Healthcare Giant CVS Files for NFT and the Metaverse-Related Trademarks

Key Insights:

• CVS files NFT and Metaverse-related trademark applications.
• Drugstores could follow in the footsteps of Walmart and deliver virtual shopping.
• The healthcare sector could also benefit from blockchain, NFTs, and the Metaverse.

Interest in NFTs and the Metaverse has surged in recent months. A range of industries has taken to NFTs and the Metaverse. These include art, fashion, film, music, and sport.

In some countries, one sector that has been slow on the uptake is the healthcare sector. In the early days of Bitcoin (BTC), blockchain and crypto, the crypto sector identified blockchain attributes that would benefit the healthcare sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic and administrative burdens likely delayed the sector’s exploration of the digital world. This week, U.S healthcare giant CVS Health may be looking to break the mold.

CVS Health Applies for NFT and Metaverse-Related Trademarks

This week, CVS reportedly submitted a trademark application to sell “downloadable virtual goods” in the Metaverse.

According to the report, U.S. drugstore chain CVS aims to sell prescription drugs and other drugstore products in a virtual drugstore. CVS would then authenticate the products and sales with the use of NFTs.

The move by CVS comes after Walmart filed trademark applications in a move towards virtual stores in the Metaverse.

Virtual Drugstores and Healthcare Decentralization the Future Healthcare

As the U.S looks to return to some semblance of normality in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare sector will likely need to take a close look at the benefits of blockchain, cryptos, NFTs, and the Metaverse.

In 2020, we explored how blockchain would change lives, the global economy, and the world. At the time, immediate healthcare sector benefits included the removal of the paper trail, making patients’ medical records available on a decentralized ledger, which would provide data points to support the fight against virus and disease.

As the healthcare sector looks at lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, dissemination of information and access to critical data points could have arm healthcare workers with the necessary facts to combat viruses.

In October 2021, Forbes published an article exploring how blockchain could revolutionize healthcare. The report looks at reduced costs and new ways for patients to access healthcare. Forbes discusses one healthcare company called “Patientory.” Patientory sees blockchain networks capable of delivering a combination of transparency and privacy. Blockchain technology could give the healthcare sector access to medical data while withholding sensitive patient information. “Up-to-date patient histories and data, pandemic tracking and reporting, secure communication with verified healthcare personnel” form part of Patientory’s solutions.

For the healthcare sector, general practitioners and medical specialists could ease the strain by going Metaverse. While physical examinations need to be in person, some elements of the work could go virtual, which would reduce hospital traffic.

CVS Follows in the Footsteps of Other Mainstream U.S Corporations

In recent months, other major U.S corporations submitting NFT and Metaverse-related trademark applications include:

• Disney
• McDonald’s
• NIKE
• Walmart
• Warner Music Group

When considering the demise of department stores and the sharp increase in online retailing, the Metaverse could be the next best thing for online shoppers. Virtual stores could use NFTs to authenticate online sales.

One risk for the healthcare sector is the marked increase in illicit activity. Appropriate controls would need to be in place to protect personal data and personal privacy.