This is a complete guide to medicine delivery app development — from key features and costs involved to the best development strategies. Are you ready to meet the growing demand for such apps?
![How to Create an On-Demand Medicine Delivery App [Expert Guide]](https://themindstudios.com/blog/content/images/2025/03/IMG-1-Cover-7.jpg)
Why you should read this article:
- The global mHealth market was valued at USD 62.7 billion in 2023 and continues to grow.
- Most consumers prefer digital solutions, meaning medicine delivery apps are in high demand.
- Building a secure and scalable app can help improve patient care and boost business growth.
The future of healthcare lies in accessibility and convenience. And digital solutions, including medicine delivery apps, are reshaping how people receive essential medications.
— Dmytro Dobrytskyi, CEO of Mind Studios
Undoubtedly, the way people purchase and access medications is evolving. Today, consumers expect nothing less than on-demand services, fast deliveries, as well as seamless digital experience. Pharmacies and businesses operating in the medical field that adopt medicine delivery apps can significantly expand their customer base, improve medication adherence, and streamline operations.
What’s more, for such businesses adopting on-demand medicine delivery app development means staying relevant to a rapidly growing industry. However, it comes with its share of challenges:
- strict regulations around prescription drugs as well as data security compliance;
- logistics complexities, including real-time tracking and inventory management;
- long-term scalability of such apps.
At Mind Studios, we are skilled at building scalable, secure, yet intuitive healthcare solutions, including a medical web app, a remote healthcare app, and many more.
Looking to build an on-demand medicine delivery app that stands out? Let’s talk! Contact us today, and our tech team will guide you through the development processes and help you create your medicine delivery app.
In this article, we talk about medicine delivery app development, how medicine delivery differs from a delivery service like Uber Eats, and what to expect when it comes to development processes and costs.
Read on for details, or jump to the last section to see a rough cost estimate for making a medicine delivery app.
Why should you build a medicine delivery app?
Imagine you are a customer: you are a busy person and don’t have time to go to the pharmacy or medical store. But what if you can just simply open an app, place your order, and have your medication delivered to your door within minutes? In fact, this is the convenience that consumers expect today.
However, on-demand medicine delivery apps are beneficial not only for consumers — they have a broader target audience: pharmacies, healthcare providers, and businesses operating in the medical sector. Here is why investing in online medicine delivery app development is a smart move for your business.
Choosing the right medicine delivery app model for your business
If you plan to opt for online pharmacy delivery app development, you have three paths to choose from.
| Medicine delivery app for your pharmacy | SaaS medicine delivery app | Uber-like medicine delivery app |
1. Medicine delivery app for your pharmacy
Ideal fit for: Pharmacy owners who aim to boost local sales and customer loyalty.
If you’re the owner of a pharmacy and would like to develop an app for medicine delivery to gain a competitive advantage in your local market, you’ll need two apps — a patient app and a pharmacy app. You can add a driver app for convenience, or you can manage the actual delivery manually.
If your pharmacy has ties to healthcare providers, you might also consider creating an app for doctors in addition to an app for patients.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
2. SaaS medicine delivery app for pharmacies
Ideal fit for: Both entrepreneurs and tech providers who would like to deliver digital pharmacy solutions at scale.
You can operate a medicine delivery service even if you don’t own a pharmacy of your own. To do that, you can build an on-demand medicine delivery app and offer it to pharmacies that can’t or don’t want to invest in their own app.
Development-wise, creating a SaaS medicine delivery app is similar to creating an app for your own pharmacy, with the only differences being the technologies used.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
3. Uber-like app to deliver medications
Ideal fit for: Businesses that aim at rapid scalability and focus on logistics expertise.
Another option for those who don't own a pharmacy is a delivery service similar to Uber Eats but for medications. This business model connects pharmacies with drivers to deliver medicine to patients on demand.
Unlike a SaaS app or an app for your own pharmacy, where a driver's app is optional, in the case of an Uber-like delivery service, an app for drivers is an essential part of your business.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Note: Medicine delivery requires extra care, so you’ll need to implement strict driver screening policies and monitor them closely.
5 steps to consider when building a successful on-demand medicine delivery app
In this section, we briefly touch on the processes in place and what to expect from on-demand pharmacy delivery app development. If you want to look into our processes more closely, you can do so in our article on how to outsource software development.
What steps are there in the online medicine app development process? Generally, in Agile, it goes like this:
1. Shape your idea in as much detail as you can on your own
The more detailed your idea is, the less time it will take for your team to start on development. When you approach a medicine delivery app development company with a well-fleshed-out idea, the team will be able to conduct targeted research, saving time and effort.
2. Look for and choose medicine delivery app developers
Outsourcing software development companies are numerous and scattered all around the world. Choosing one is no easy task. When looking for a suitable company to build your online pharmacy solution, consider the following:
- Your budget
- Time difference
- Cultural fit and language differences
- Companies’ experiences and previous projects building health-related solutions
- Companies’ reviews on reputable platforms like Clutch
Mind Studios’ insight: Most development companies that work according to Agile principles will offer you the possibility to spread development costs instead of paying the whole amount up front. However, you still need to assess how much money you can allocate to development, as it will affect your selection of companies to partner with.
3. Conduct business analysis (BA)
With your developers, conduct research and business analysis to validate your idea. It’s a crucial step that will help you discover your app’s unique value and market fit. For example, at Mind Studios, our BA team helps our clients refine their raw concepts, mitigate possible risks, and clearly define business goals early on.
Mind Studios’ recommendation: We always recommend that our clients start with a Minimal Viable Product (MVP). An MVP is an abridged first version of your app. Its purpose is acquiring the first users, building brand recognition, gathering real user feedback, and making early revenue.
4. Create UX/UI design and prototypes
Designers create several prototypes of increasing complexity, from rough navigation concepts to high-fidelity (possibly interactive) prototypes.
Mind Studios’ insight: Creating multiple prototypes allows you and your team to see the future custom on-demand medicine delivery app the same way and that what you imagine will work the way you imagine.
5. Analyze your solution and its marketing performance to continue development backed by data
Without data, building a business is like walking in a thick fog. Making the most out of the launch of your solution and its marketing campaigns, you can obtain and analyze data — for example, using Unit Economics — so that each next iteration of your app is more successful than the previous.
Considering medicine delivery app development? Reach out to Mind Studios for a free consultation, and we will guide you through your project every step of the way.
Must-have features in the medicine delivery app
In this section, we list the features we find necessary for developing a medicine home delivery app. However, this list is neither exhaustive nor binding. Having conducted thorough research on your target audience, you’ll know which on-demand medicine delivery app features are essential and which can be postponed or left out.
When we talk about on-demand medicine delivery app development, we are usually talking about creating four different components:
- Patient app
- Pharmacy app
- Delivery app
- Admin panel
Features for a patient app
Optional sign-up/sign-in |
People who use delivery services would often like to keep track of their purchase history, easily re-order their regular medications, and access other features that require a user account. However, other patients, especially those who only occasionally need over-the-counter medications, would prefer to keep it simple and use your app as a guest. |
|---|---|
Profile |
There needs to be a space where registered users can quickly access their lists, history of purchases, and settings as well as configure notifications and store all their important data. |
Find a pharmacy |
If you’re aiming to make a medicine delivery app for a pharmacy chain, you’ll need to ask customers for their location data and offer them the closest pharmacy where they can find their medicine. |
Medicine catalog |
The app should contain a catalog of all medications available at each pharmacy. |
Search |
Users need to be able to find medicine by name. It might also be useful to have advanced search functionality like filters to find medication alternatives by purpose. |
Patient verification |
In most countries, pharmacies don’t sell to underage customers or only sell them certain things like harmless vitamins. Proof of identity and age is necessary to buy everything else. |
Quick access lists |
People should be able to add medications they buy regularly to lists so they don’t have to search for them each time they need to order. |
Payments |
Integrating secure payment functionality is essential for effective user experience. |
Order tracking |
Customers need to be sure their medications will arrive on time. |
Notifications |
Notifications about order statuses are a must. Also, users might need reminders to order regular medications. Another use for notifications is to keep customers updated and let them know when a pharmacy offers discounts or loyalty programs. |
Features for a pharmacy app
Inventory |
There must be a full editable list of available medicine, preferably sorted into categories, as well as the capability to set and change prices. |
|---|---|
Notifications |
To make deliveries timely and avoid missing orders, your app needs to have a solid order notification system in place. It's also helpful to have notifications about received payments if you choose to integrate payment functionality into your app. |
Order management |
Pharmacy employees need functionality for processing orders, setting statuses, etc. |
Order tracking |
Just like patients, pharmacies need access to order tracking. This will help managers and might be of use for pharmacy–patient communication. |
Prescription viewing |
Your app needs to support quality images so that pharmacists can confirm customers’ scanned or photographed prescriptions. If digital prescriptions are used by doctors in your location, your app needs to be able to recognize them as well. |
Events and loyalty programs |
If discounts, events, and loyalty programs are something your pharmacy does, your app needs functionality to add and manage them. |
Features for a driver/runner app
Order notifications |
Unless your pharmacies distribute orders to drivers manually, it would be convenient if your app notified drivers that there's an order to pick up. This is a must-have feature for Uber-like delivery services, where drivers can pick up orders themselves. |
|---|---|
Order statuses |
Whether your drivers are assigned to deliveries or they pick up orders themselves, it’s essential that they set order statuses to let pharmacies and customers know where they are, what orders they have already delivered, and which are on the way. |
Maps |
Map integration in the app will help drivers optimize their routes and will deliver order-tracking data to pharmacies and customers. |
Order information |
Medications might be tricky to deliver. Some medications require careful handling, and others might need cold containers for transfer. Delivery people need to know what they're carrying so they can exercise proper care. |
Proof of delivery |
Delivery drivers and runners will need to ask customers to confirm delivery. This can be accomplished by signing a confirmation form on a delivery courier’s device or through the customer’s own app. |
Setting availability |
If your application distributes and assigns orders automatically, drivers/runners will need to notify the system of their availability for delivery. This is important to avoid situations when an order is assigned to a delivery person who isn’t working. |
Features for an admin panel
Dashboard |
A dashboard is necessary for pharmacy owners or managers to monitor inventory, payments, comments, and complaints. |
|---|---|
Analytics |
App analytics is critical to monitor both app and pharmacy performance to make data-driven changes to your business. It’s possible to integrate real-time analytics with daily, weekly, and monthly reports. |
Payment gateway |
In order to manage online payments, you’ll need to integrate payment functionality between the customer app and the admin panel. |
Extra features for your custom medicine delivery app
Chat and/or chatbot |
Chatbots will help customers navigate your app. An option to chat with a pharmacist live will most likely be useful for customers looking for alternatives to well-known medications, as well as for those unsure of what they need. |
|---|---|
Comments and feedback |
An option to review the customer experience, leave a complaint, and offer overall feedback will be of use for customer–pharmacy communication and your business development. |
Core tech tools for online medicine delivery app development
When you calculate the cost to build a medicine delivery app, you’ll need to consider not only the developers’ pay, but also the investment you’ll need to make into technology solutions your app will use. Some of those solutions are optional, but others are necessary. Here, we’ll show you several examples and explain how they benefit your on-demand medicine delivery app development.
APIs for quick integrations
APIs — application programming interfaces — are used to implement parts of functionality instead of building it from scratch. APIs shorten the development time and help you launch your app faster. There are quite a number of free, open-source APIs available, but there are also some that are paid. Typically, using even paid APIs is still cheaper than building a feature from scratch.
Custom medicine delivery apps might need APIs to integrate maps or add communication functionality for chats and calls.
Here are some of the APIs to consider:
Mind Studios’ recommendation: If you’re thinking about developing an app like Uber Eats for medicine delivery, you might need to consider developing a custom API to allow partner pharmacies to upload their inventories to your app without extra hassle.
Cloud servers
A medicine delivery app needs to connect customers with pharmacies instantly, and cloud servers manage this better than traditional servers. Besides, cloud servers have higher levels of security by default, which is of the utmost importance when we’re talking about prescription delivery app development: customers need to upload personal data to buy prescription medicine, and this data is sensitive and protected in many countries.
Cloud infrastructure to consider:
Mind Studios’ recommendation: At Mind Studios, we oftentimes leverage AWS for our healthcare projects due to its robust security, compliance with healthcare regulations (like HIPAA), scalability, and wide range of healthcare-focused solutions. Plus, its powerful cloud infrastructure allows it to securely manage large volumes of sensitive patient data with high performance even during peak usage periods.
High-end security
As we've just mentioned, medical data, including prescription data, is considered sensitive and is, therefore, subject to data security requirements in the location where you plan to launch your app. Besides, superb security will enhance your business reputation and bring you more users.
Here are some of the steps you should follow:
- HIPAA/GDPR-compliant data encryption to protect patient privacy and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a vital security layer to protect users’ sensitive accounts.
- Regular security checks/audits proactively protect against potential vulnerabilities.
How much does it cost to make an on-demand medicine app?
To precisely estimate costs for developing your medicine delivery app, we’ll need to know the project’s details. However, we can offer a rough estimate for a medicine delivery MVP based on our research and experience.
Generally, apps for customers and drivers are built mobile-first for convenience of use on the go. On the other hand, apps used by pharmacists benefit more from larger screens, which makes it easier to view order details and prescriptions. Besides, developing a web app is usually cheaper than developing a mobile app with the same functionality.
Finally, an admin panel is built for the web and with a minimalist design, simply because no customers will see it. It's best for an admin panel to be easy to use, but the visuals are often of little importance. (Unless you want to pay extra to make it fancy, in which case — no problem!)
If we assume that the APIs developers will use are free and open-source and calculate the cost only for developers’ working hours and some unavoidable costs (e.g. servers), you can expect to invest these amounts:
| Medicine delivery app development cost | |
|---|---|
| Customer app (iOS or Android) | $60,000 |
| Pharmacy app (web-based) | $25,000 |
| Driver app (iOS or Android) | $48,000 |
| Server-side (backend) | $24,000 |
| Admin panel (web-based) | $12,000 |
| Total cost | $169,000 |
Wrapping up
The turbulent times we live in, combined with people's desire to make services more accessible and accommodating, create huge potential profitability for on-demand services of all kinds. In fact, such apps don’t just meet the needs of modern consumers, they also help healthcare providers improve patient care, expand market reach, and boost their revenue.
However, entering this market is full of challenges: regulatory compliance, data security, and complex logistics — to name just a few. At Mind Studios, we have the required expertise to build scalable and compliant custom healthcare solutions that fully meet our clients’ needs. Our tech team can guide you all the way through the medicine delivery app development, from initial concept and idea validation to development and scaling your product further.
Ready to start developing your medicine delivery app with us? Reach out to us today, and let’s build an impactful healthcare solution together.
![How to Create an On-Demand Medicine Delivery App [Expert Guide]](https://themindstudios.com/blog/content/images/size/w600/2025/03/IMG-1-Cover-6.jpg)
