Patients get new medicine app

The cost to the NHS of wasted prescriptions is estimated to be £300m a year, without taking into account the health consequences of missed medication.

The Harrogate-based company’s simple app, called MyInhealthcare, enables patients to better manage their conditions.

They can receive medication reminders, keep a diary of their medication regime and upcoming appointments, review historic readings and results, submit data to healthcare professionals and receive new dosage instructions.

Bryn Sage, chief executive of Inhealthcare, said: “We believe that empowering people to take more control over their own health can have a transformative effect on their wellbeing.

“This simple solution also allows the NHS to solve the expensive problem of wasted prescriptions quickly and efficiently.”

The medication reminder service sends alerts to patients via a communication channel of their choice.

As well as the smartphone app, patients can choose to use an automated telephone call, text message or email, meaning the service works for those with low technical skills or without access to the internet.

Clinicians are automatically alerted if patients do not respond to the messages.

The technology is available to patients registered on existing NHS services provided by Inhealthcare.