THE BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION TO PRESCRIPTIONS FOR A DECADE

Simple Online Pharmacy has announced it is launching a new pouching service nationwide, in a move which will transform how prescriptions are managed.

PillPocket is a medication aid which organises prescribed medication in lightweight pouches for each time of day. These are ordered chronologically and delivered to patients for free. 

Using a combination of AI (artificial intelligence), robotic technology and pharmacists, PillPocket creates a unique roll of medication for each patient, which are ordered by time and day.

A patient just needs to pull out the next pouch from the compact box. All of their medication for that time of day, will be inside the PillPocket, ready to take.

Available to anyone across Scotland and England from 27^th October, the ground-breaking service is completely free for anyone with four or more NHS prescriptions.

The free delivery service is also available for patients on any number of prescriptions including those with a single prescribed medication. Patients simply request their repeat medication via the Simple NHS Prescriptions app and receive free delivery anywhere across Scotland and England.

It has been estimated the PillPocket service could potentially save the NHS millions each year, in reduced hospital admissions and improved patient outcomes.

It is the first time a service like this has been provided across the whole of Scotland and first to serve both Scotland and England.

Addy Mohammed, Director of Simple Online Pharmacy, said, “Studies show that up to 50 percent of patients do not take their medicines as prescribed, through either missed doses, taking less than the recommended amount, or by simply stopping their medicine earlier than they are instructed to do so.

“This has been a major problem in healthcare for years and has been a particular worry for care providers and family members of people who take multiple medications.

“That is why we were driven to develop PillPocket – it creates a roll of compact pouches ordered chronologically, which ultimately helps patients in taking the right medication at the right time.

“Aside from the clear benefits for people who need to take medication, this service has the potential to save the NHS £800m a year, by helping keep patients out of hospital beds through reducing medication errors. In addition, we hope to reduce unnecessary trips to and from GP practices and pharmacies during the pandemic.

“This is a truly revolutionary service which will change the way prescription services are delivered and is potentially the biggest change in decades for patients.

Addy added, “We work directly with a patient’s GP, so once someone is registered, we do the rest. Patients no longer need to pay pharmacies for delivery or wait for medication aid services. We aim to serve every patient who needs help with taking their medication, and do not believe they should ever have to wait to get this help. We deliver everything, and patients don’t pay a penny.”