Coborn's Automates, Centralizes Prescription Fulfillment

Coborn's Inc., which operates 38 retail pharmacy locations at some of its grocery stores, has integrated ExpressRx Track, a prescription-processing system that can initially dispense up to 2,000 prescriptions per eight-hour shift with 99.99% accuracy. The central fill technology from Irving, Texas-based McKesson High Volume Solutions (HVS) automates the process and migrates fulfillment away from each local pharmacy.

The process went more quickly than the grocer anticipated.

“We expected that working with McKesson HVS would go well, based on our research, but the implementation of the ExpressRx Track system exceeded our expectations,” said Jim Cox, Coborn's senior director of pharmacy, liquor and convenience. “Additionally, our pharmacy staff did an outstanding job supporting the transition. We achieved our desired percent of volume of eligible prescriptions in just 90 days, as opposed to our target goal of six months to one year. Plus, we were able to bring all of our pharmacy locations online a lot quicker than originally planned.”

Because of the early adoption by its stores, Coborn’s plans to expand ExpressRx Track in 2020 to further increase its central fill throughput.  Fulfillment queues in each pharmacy have been reduced by as much as 60% at the start of the day, which Coborn's said has made for a less stressful work environment for pharmacists and staff.

St. Cloud, Minn.-based Coborn's Inc. is an employee-owned independent grocer with more than 9,000 employees and 60 stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, under the Coborn's, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods and Hornbacher's banners. The company is No. 43 on Progressive Grocer's 2019 Super 50 list of top grocers in the United States.