Dive Brief:
- Walgreens is expanding its telehealth offerings with a new skin care platform launched Monday.
- The platform provides virtual consultations with dermatologists using lagnosis’ DermatologistOnCall app, as well as information about skin conditions like eczema and acne from WebMD.
- Consumers can also seek skin care and product recommendations via live online chat with Walgreens' pharmacy staff.
Dive Insight:
The teledermatology platform is Walgreen’s latest foray into telemedicine and a nod to skin care’s growing stature in the telehealth market. Competitors in the segment include Teladoc, PocketDerm and Cambridge, MA-based startup 3Derm.
Harry Leider, chief medical officer, called the teledermatology product a “natural extension” of the company's other telehealth offerings. Walgreens previously partnered with MDLive to offer video consults with physicians for a range of acute conditions. Also, in May Walgreens said it will be launching a platform called Mental Health Answers with the goal of expanding access to behavioral telehealth solutions.
DermatologistOnCall, lagnosis’ flagship product, connects consumers with dermatologists specializing in 3,000-plus skin, hair, and nail conditions within 24 hours of requesting a visit versus the average 29 days it takes to see a dermatologist in the office, according to Walgreens.
The telemedicine market is growing rapidly, with Transparency Market Research predicting it will reach $36.6 billion by 2020. Year-over-year growth is estimated at 14.3% between now and 2020.