Digital health: This is how apps strengthen the local pharmacies in Upper Swabia!

Digital health: This is how apps strengthen the local pharmacies in Upper Swabia!

Health care is increasingly digitized, a development that has redefined the way patient use health services. In particular, the use of digital solutions such as e-recipes and health apps brings active monitoring of one's own health within the reach of the patients. According to schwäbische.de , the local on-site pharmacists are under massive pressure, especially through the competition from online trading and rising Cost pressure.

To help regional pharmacies, the "Healthy at home" app was developed. This app not only enables patients to pre -order medication, but also promote contact with pharmacists and doctors. The owner of the pharmacy in the Wangen health center, Pirmin Burth, emphasizes the importance of personal advice and explains that the digital solution should not replace personal support.

challenges for local pharmacies

The challenges for local pharmacies are diverse. The competition from mail order pharmacies is growing and, according to Frank Eickmann from the State Pharmacist Association of Baden-Württemberg, online retailing with prescription drugs has increased by almost 60 %. The market share of online trading is currently only 1.35 %for prescription drugs. However, in the case of medication that is not subject to prescription, every fifth pack is sold via mail order pharmacies, which further increases the pressure on the pharmacies on site.

Burth emphasizes that many pharmacies suffer from a shortage of skilled workers. Nevertheless, he sees his pharmacy well positioned. The digital solutions offered by the "healthy at home" app can help to optimize the work processes in the pharmacies and to increase the visibility and accessibility of the pharmacies.

functionalities of the "healthy home" app

The app offers numerous functions that make it easier for patients to manage their medication. Users can pre-order medication, redeem e-recipes and retrieve information about pharmacies. The app enables the redemption of recipes to three different ways:

• e-recipe via the health card: users open the app, select "Select recipes" and enter the access number of the health card to view and order your recipes.
• e-recipe expression by scanning the QR code: The QR code of the e-recipe is scanned and the recipe is sent to the pharmacy.
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• paper recipe: users photograph their recipe and transmit it to the pharmacy to keep the medication ready for collection.

This digital solutions promoted seamless integration of health care, which not only ensures the competitiveness of the pharmacies in the digital age, but can also strengthen regional health care. However, experts point out that the pharmaceutical supply is more than just logistics. Eickmann and Burth emphasize the necessary financial appreciation of the pharmacy services that are increasingly under pressure.

Overall, the use of digital technologies in health care in Upper Swabia shows how important it is to preserve personal advice and direct contact with the patients while at the same time encounters the challenges of digitization. The "Healthy at home" app could prove to be a valuable tool for the future development of health care in the region. Further information on the app can be found at my.schwaebische.de