South Africans in the middle- to upper-income bracket - a core part of Dis-Chem's customer base - are collecting medication more frequently, with the retailer reporting a 25% improvement in chronic medication adherence rates among its customers. Following the release of its year-to-end-February results on Wednesday, Dis-Chem financial director Rui Morais said that before Covid-19, customers on chronic medication for diseases such as diabetes would on average collect medicine 6.4 times in a 12-month cycle. Since Covid cases started appearing in SA in March, this has increased significantly; if extrapolated over a year, it would equate to eight collections over a 12-month period. Morais attributed this increase to more awareness among customers about how Covid-19 can have severe effects on people living with co-morbidities such as diabetes or hypertension. He said customers havebeen using delivery channels or placing orders and coming in to collect.However, although ther...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.