. Recognizing that many high-risk patients were missing out on free delivery due to poor timing and communication, I:

  • Analyzed the Patient Journey: Conducted service design reviews, patient interviews, and data analysis to pinpoint where patients were losing touch with the service—especially the delay in offering delivery options and issues with cost transparency.

  • Led Cross-Functional Initiatives: Orchestrated a blueprinting workshop and a five-day design sprint with teams from retail, pharmacy, and technology to reengineer the prescription fulfillment process. I also facilitated design thinking workshops to map the full patient journey, ideate impactful solutions, and prototype communication strategies.

  • Integrated Measurable Improvements: Implemented real-time price estimates and a two-way SMS system for automated cost updates, streamlining the process and empowering patients with clear information.

Measured Results:

  • A 40% increase in prescription deliveries within the first three months post-launch.

  • A 25% decrease in abandoned delivery requests due to improved cost clarity.

  • A 30% improvement in patient satisfaction scores regarding pharmacy access and convenience.

These initiatives not only enhanced immediate patient engagement during a critical period but also laid the foundation for ongoing, data-driven enhancements to CVS’s pharmacy services.

Opportunity

During the height of quarantine, millions of patients were unaware that CVS offered free prescription delivery—a service that could have been life-changing during such a critical time. This lack of awareness meant that many patients, especially those at high risk, were missing out on a safe and convenient way to access their medications. Addressing this gap was essential, not just as a short-term solution but as a long-term strategy to improve pharmacy access and patient trust.

Approach

To bridge this awareness gap, I took a step back and examined the entire patient journey—from discovering the service to receiving their prescriptions. Through service design best practices, I identified key breakdowns in communication and process inefficiencies that prevented patients from seamlessly accessing prescription delivery.

One of the biggest barriers was that patients weren’t presented with the delivery option at the right moment in their pharmacy experience. This was largely due to a technical limitation—delivery wasn’t offered until after a prescription’s final cost was determined, often causing patients to miss out on the service altogether. To address this, I led a cross-functional blueprinting workshop and a five-day design sprint with teams from retail, pharmacy, and technology to reimagine the prescription fulfillment process.

Through patient interviews and data analysis, I uncovered additional pain points related to cost transparency and insurance coverage. Patients often hesitated to opt for delivery because they didn’t have clarity on potential price fluctuations. To solve this, I worked with the team to integrate real-time price estimates and automated updates via SMS, ensuring patients had the information they needed to make confident decisions about their medications.

Design Workshops & Iteration

Following the initial discovery phase, I facilitated hands-on design thinking workshops with key stakeholders from design, tech, data, and product. These workshops focused on:

  • Mapping the full prescription journey to identify high-friction moments.

  • Ideating and prioritizing solutions that would have the greatest impact on patient experience.

  • Prototyping and testing different communication strategies to improve patient awareness and trust.

As the project evolved, I continued to lead workshops at the start of each sprint to refine our approach and ensure alignment across teams. This iterative process allowed us to adapt quickly based on user feedback and technical feasibility.

The Vision & Implementation

By addressing prescription cost transparency and integrating a two-way SMS system for real-time price updates, I helped reshape the prescription delivery experience. Additionally, I worked on enhancing order tracking and expanding store pickup options to create a more flexible, patient-centered approach to medication access. The result was a streamlined process that empowered patients to manage their prescriptions with ease and confidence.

Success of the Launch & Ongoing Refinement

The improved prescription delivery experience led to a measurable impact:

  • A 40% increase in prescription deliveries within the first three months post-launch.

  • A 25% decrease in abandoned delivery requests due to cost uncertainty.

  • A 30% improvement in patient satisfaction scores related to pharmacy access and convenience.

Beyond the initial success, gathering ongoing patient feedback has been a priority. We implemented continuous user testing, post-delivery surveys, and A/B testing on messaging strategies to further refine the experience. Our long-term goals include:

  • Increasing prescription deliveries by 50% within the next year by further optimizing awareness campaigns and streamlining enrollment.

  • Boosting patient trust and retention, aiming for a 90% satisfaction rate in post-delivery surveys.

  • Expanding real-time cost transparency features to ensure at least 80% of patients receive estimated pricing before checkout.

By continuously iterating based on real patient needs, we’re ensuring that CVS remains a trusted partner in healthcare access—not just during a crisis, but in everyday life.