The Future Of Online Pharmacies

Over recent years, we have seen a magnificent growth of online pharmacies in the UK. No longer do you have to feel embarrassed when you turn up at your local pharmacy to get generic Viagra, when instead, you can order online in the comfort of your own home and have it delivered directly to your front door. Whilst online pharmacies are nothing new, they have certainly revolutionized the way we order our prescriptions in recent years. Find out how else online pharmacies could benefit us in the near future below, also check how online doctor can help you.

Electronic Prescribing

Electronic prescribing systems automate the entire prescription, supply and administration of medicines in hospitals across the world. Not only has the use of electronic prescribing systems helped to reduce errors, but it has also massively improved the safety of patients across the world. Soon, online pharmacies could work alongside the same principle with their own electronic prescribing and discharge, making sending notes between medical practitioners much more efficient, and far easier for the patient to receive their prescription.

Improved Services

Though their popularity, online pharmacies are still restricted to what they can do and provide. Whilst the risk of unregistered online pharmacies providing people counterfeit prescription drugs remains increasingly high, we could soon see official online pharmacies offering improved services in the medical industry. Soon enough, you could very well be able to do much more than just order your prescription online – the future of online pharmacies could mean one day only requiring an online consultation to get the medication that you need.

Barcode Medicine Identification

Whilst it is (arguably) almost impossible to control illegal online pharmacies, the use of barcode medicine identification can certainly help combat medicine administration errors and counterfeiting. Whilst this advanced system has yet to be fully developed, the barcode scanning of medicines will dramatically impact the efficiency of online pharmacy workflow. In the name of security, we can certainly expect to see it implemented in the coming years.

Automatic Dispensing

For those of us who are ever so slightly concerned that robots will take over the world in the future – it’s a legitimate fear! – You’ll be less pleased to know that these robots could actually help support automated dispensing in years to come. While the first automated dispensing machine first hit UK pharmacies more than 7 years ago, the phenomenon is still to take off more widely. It’s also important to note that although nothing is definite, it is more than possible that 2018 could be the year for this super advanced technology to actually take off.

Mobile Technology

Soon, you might even be alerted by your mobile when it’s time or orders a repeat prescription! Whilst we can currently opt to receive messages telling us when an appointment is due, online pharmacies may send us convenient message on the advance of our prescription running out entirely, which could potentially save lives. As well as convenient mobile alerts, with advanced mobile technology, we can use apps to monitor our health, such as for monitoring blood glucose levels.