Online healthcare provider, The Independent Pharmacy, was established in 2013 by pharmacists Andy Boysan and Scott McDougall. The company’s objective was to use technology to increase patients’ access to reliable sources of medicine and advice through a safe and personal online service.

Deploying LexisNexis® IDU® as a age verification solution, the firm has seen a significant increase in first time pass rates for identity checks since using the service, which are now at 97%.

“We decided to go with the option similar companies were using within the online healthcare space and as a result, our orders are going up and people are returning. It goes to show the process is working, with zero to little friction in the customer journey,” says Boysan, who is director and superintendent pharmacist at the firm.

Boysan says the IDU age verification service has allowed the company to make more informed decisions on customers who may have accidentally typed in incorrect information as well as identifying those who may genuinely be fraudulent or underage. This ultimately helps them to know their customers, assess the risk and have confidence in the age and identity of the individuals they on board.

“What we found with LexisNexis® Risk Solutions was that they offered a more comprehensive first time check,” Boysan says. “IDU not only tells us whether the customer passed or failed, but also whether they failed on the day, month or the year. This, coupled with the fact that IDU also offers an alternative solution for verifying customers who don’t pass first time round, by enabling driving licence or passport number checks, has resulted in more of our patients passing.” The audit trail and time stamps within the service enable ‘The Independent Pharmacy’ to identify the exact date and time customer’s information is processed and these reports can be reviewed at any point in time via the online portal.

First time pass rates are crucial to the business says Boysan, as one of the company’s main challenges is the perceived negativity around the online healthcare industry. “When people failed their identity checks, we would get customers cancelling their orders. However, IDU helps us pass customers first time, which has decreased admin, increased customer satisfaction and increased revenue.

“It has definitely given us a competitive advantage. Similarly, customer reviews have been positively impacted because the process is seamless and the customers are very satisfied,” he says. With first time pass rates at a record high, Boysan adds that the firm is currently exploring the possibility of deploying the IDU Mobile App to make the online healthcare journey even more seamless for its customers, particularly at a time when the industry is growing fast.

“The provision of online healthcare is only going to increase because people like ordering online,” he says. “They want their products delivered when and where it suits. Online facilities give you that flexibility; it is a lot more convenient and with NHS prescription charges going up to £9, a lot of our products are well within people’s budgets.”

As the online healthcare provider has continued to turn a profit and witness scale and growth, Boysan feels reassured in the company’s relationship with the solutions provider. “It’s nice to work with a company that is consistently helping you grow as a company,” he says. “It’s good to know that identity checks have been thoroughly carried out and that the customer is over 18 years old. LexisNexis Risk Solutions gives me that protection and reliance. We are very happy with our current situation,” he says.