Boots and US-based health information provider WebMD have announced they are to work together in a long-term strategic relationship to jointly develop a consumer health and wellness information portal in the UK. “The new joint offering will leverage WebMD’s online consumer health assets and expertise with Boots’ pre-eminent brand as a leading trusted healthcare source and provider of pharmacy in the UK,” says WebMD.
“Boots is the recognized leader in pharmacy and healthcare in the UK,” says Wayne Gattinella, CEO and President of WebMD. “Together we will build a powerful new health information resource designed to help UK consumers lead healthier lives.”
The new web site will include original health news and features, wellness and condition centres and guides, interactive tools and applications — including WebMD’s proprietary symptom checker, health trackers, calculators and health and wellness videos.
Boots will market the new health portal through in-store promotion, its ecommerce site, outreach to its loyalty card customers and promotion in its health and beauty magazine.
The new service is planned to launch in the second half of 2009, with WebMD and Boots jointly sharing in the development costs and benefits of the new site. WebMD will directly manage the service’s sales and revenue operation.
WebMD is the leading provider of health information services, serving consumers, doctors, healthcare professionals, employers and health plans through both public and private online portals and health-focused publications. Over 50 million unique visitors access the WebMD Health Network, which includes WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, eMedicine, eMedicine Health, RxList and theHeart.org, each month.
