Duane Reade Incorporated, a chain of 230 drugstores based in New York, has placed self-service kiosks for prescription drug customers in 15 of its stores and 50 other locations. The kiosks have been installed in several hospitals, independent living facilities, and office buildings. The company plans to double the number of locations where the kiosks are installed within a year and believes there is market potential for another 1,000 of the prescription drug kiosks in the metropolitan area. The kiosks have improved customer service by allowing people to speak to a pharmacist in a centralized call center. They can request a refill of a previous prescription or submit a request for a new prescription. Customers can also use the kiosks to order other products, arrange for a pick up at another location, or have their purchases delivered to their homes. Developed in 2001, the DR Express kiosks were designed to extend the hours of the company's pharmacies that are not open 24 hours a day. Duane Reade found that many of its customers wanted to use 24-hour stores and decided to try the kiosk concept as a way to bridge its non-24-hour stores and exceed customer expectations. Duane Reade pays for and arranges everything associated with the installation when placing kiosks in locations outside its stores. It also handles all network implementation and maintenance. The company reports receiving requests for about 3,500 prescriptions per week from the kiosks.