Expectant Mum Síle Seoige launches “new addition” to McCabes Pharmacy online – family business celebrates 40 years of innovation in pharmacy services
Mum-to-be Síle Seoige was on hand to meet the newest addition to McCabes, as the family-owned pharmacy unveiled its Digital Prescription Service, Easy Script. The “new arrival” is the first web based digital prescription service in Ireland, and it comes as McCabes Pharmacy celebrates 40 years in business this year.
At the launch in McCabes Pharmacy, Gorey, Co. Wexford, Síle Seoige was joined by store pharmacist Colin Ryan for a demo of the new service. With Easy Script, customers can order their prescription instantly and collect from their nearest pharmacy in 3 simple steps:
- Complete the order form on the McCabes website www.mccabespharmacy.com (alternatively via the McCabes app available on Apple and Android)
- Take a photo of your prescription and upload it
- Select the McCabes pharmacy you want to collect from
Customers receive a text when their prescription is ready for collection (within 3 working hours). To make it even easier, there is no need to register online, and customers do not have to be a pre-existing patient at McCabes. The service is open to everyone!
McCabes Managing Director, Sharen McCabe, explains: “McCabes Easy Script gives customers a new way to manage their medication needs from home. We know from talking to busy parents and time-pressed family carers, that they want certainty about when their prescription will be ready to collect. We see so many customers who have limited time in their day to run errands while juggling other commitments at home. With no need to wait in store, we hope that Easy Script will meet a real need in a very innovative way.”
Síle Seoige said: “Easy Script from McCabes will be such a time saver for young families, mine included, and with another baby on the way life is about to get a whole lot busier! Just knowing I’ll get a text when a prescription is ready to collect really helps to work around my commitments in the day, and that makes family life a lot easier. It’s great to see Irish brands like McCabes making it easy for customers to continue supporting local when online.”
Easy Script marks 40 years of firsts
McCabes has led the way on innovation since the family-run business first opened its doors in 1981. For the past four decades, the brand has continued to adapt as customer needs evolved. Easy Script is the latest in a growing list of market firsts for the innovative Irish family brand. In the past year, McCabes has also been first to introduce the Morning After Pill using a pay online, click and collect-in store service.
Other milestone firsts over the years include the introduction of health checks into a pharmacy setting, the setting up of health education seminars with consultants, the use of open plan dispensaries so that the pharmacist is always visible to the customer, and the introduction of Sunday openings and late-night dispensing.
Digital first for 20 years
McCabes has always been an early adopter of new technologies, with an e-commerce website dating back to 2000. Investment in digital continues today, with more services available online than ever before, including Video Consultation, Live Online Pharmacist Chat for answers to health and medication queries, and an Online Doctor Service, enabling customers to see a GP from the comfort of home with services starting from just €25 and appointments available 7 days a week for new or repeat prescriptions, referral letters, sick notes and general medical advice.
Covid-19 & Consumer Trends
While the impact of Covid-19 has accelerated innovation in services, on the retail side it has also seen people keen to continue supporting their local McCabes Pharmacy online. An analysis by McCabes of customer shopping habits on www.mccabespharmacy.com reveals some interesting trends about customers’ health and beauty priorities in recent months.
Trending in Lockdown
- Treats – people invested more to treat themselves to luxury items including premium skincare products, larger sized and more expensive bottles of fragrance.
- Natural Look – fewer opportunities to socialise combined with mask-wearing saw a huge move to more natural make-up, and a much bigger focus on skincare overall.
- Maskne – customers, including more male shoppers, bought skin care products to help treat skin conditions such as acne exacerbated by face masks.
- Vitamin Boost – demand grew for vitamins to support immunity, notably Vitamin D.
- Lockdown Locks – with hair salons closed, hair dyes and root touch-up products were a popular purchase for customers keen to cover the grey.
- Menopause supports – with more open discussion re the impact of menopause, demand increased for vitamin and supplement supports to help to manage symptoms.
To mark the 40th anniversary, customers can avail of promotions throughout July across all 27 McCabes Pharmacy stores nationwide and online, including giveaways on social media and for a limited time (1st – 4th July) a discount on premium brands with 15% off Lancôme, Clarins, and designer fragrances. For more details see: www.mccabespharmacy.com
