The NHS is rolling out prescription alerts that patients will receive on their smartwatch or mobile phone, a change that will benefit millions of people in the UK.
From today, users of the NHS App can get an instant smartwatch or phone notification when their prescription is ready at nearly 2,500 chemists across England, including every Asda and Boots pharmacy store.
How the new alerts work
The new alerts follow the success of the Amazon-style prescription tracking feature in the NHS App, which has been used by around 2.9 million people since it launched last year. To receive the notification, users must enable push alerts in the NHS App, where they will also be able to find out more details on the status of their prescription.
Rob Thompson, chief digital, data and technology officer at NHS England, said: “The NHS App’s prescription tracking feature has been incredibly popular since we launched it last year, and we’re now making it even easier to find out when your prescription is ready.
“Millions of app users will be able to get near real-time alerts on their smartwatches or mobiles, avoiding the need to regularly check the app or make unnecessary trips or calls to their pharmacy.
Impact on patients and staff
“The new prescription ready alerts are the latest step in the NHS giving people more control over how they manage their healthcare as well as helping to reduce admin for staff. Thousands of pharmacies are already live with the service, so I’d encourage all NHS App users to enable notifications in the app so they can get the full benefit.”
Health innovation minister James Frith explained that the move is a "practical example of how digital technology can make a difference to people's everyday experience of the NHS". He also said that the alerts would help to reduce "unnecessary calls", while freeing up valuable time for pharmacy staff to focus on supporting patients.
Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: “We welcome the introduction of these alerts, which give patients greater choice and convenience in how they manage their healthcare.
“It’s something many people have been asking for, and alongside other non-digital ways of accessing information and support, can help make it easier for patients to get the information they need in a way that works for them.”
Wider NHS App services
The NHS App now has more than 39 million registered users who can access a range of services, including managing hospital appointments, checking their GP health record, and ordering repeat prescriptions.
Rather than phoning up pharmacies, patients can instead track their prescriptions by logging in to the app to see if their medicines are “ready to collect” or “dispatched by pharmacy” if they are being delivered.
