I N D U S T R Y I N V E S T I G A T I O N operational as they take on this shifting burden of responsibility from GPs .
Creating and connecting a HealthTech ecosystem
There are still some hurdles to getting PharmaTech integrated into the broader HealthTech ecosystem , a lack of digitalisation and interoperability between primary care services not only stifles collaboration and innovation across the various healthcare sectors , but it severely impacts patient outcomes .
There has failed to be uniform standardisation for open APIs across the healthcare sector , which has led to different sectors and their accompanying technology becoming extremely divided . Poor interoperability means that end-toend patient records and delivery of care is fragmented , delayed or even disrupted . We need open APIs across the sector to improve outcomes .
Thankfully , the adoption of technology is on the rise . There has been a real push for HealthTech innovation from the public sector and the NHS Innovation Service , an arm of NHS England , is working to speed up the adoption process of new HealthTech , cutting the average onboarding period from twelve to six years . This is a good start , but it needs to be reduced further . Open API ’ s are now a focal point of the NHS ’ s strategy and the NHS App ’ s ‘ mobile-first ’ approach is helping patients book appointments , access medical records and order and track prescriptions digitally . The positive news is that the APIs developed for this will remain open and available for integration with other applications .
The requirement for an interconnected healthcare and HealthTech ecosystem exists , however , the ecosystem is not yet fully functioning and this may take some time to realise . The more pharmacies that onboard technology , the more they can support better end-to-end patient care .
What is next for PharmaTech ?
Already we are seeing PharmaTech ’ s potential to expand beyond alleviating the burden on healthcare systems , going forward it could have the power to transform how we approach wellness and care delivery . By investing in PharmaTech and championing a culture of innovation and adaptability we will pave the way for a healthcare system that is ultimately better equipped to serve patient needs . �
Santosh Sahu , CEO and Founder of Charac , The Pharmacy App
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