An online healthcare company has partnered with a Scottish community pharmacy group to provide a “next-day” erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment service.
Glasgow-based Talo announced that independent pharmacy chain Eastwood Pharmacy will handle the “clinical and dispensing” side of the service, which launched on April 27.
It said the service offers “discreet, next-day delivery of proven ED treatments” to customers across the UK, and makes access to the medicines “quick, private and straightforward”.
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The assessment “takes less than five minutes” and applicants are “checked for suitability by answering a few short health questions”, it added.
“A pharmacist at Eastwood reviews the answers the same day and, where appropriate, approves a plan with a recommended treatment which is dispensed safely.”
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The company said all medicines “are sourced through regulated UK pharmacy supply chains and checked by pharmacists”.
And it added that the entire process “is handled online with no video or phone calls, with the digital-only solution underpinned by a robust audit trail throughout”.
“Not going to walk into a pharmacy”
Eastwood Pharmacy owner and Talo clinical lead David Massie said that “far too many patients are waiting too long for an appointment with their GP, fuelling demand for faster, private options”.
“It’s tough for men to talk about the subject of erectile dysfunction,” he added, “and they’re certainly not going to walk into a pharmacy and discuss it over the counter as it can be complex and intrusive”.
“Our online set-up means men across the UK can now take charge of their health with confidence, convenience and privacy.”
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Gavin Bell, co-founder of the service and brother-in-law to Massie, Gavin Bell, said healthcare is an area where “customer experience hasn’t caught up with modern life”.
“In short, we’re looking to disrupt the traditional GP-to-pharmacy-to-treatment journey by making it quick, easy and enjoyable online,” he added.
Plans to expand
Talo also revealed that “expansion plans are already in motion”, with the company “building towards a broader platform that uses technology to make everyday healthcare more proactive and more affordable”.
This includes “at-home blood testing to help men and women understand their health before problems develop”, it added.
Massie said the company “will be looking to move into other areas” such as “hair loss, low testosterone, hormone replacement therapy for women and weight loss”.
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“Weight loss is a particularly exciting one,” he added. “Treatments like GLP-1s have transformed what’s possible, but on the private market they’re priced out of reach for most people.”
“Our priority is to make it quick, easy and affordable for people to get treatment for the health problems they might not want to discuss face to face.”
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It comes after Lloyds Online Doctor announced that it has expanded its weight loss service in Ireland to offer “fast-track” home delivery amid a shortage of GPs.
The online pharmacy said that while a “national GP shortage” has led to “delays in people being able to get prescriptions from their doctor”, its new service will reduce the “typical time taken” to receive medicines “from several days to 24-48 hours”.
