The number of mobile pharmacy services from big box retailers and large drugstore chains is growing, with Target as the latest to enter the space.

Target launched a mobile pharmacy site in January that lets shoppers refill prescriptions from any smartphone. It joins mobile pharmacy solutions from Walmart, CVS, Rite-Aid and Walgreens.

?At Target, we know that our guests are relying more and more on mobile devices, so we?re providing them with convenient, on-the-go mobile solutions,? said Molly Koenst, a spokeswoman at Target, Minneapolis, MN.

?The Target Mobile Web Pharmacy offers us another way to provide guests convenience in getting their prescriptions filled," she said.

In addition to refilling prescriptions, customers can search for the closest Target pharmacies, transfer prescriptions from their current pharmacy to Target, and schedule auto refills via the mobile pharmacy.

Target has been an innovator in the retail use of mobile, with a mobile Web site and several applications. Adding a mobile pharmacy is another way to better serve its customers.

?For Target, mobile isn?t merely a marketing channel, it?s also a service channel,? Ms. Koenst said.

?In addition to promoting products, building brand awareness, and engaging guests with our brand, we view mobile as an important channel to help our guests make the most of their Target shopping experience,? she said.

The mobile pharmacy site is being promoted via mobile banners. Guests can learn more at target.com/pharmacy and can access the site by texting the keyword RX to short code 827438.

Mass-market retailers have edge
The mobile pharmacy presence also helps Target support its brand.

?At Target, we have a passion for what?s new and what?s next,? Ms. Koenst said. ?We knew this was a great place to be and an opportunity to better serve our mobile guests.

?Our products and services help differentiate Target, engage our guests and make both their online and in-store shopping experiences more enjoyable and convenient,? she said.

Target is currently exploring other app opportunities, per Ms. Koenst.

The Target mobile pharmacy site is one of a growing number of mobile pharmacy solutions from mass- market retailers.

In March, Walmart let customers refill prescriptions via its iPhone app and mobile Web browser.

Walgreens launched its Refill by Scan application for both iPhone and Android devices at the end of last year.

In March, Walgreens said that more than half of the prescription refills being done via mobile are through the scan feature and that it sent more than 1 million prescription text alerts to subscribers.

CVS has introduced an iOS app for managing prescriptions, and Rite-Aid offers an SMS service that alerts customers when their prescriptions are ready to be refilled or picked up.

?The whole digitizing of the pharmacy experience is going to be necessary going forward and I believe the ability of mobile to engage with people in the moment they need to do something could have an impact on increasing drug compliance,? said Bob Gold, CEO of Woodbridge, NJ-based Gold Mobile. 

What the doctor ordered
Mass market retailers are likely to play an important role in mobile pharmacy, per Mr. Gold.

?We will see some innovative strategies from mass-market retailers to capture the pharmacy customer,? Mr. Gold said. 

?In the whole striving to make retail an experience and lifestyle event as opposed to just a place to buy, I think you are going to see a lot more sophisticated strategies among mass-market retailers to capture the pharmacy business," he said.

This will include educational programs for regular shoppers who do not use the pharmacy or linking to relevant items throughout the store via the mobile pharmacy for customers who are looking to lower their cholesterol or accomplish other health-related goals.

?The larger mass-market retailers have a slight advantage over pharmacy retailers because they can integrate pharmacy with their lifestyle offerings," Mr. Gold said. "This can be more meaningful to consumers versus just a pharmacy."