AAH Pharmaceuticals is to venture into the insurance market, starting with a special policy to insure children until they leave school.
The Vantage "pharmacy child protect" policy will provide cover for children aged from three days to 16 years (or 18 years if in full-time education). The policy covers a wide variety of possible injuries and their sequelae, including treatment, payments for child care support, tuition fee support and hospital treatment, and home modifications necessary if a child is permanently injured. It promises settlement of claims within 48 hours in 98 per cent of cases.
A trial number of AAH's Vantage customers have been trained to offer the insurance and will launch the service to their pharmacy customers on October 4. Following the trial, which is due to end in June, 2000, and dependent on its outcome, the insurance scheme will be extended and will become available through all Vantage pharmacies.
"The idea behind offering this service through independent pharmacies is that the local pharmacist should be best placed to know which of their customers would benefit from it," Mr Steven Dunn (managing director, AAH Pharmaceuticals) told The Journal on September 22.