One of our more interesting projects was to develop an iPhone and Android app for Swift Comfort, a medical cannabis delivery service based in Davis, California. In doing this project, we had several objectives for the app. In this article, I’ll describe how we accomplished those objectives using our ReadyBuilt platform and the results.

Paperless Patient Onboarding

In California, for a dispensary/ delivery service selling medical cannabis, they need to get the following from a patient:

  • California ID
  • Recommendation from a physician
  • Signed patient agreement form
  • Maintain records of their patients

Apptology was able to make the entire patient onboarding paperless. In the app we developed, the patient can take a picture of their ID and recommendation and send it to the delivery service.

Figure 1. Submitting a recommendation and ID through the app

After the service validates the recommendation (unfortunately, this is a manual process), the patient can enter their data directly into the service’s database on the app (this saves them from keying in the information themselves). We selected MMJMenu for their database for several reasons:

  • They are specifically designed for the medical cannabis solution and meets compliance requirements
  • They have a secure service that can meet HIPAA compliance
  • They allow for branding
  • They’re free (for a single location service)

Figure 2. Filling out patient information directly on patient database on the app.

After the patient enters the information in the database, they are redirected to an Adobe Sign Document where they can sign the patient agreement form. After the patient signs the form, both the service and patient received the signed copy. At this point, the service can upload the image of the ID and recommendation and the signed patient form to the patient’s record in the database.

Figure 3. Digitally signing the patient agreement on the app

In the event the patient did not have a recommendation for medical cannabis treatment, the app has an integration to PrestoDoctor where they can speak to a physician and request a recommendation.

Figure 4. Integration to PrestoDoctor

Ordering Product

When we first created the app, we initially created a shopping menu where the patients could order product directly from the app. However, we encountered a couple of problems:

  • Apple didn’t allow for the ability to order medical cannabis from the app
  • The delivery service would end up having to maintain two separate menus (the app shopping cart and Weed Maps).

Our solution was to eliminate the shopping menu and replaced it with an integration to Weed Maps where the service’s menu can be viewed. In terms of ordering, we allow the patient to choose from calling, texting, or emailing an order.

Marketing

The app has the ability to market to the delivery service’s patient base. There are a few features that I will highlight:

Push Notifications

  • One of the most powerful features of app is the ability to send push notifications directly to the patients. Our client will often send out app only specials when it’s slow which helps bring in business.
  • In a very competitive field (our client literally has 20 competitors in their city listed on Weed Maps), customer loyalty is essential. To encourage this, the app has a rewards card feature. The reward card in the app is like a digital punch card. After a purchase, the driver can enter a secret code that punches the card. When they collect enough punches, they will get free product.

Figure 7. Example Push Notification

Figure 8. App Rewards Feature

Content

In order for an app to be successful, it has to provide useful content so that the user has a reason to use the app, other than just ordering product. The app has to ability to delivery content in various forms including:

  • Videos (including an integration to YouTube)
  • Pictures (including an integration to Instagram)
  • Social Media feeds (Facebook and Twitter)

The app we developed for Swift Comfort has been an essential part of their business. They’ve been in business for over a year and have done very well despite being in a highly competitive environment with 20 medical cannabis delivery companies listed on Weed Maps in their city alone. A branded app will make a medical cannabis delivery service / dispensary stand out in a competitive field by making patient onboarding easy and providing the ability to market to their customer base.