Prescription Refill Apps: More Than Just Reminders
It seems like it was only a small amount of years ago that prescription refills became available via the standard phone. The technology that was developed interfacing the pharmacy management systems with the individual phone systems was a long and detailed process, with the success introducing the patient to automation that brought about the first technology convenience. But those days were just the beginning and the technology that began as a refill process has been catapulted well beyond and into new functionalities.
The prescription refill companies quickly moved beyond just refills and, to address medication management began the next phase with the reminders. However, once mobile apps took off, they adapted their communication methods so that patients could download apps that sent requests to their individual pharmacy. But we are a society that is not only impatient, but filled with internet access that often contains misinformation. When it comes to prescription drugs, this can be deadly, and so many of the technology vendors incorporated medicinal databases as part of their mobile app offerings.
This became the next viable step to assure that a patient had all of the information that they needed regarding their meds. And so the initial prescription mobile app has opened the door to an array of features for the average patient. The current prescription apps not only allow a patient to view data on their meds but to search a complete database. The average app will notify them when it’s time to take their meds, give them a drop down list of their meds for refills and then when a refill is needed offer the ability to send the request to the pharmacy.
Internet access brings a whole new world into medication as the technology vendors have incorporated videos for health and wellness that patients can access. These are from reliable sources and since people are more apt to view a video than read a long and involved text, the videos have had incredible success.
The technology vendors that are developing the latest versions are appealing to patients on a number of levels. They have realized that visual gets more attention and are working with the next generations of AI through the use of intelligent chatbots. Medication management is the top of the list for almost all people in the medical industry and the prescription refill vendors are the path of least resistance in helping to assure that patients are taking the meds prescribed. Direct connectivity with chatbots due to medicinal side effects or any problems that keep them from taking their meds can then extend to physicians and pharmacies to recommend alternatives.
General fitness and wellness information is the hottest medical search and by integrating these various modules into their offerings, the patient has a single go-to location that they trust and feel confident in using. As technology continues to move forward we can anticipate that the challenges of medication management will have yet another road for assistance for both patient and medical provider.
