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WilsonRx(R) Survey Reports 7 Out of 10 Customers of Leading Retail Chain Pharmacies Are Interested in Prescription Pickup Kiosks.

Posted on: Thursday, 9 August 2007, 09:02 CDT

NEW HOPE, Pa., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Health Information, LLC., a leading consumer insight firm and source of the Boehringer Ingelheim WilsonRx(R) Pharmacy Satisfaction Digest(TM), reported today that over 33,000 pharmacy customers cite convenience as one of the top three drivers of pharmacy customer satisfaction along with price and overall professional services. The WilsonRx(R) Report also reported that short lines, convenient store hours and 24-hour pharmacy access are key drivers to customer satisfaction.

The WilsonRx(R) Survey Report found that 3 out of 5 customers wait in line for 5 or more minutes to pick up their prescriptions resulting in a decline in overall pharmacy satisfaction. Furthermore, 7 out of 10 customers of leading retail chains said they were interested in having a kiosk to pickup and pay for their prescriptions in about a minute including when the pharmacy is closed. Technologies such as Asteres' ScriptCenter(R) reduce the stress of lines and increase the hours of prescription pickup -- a win-win solution for both the consumer and the pharmacy.

The WilsonRx(R) Report also found that over one third of pharmacy customers said that they could not pick up or drop off their prescriptions because the pharmacy was closed. Customers have also been faced with shorter pharmacy hours as retailers cut back on the time that their pharmacies are open.

"At a time when pharmacies are busier than ever, customer expectations are also higher than ever. Retailers are struggling with prescription volumes, staffing shortages, hours of operation, reimbursement changes and wait times yet customers expect their prescriptions to be ready faster, they don't want to wait and they want increased hours of service", said third generation pharmacist, Jim Wilson, President of Wilson Health Information, LLC. "As a result, customers are reporting frustration with long wait times and limited pharmacy hours."

In response, retailers have added prescription pickup solutions outside of pharmacy such as home delivery, mail order, and drive-thru pharmacy windows. Prescription pickup kiosks such as ScriptCenter(R), currently installed in four major retail chains, provide an in-store pickup solution. "Now retailers can reduce wait times and provide after hours prescription pickup without adding labor all while keeping the customer shopping in the store," said Linda Pinney, Asteres' Founder and Chief Business Officer. "ScriptCenter adds a speedy self-checkout lane for pharmacy customers who don't need extra assistance or who want the flexibility to pick up prescriptions when the pharmacy is closed."

WilsonRx(R) (http://www.wilsonrx.com/, http://www.pharmacysatisfaction.com/) specializes in healthcare and its time proven mail survey methodology is uniquely able to represent the opinions of retail pharmacy customers; who tend to be older, have lower incomes, less computer access and therefore unable to respond to online surveys. Wilson Health Information, LLC, is an independent, healthcare consumer research company.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070601/NEF049 )

MAY NOT BE USED FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES WITHOUT EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM WILSON HEALTH INFORMATION

Asteres Inc. (http://www.asteres.com/) develops secure self-service kiosks for the storage and delivery of consumer products. Asteres' premier product is ScriptCenter (R), the first prescription pickup kiosk for retail pharmacy that allows consumers to pickup and pay for their prescriptions, even when the pharmacy is closed.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070809/NETH031LOGO )

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070809/NETH031LOGOhttp://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070601/NEF049PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Wilson Health Information, LLC

CONTACT: Jim Wilson of Wilson Health Information, LLC., +1-215-862-4581,jim@wilsonrx.com, or Sara von Gal of Asteres Inc., +1-858-523-9401,svongal@asteres.com

Web site: http://www.wilsonrx.com/http://www.pharmacysatisfaction.com/http://www.asteres.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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