• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

2

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

1

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

2

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Health

A New Kind of Pharmacy Is Hitting New York City With Delivery Included

By
Laura Lorenzetti
Laura Lorenzetti
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Laura Lorenzetti
Laura Lorenzetti
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 17, 2016, 11:23 AM ET
186651237
Photograph by Dimitri Otis via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

No more waiting in lines, sneezing into your sleeve while you wait to see if the local pharmacy finally has that antibiotic you need. A new pharmacy is launching in New York City today that wants to change that whole experience, starting with a digital platform and a small army of messengers.

Capsule is a new digital-only pharmacy that bills itself as “the pharmacy you’ll never have to visit but might want to.” It’s the brainchild of Eric Kinariwala, an investor who worked at Bain Capital and Perry Capital, and Sonia Patel, a longtime pharmacist who worked with Walmart to help troubleshoot underperforming pharmacies. The two knew the pain points of the modern pharmacy well: inconsistent inventory, long wait times, and awkward interactions to get the information you need.

“The consumer experience is broken,” said Kinariwala. “Going to the pharmacy is a half step from going to the post office. The average consumer waits for an hour; people have to go back because their medicine is out of stock; they don’t understand the medicines because of dense leaflets.”

“We realized how disconnected the pharmacy is from the rest of the health care system,” said Patel. “So, we set out to rebuild it from the inside out.”

Kinariwala and Patel call Capsule the next generation pharmacy. It’s available via smartphone app that connects directly to your doctor and then delivers your medicines to you via messenger, either at work or at home when the time is convenient for you. It will arrive within two hours or within a chosen time window.

The copays are the same based on your insurance and delivery is free. The digital platform also connects you directly and privately to a pharmacist by either text or phone if you have questions or concerns. No worries that the person behind you in line is overhearing everything you need to know about how that new antibiotic interacts with your birth control. A Capsule pharmacist is available on-demand when you need it.

“It allows pharmacists to talk at a time and place that is more comfortable and convenient,” said Patel. “Pharmacists love this, as well, because it can encourage more effective therapy changes, which ultimately leads to better health.”

More importantly, Capsule has rebuilt the pipes and platform behind the pharmacy, which makes things like smart refills and predictive inventory management possible. By having one central pharmacy, Capsule is able to ensure that the medications people are ordering are there when they need it. That’s often a major problem with retail pharmacies. Nearly four in 10 people have to return to their pharmacy due to out-of-stock prescriptions, according to a Pharmacy Satisfaction survey. (The back end was built by Tim Vetter, who is better known for building Foursquare.)

“One of the disheartening feedback points from traditional pharmacies has been from patients who take a medicine regularly and find it out of stock at their regular location even though they are coming in every month,” said Kinariwala. “Our inspiration is to fix that. We built the technology that can help figure that out in advance to make sure we have the medicines our customers need.”

 

Capsule also has a big goal of helping curb the problem of patients not taking prescribed medicines. The platform creates a two-way conversation with the doctor. Once the prescription is submitted, the interaction between doctor and Capsule doesn’t end. Capsule offers adherence reports to provide better insight into what’s happening after the medicine is prescribed, which is especially vital for conditions like depression where medicines can take weeks before offering relief or even heart disease where patients can lapse in their treatments.

Capsule plans to extend beyond New York City and wants to serve as many people as possible, though Kinariwala says that the company will first establish itself in the city before announcing any new cities.

“As the old adage goes, ‘If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,'” said Kinariwala. “Though, ultimately, we believe everywhere across American deserves a better pharmacy, a smarter pharmacy. We believe this model can also work nicely in areas that aren’t as dense or urban as NYC.”

About the Author
By Laura Lorenzetti
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Health

A fan is pointed towards a classroom full of students in a school.
Environmentschools
Rising temperatures are putting students at risk of heat-related illnesses, and schools are scrambling to adapt
By The Conversation, Allison Poulos and Jennifer VanosJuly 27, 2026
11 hours ago
A small Brown-eared Bulbul bird perches on a branch in a tree.
HealthHealth
Sit back and watch the birds—your health will thank you, data shows
By The Conversation and Jennifer G. AndrewsJuly 27, 2026
12 hours ago
Europe’s employers face a new challenge—keeping workers safe during heatwaves
MagazineEnvironment
Europe’s employers face a new challenge—keeping workers safe during heatwaves
By Oliver BalchJuly 27, 2026
16 hours ago
A Hims cofounder fired his marketing agency for an AI-powered team. Now his 24/7 online vet service is growing 20% a month
SuccessMarketing
A Hims cofounder fired his marketing agency for an AI-powered team. Now his 24/7 online vet service is growing 20% a month
By Sydney LakeJuly 25, 2026
3 days ago
Roderick Wong, MD is Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of RTW Investments
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
When 10,000 doctors stood up and cheered for a cancer drug — America’s innovation machine made it possible
By Roderick WongJuly 25, 2026
3 days ago
What it’s like to be a founder of the most high-stakes startup ever, OpenAI
AIOpenAI
What it’s like to be a founder of the most high-stakes startup ever, OpenAI
By Alyson ShontellJuly 25, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
Retail
New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
By Sarah GlodekJuly 27, 2026
20 hours ago
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
11 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
3 days ago
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Success
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 25, 2026
3 days ago
College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
Economy
College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 26, 2026
2 days ago
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
Commentary
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
By Austin SaratJuly 26, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.