PillPack's single-dose packs makes juggling multiple prescriptions a snap

TJ Parker grew up the son of a pharmacist, and became one himself. But when he was a child, he came to understand how overwhelming it could be for those standing on the other side of the counter.

“My parents owned a very traditional mom and pop pharmacy in Concord, N.H.," says Parker, 29, who recalled dropping off medicines at the homes of his parents' customers. “You started to see a very constant pattern. Everybody had this cornucopia of pills on the counter (and) an Excel sheet. ...  It was a very arduous and manual process that people who took medications had to deal with. I always knew there had to be a better way."

Those experiences helped plant the seed for what became PillPack, a pharmacy that makes taking multiple medications a lot less daunting by presorting them into individual, clearly labeled daily dose packs and delivering them right to the customer’s door.

PillPack is one of 10 finalists for USA TODAY's Small Business Innovator of the Year award. More nominee profiles will run in the coming weeks, and a winner will be announced in December.

Parker co-founded the Somerville, Mass.-based PillPack in February 2014 with Elliot Cohen, the business’ chief technology officer. In less than two years, PillPack has grown a customer base that now spans 47 states, and it has estimated revenue of $20 million.

PillPack delivers customers' medications in a long strip that rolls into a disposable dispenser. The user just pulls the next pack off the roll, tears it open and pops the pills. Shipments arrive every two weeks. The service also works with the customer's insurance company and manages refills automatically. The only charge is the customer's usual standard co-pay.

And if you want to talk to a pharmacist, Parker says they are just a phone call or email away. “We have pharmacists you can talk to in the comfort of your own home instead of in a retail store," he says. “The goal is taking something really complex and making it really simple."

In July, PillPack launched an app that anyone, not just PillPack customers, can use to help them remember when, and where, to take their medications. For instance, if you grab breakfast on the run each morning, and that's when you take your vitamin D, that stop at Starbucks will prompt your reminder.

“You can set triggers based on both time and geography," Parker says. “The overarching goal of the app is  ... how can we make it understand your habits and fit into your life."

By using technology to make an aspect of health care simpler, Parker is blending several of his passions.

While attending the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Boston, Parker also explored his interests in technology and design. He took a class at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and worked for a rug manufacturer and furniture retailer. With those newfound skills, Parker says, he began “thinking about how to use those tools to fix those problems."

PillPack has been a significant help to Cris Dopher. The Brooklyn-based lighting and scenic designer had a double lung transplant a little less than two years ago and found himself having to deal with roughly 20 prescriptions.

“It makes for a lot of pills to have to sort out every week,’’ says Dopher, 44. "Some pills are once a week, some are every other day, some are twice a week, so it can just get confusing really quick.’’

A few months ago he saw a small ad on Facebook for Pillpack. “I thought, ‘I can at least try it,’" he said. And  “it’s been great. ... They’ve really taken a load off of me. ’’

Still, it takes money and time  to spin an idea into reality.

In October 2012, Parker and Cohen participated in a “hackathon" centered on medicine. Participants spent a weekend building prototypes of their health care ideas and sharing them with others. “That’s the first time I actually pitched the idea of PillPack publicly," Parker recalls.

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Then, early the following year, the fledgling company got $120,000 from a Boston incubator called Techstars, which also helped connect PillPack’s founders to potential mentors, investors and even employees.  They went on to raise $4 million in seed capital that enabled them to hire a team and launch their service.

Parker has a couple tips for budding entrepreneurs.

“Share your ideas," he says. “If you have a good idea, there are resources to make that idea a reality."

About PillPack

• There is no additional charge for PillPack beyond standard 30-day co-pays.
• PillPack accepts most major prescription insurance plans as well as most forms of Medicare Part D.
• The service is currently available in 47 states.
• Customers can email or call their PillPack pharmacist any time to ask questions or clarify instructions.