Project Brief

The Pharmacy team is a critical unit within the BlueCross BlueShield insurance portal, serving members across Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The product’s core mission is to empower members to manage prescriptions, search for medications, and locate in-network pharmacies efficiently.

The Problem: Identification & Insights

When I joined the team, the existing pharmacy experience was limited and failed to meet key business goals. To identify the root causes, I performed a competitive analysis and partnered with the research team for usability testing.

• Search Limitations: Both pharmacy and drug search only supported in-network results, missing a massive opportunity for member education and cost transparency.
• Navigation Failure: The "Find Care" section was a bottleneck; members overlooked local navigation, leading to a high abandonment rate for pharmacy tools.
• Feature Redundancy: Users felt the drug and pharmacy search experiences were too similar, leading to confusion regarding the distinct value of each tool.

Before (Pharmacy Search)

Before (Drug Search)

The Solution: Transforming the Experience

I led a data-driven redesign focused on Expressive Minimalism—prioritizing high-impact information and clear visual hierarchy.

• Dedicated Pharmacy Landing Page: Moved pharmacy features from a hidden sub-menu to a dedicated global navigation tab, creating a centralized hub for all pharmacy services.
• The "Medicine Cabinet": Introduced a feature for members to manage their prescriptions, enabling them to view current and past prescriptions while receiving reminders for upcoming refills.
• Enhanced Drug Transparency: Expanded drug search to include coverage details (e.g., "Tier 1"), side effects, alternatives, and a comparison of prices across pharmacies.
• Self-Service Clinical Review: Enabled members to check prior authorization status online, reducing wait times and call center volume.

After (Pharmacy)

After (Drug Search)

Challenges & Resolution

• Managing Data Constraints: A significant challenge involved navigating technical data limitations that impacted how information was displayed. I addressed this by collaborating closely with the engineering team to understand back-end constraints, ensuring our design solutions remained technically feasible while still fulfilling essential user needs.
• Information Density: Organizing dense clinical information—such as side effects, instructions, and alternative medications—without overwhelming members

Solution:

I adopted a Mobile-First Design Strategy, utilizing collapsible sections for refills and card-based layouts to streamline the interface and improve visual hierarchy on smaller screens.

The Outcome

The redesign transformed a limited search tool into a comprehensive management portal that aligns member needs with strategic business goals.

• Improved Self-Service: Empowered members to manage health tasks directly through the portal, reducing reliance on manual support.
• Research-Driven Success: Every design decision was leveraged from usability insights to prioritize features that directly addressed member frustrations.
• Future-Proofed the Platform: Established a scalable framework for adding future pharmacy vendors and home delivery options.