A Prescription for Success - Worthing leads new thinking in healthcare

Written by Adam Stafford

It’s not often that Worthing can be said to lead the world in healthcare innovation.

A Worthing-based NHS limited company owned by a group of experienced NHS general practitioners and pharmacists has created a new website www.myrepeats.com

The site is being launched this month to host a pioneering repeat prescription service exclusive to residents of Worthing, which will help remove much of the hassle involved in getting repeat medicines. It is anticipated that this will roll out throughout the UK if successful locally.

MyRepeats.com is an entirely free service offered to anyone who finds it difficult to collect their repeat prescriptions, giving the option of collecting from a choice of two local pharmacies - or free home or workplace delivery.

The aim is to improve prescription services for all patients by making them more accessible, timely and patient friendly.

Company director and local pharmacist Paul Howie is convinced that there is an urgent demand for the service - “Time is precious - but so is your health! We are aiming to give patients more time, a more efficient service and one that will to lead to less mistakes being made. Repeating your prescription should be no more effort than, say, renewing your library books.”

For retired Worthing & Southlands Ward Sister Madeleine Kerr - a regular repeat prescription user once a month for three items - this is major step forward. A registered disabled driver, she has to drive to St Lawrence Surgery every four weeks to repeat her prescription. Although she already receives free delivery of her medicine, this service means she can repeat her prescription at the click of a button. She is delighted by the arrival of MyRepeats.com - “MyRepeats.com is just so useful! The e-mail reminder is great for a busy person like me who is prone to forget the everyday things.”

A huge advantage of the service is the fact that users can order their prescriptions remotely or at work – and even have the prescription delivered free of charge to their home or workplace. This could mean a significant saving of commercial time currently being used by patients to ‘nip out’ and get their prescription made up.

The service is unique in that the entire re-ordering process from the initial request to the point of the medicines arriving is administered from just one point. MyRepeats.com also completely removes the possibility of abuse of the system due to customised security protection built into the process. There is the option of a reminder e-mail when you need to re-order, and by recording your previous orders on the secure site, it is easier and quicker than ever to repeat your order time and time again with MyRepeats.com.

The project is also distinctive in that it uses the services and talents of leading Worthing-based web-designers, Fresh Egg, whose director Adam Stafford is advising on the next stage of the trial campaign.

Former NHS Staff Nurse Madeleine Kerr enjoying the freedom of using www.myrepeats.com

This entry was posted on Monday, September 10th, 2007 at 9:43 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.