What did VOXO launch on November 12, 2026?
November 12, 2026 · VOXO, the leader in AI-powered patient communication for independent pharmacies, today launched the SMS Agent, the Web Agent, and inbound booking for Scheduling.
Until today, the VOXO Agent answered patients one way: on the phone. Now patients can reach their independent pharmacy three ways, by call, text or website chat, and the VOXO Agent answers every one. It takes the refill, checks the prescription status, shares store hours, and books the appointment. Your team gets the time back for the patients standing at the counter and other initiatives that help grow your independent pharmacy.
Feature | What the patient does | What the VOXO Agent does |
|---|---|---|
The SMS Agent | Texts your independent pharmacy's number | Texts back, takes refill requests, checks prescription status, answers store questions |
The Web Agent | Opens the chat on your independent pharmacy's website | Answers store questions, confirms who the patient is, takes refill requests |
Scheduling (inbound) | Calls to book a vaccine or other appointment | Books it on your calendar while the patient is on the line |
All three put the work where it belongs. Refill requests go straight into your PMS queue, whether you use PioneerRx, Liberty or BestRx. Appointments land on your calendar. Anything clinical goes to your pharmacy staff.
Why do independent pharmacies need texting and website chat for their patients?
Independent pharmacies need texting and website chat because that is how more patients, including older patients, reach a business today. AARP Research found in December 2025 that texting is now the lead way adults 50 and older communicate. So "my patients are older, so they call" is no longer a safe bet.
How easy you are to reach also decides whether patients come back. In J.D. Power's 2026 U.S. Pharmacy Digital Experience Study, fewer than half of customers with a poor digital experience said they would return. More than 90% of customers with a great one said they would. That means the easier it is to reach you, the more patients stay with you.
The phone still matters, and patients still call. In the last year, the VOXO Agent answered more than 1.84 million calls for independent pharmacies. The new features add more ways in. They don't replace the phone.
What is VOXO's SMS Agent?
The SMS Agent is the VOXO Agent answering text messages sent to the phone numbers your independent pharmacy chooses. You can pick one number or several, as long as each number is on VOXO's phone system. A patient texts "I need a refill," and the SMS Agent confirms who they are, takes the refill request, and puts it into your PMS. It can also tell a patient if a prescription is ready and share your hours.
Here is what the SMS Agent handles for you:
Privacy on every text. Each new conversation starts with a privacy notice. The SMS Agent hides names, dates of birth and full Rx numbers in its replies, and masks medication names.
STOP, START and HELP replies. These are handled automatically, so nobody on your team has to track them.
Clinical questions. The SMS Agent gives the patient your independent pharmacy's phone number so they can reach your pharmacy staff.
The SMS Agent is included on VOXO's Bronze and Silver plans. Before it goes live, every business texting number goes through a one-time carrier registration, which takes about two weeks. This may require simple changes to your website or online presence to meet federal regulations. VOXO will help walk you through setup.
What is VOXO's Web Agent?
The Web Agent is the VOXO Agent in a chat window on your independent pharmacy's website. Any visitor can ask a store question, like your hours or whether you carry a vaccine. A patient who wants a refill confirms their Rx number and date of birth in a secure form, then picks the refills they need from a list.
Patients already manage their health care online. In 2024, 65% of people in the US used a patient portal or online medical record, up from 25% in 2014, according to a federal survey from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy. The share of people using a portal for someone they care for, like a parent, more than doubled from 2020 to 2024. So your patients, and the family members handling their refills, already expect to do this online. The Web Agent lets them do it with your independent pharmacy.
The Web Agent works with PioneerRx, BestRx and Liberty. The Web Agent is included on VOXO's Silver plan.
What is new in VOXO's Scheduling?
Scheduling now books appointments when patients call your independent pharmacy. Since August 2026, your team has been able to set up outbound vaccine scheduling campaigns: you upload the patients you want to reach, and the VOXO Agent calls them and books their appointments. Starting November 12, inbound scheduling also books the patients who call you first.
A patient calls and says "I'd like to get my flu shot Thursday." The VOXO Agent checks your calendar, offers open times, and books the appointment before the call ends. It books any appointment type your independent pharmacy sets up, such as vaccines or consults. Inbound booking works on phone calls today, and it is included on VOXO's Silver plan.
That means fewer booking calls for your team to juggle during your busiest season.
What results have independent pharmacies seen with the VOXO Agent?
Independent pharmacies using the VOXO Agent have taken the routine calls off their team's plate. Across all VOXO customers, the VOXO Agent has answered more than 1.84 million calls and submitted more than 517,000 refill requests into independent pharmacies' systems in the last year.
Shriver's Pharmacies in Southeast Ohio is one example. In the last 90 days, the VOXO Agent answered more than 83,000 calls across Shriver's locations and submitted more than 22,000 refill requests into its PMS. That's work Shriver's team no longer has to do by phone. Within two weeks of going live, calls reaching Shriver's staff dropped 43%, according to David Hoskinson, Shriver's Director of IT.
The SMS Agent and the Web Agent bring that same Agent to text and chat. Patients get the same answers no matter how they reach you.
How can an independent pharmacy get the SMS Agent, Voice Agent, Web Agent or Scheduling?
Independent pharmacies can get the SMS Agent, the Voice Agent, the Web Agent and Scheduling by booking a time with VOXO's team. VOXO's team walks you through setup.
Feature | Bronze plan | Silver plan |
|---|---|---|
The SMS Agent | Included | Included |
The Voice Agent | Included | |
The Web Agent | Included | |
Scheduling (inbound) | Included |
If you're not currently using VOXO: Book a personalized demo and see the SMS Agent, the Voice Agent, the Web Agent and Scheduling working for your independent pharmacy.
If you're an existing VOXO customer: Book a time with our team to see which new features fit your independent pharmacy and whether upgrading is the right next step.
About VOXO
VOXO is the leader in AI-powered patient communication for independent pharmacies. The VOXO Agent answers patients by phone, text and website chat, takes refill requests straight into the independent pharmacy's PMS, books appointments, and sends every clinical question to the independent pharmacy's staff. That buys the owner and their team time back to grow the independent pharmacy, lower labor costs, run smoother operations and give patients better care. VOXO serves more than 1,400 independent pharmacies across the United States. Learn more at voxo.co.
