Pharmacy2U today (June 30) announced the launch of its digital “medicine stock checker” to enable patients to “check the availability of their prescribed medication”.
The tool “aims to give patients the same control over their prescribed drugs as they expect when ordering other goods online”, the pharmacy said.
And it explained that it was developed “in response to widespread issues faced by NHS patients in obtaining their medication on time”.
Read more: Pharmacy2U launches app combining pharmacy, GP, NHS, vet and wellness services
According to the online pharmacy, it is the “first online provider of NHS prescriptions to launch a medication stock checker tool for patients ordering drugs remotely”.
“New and existing customers can now check the availability of medication before ordering it or even signing up for a Pharmacy2U account,” it said, adding that the app also allows patients to “manage prescriptions and receive reorder reminders...to prevent missed and delayed medication”.
“Users can then monitor their delivery in real-time and have it delivered anywhere in England for free using Royal Mail’s tracked service,” it added.
How it works
The tool allows patients to type the name of their required medication into a search bar which then generates a status - showing if it is in stock, out of stock or discontinued.
Pharmacy2U explained that if a patient’s medicine is out of stock, they can either:
- “Contact local pharmacies” nearby to see if they have it, or
- Order the prescription as usual and Pharmacy2U will “aim” to get the items to them “as soon as [it] can”
Read more: Cancer patients ‘skipping meals’ amid ‘worst ever’ stock shortage
If patients order a prescription that is out of stock, they will be “updated at each stage” of the process, the pharmacy said.
And if they need their items sooner, it “can send [patients] a code” to allow them to pick up their medication “at a local pharmacy” if one has it in stock, it said.
“If your usual item is out of stock but you know there’s a branded or generic version of the same medicine available, you could ask your GP to prescribe the alternative instead, however this is at your GP’s discretion,” Pharmacy2U added.
Read more: Minister downplays ‘worst ever’ Creon cancer drug shortages
Pharmacy2U superintendent Phil Day said that the online pharmacy is “proud” to launch an “innovation that provides patients with current updates” on the availability of their prescription.
“This service empowers patients to manage their treatment confidently, ensuring timely access to vital medicines,” he added.
And the pharmacy’s chief executive Kevin Heath said that he hopes “this added transparency makes it easier for patients to track down the medication they need”.
“Distressing new normal”
It comes as Community Pharmacy England (CPE) today released a report on the impact of medicine shortages on patients and pharmacies, which its chief executive Janet Morrison described as the “distressing new normal”.
Among other things, the report found that 95% of pharmacy teams say that “patients are still being inconvenienced by shortages” and that “one in four” teams are “spending more than two hours a day sourcing alternatives for their patients”.
Read more: DH: ‘No plans’ to review meds shortage impact on pharmacies
Meanwhile, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) revealed earlier this month that 96% of members have experienced “challenges supplying” cancer drug Creon, with some calling it “the ‘worst stock shortage’ they have ever had to deal with”.
But just weeks after this, the Department of Health (DH) confirmed that it has “no plans” to conduct a pharmacy medicine shortages review.
