A revamped NHS App will help patients manage and remember their prescriptions and guide them on their specific drug reaction and interaction risks, according to the government’s 10 year plan for the NHS.
The ‘Fit for the future: 10 year health plan for England,’ released yesterday, will include a ‘My Medicines’ tool on the App through which patients can manage repeat prescriptions for delivery or collection.
To support those on complex medication regimes, the tool will also remind users when to take each medication and guide them on the interaction risks of different drug combinations.
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Using advances like pharmacogenomics - the study of how genetic variations impact how drugs work for different people - the app will also help reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions, according to the government.
Currently, adverse reactions are estimated to cost the NHS up to £2.2 billion per year.
The app will also include a ‘My Choices’ function to help users find the nearest pharmacies and best providers and leave feedback on services.
The Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the NHS App will become a ‘digital front door’ to the NHS, where patients can book appointments, manage their medicines, and view their data, at the launch of the plan in Stratford, East London.
‘To rebuild our NHS, we have to make sure it reflects the society it serves.
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‘That’s why our 10 year Health Plan will bring it into the digital age by opening up fairer and more convenient access to healthcare,’ he said.
A proposed ‘My Vaccines’ section of the app, will allow patients to see when vaccines are up-to-date, book appointments to get them organised, and find travel vaccine information.
The 10 year plan has pledged that community pharmacies will be able to provide HPV vaccination from 2026.
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This is part of the plan’s drive to increase community pharmacies’ clinical services offering weight loss injections, cardiovascular disease and diabetes screening, and expanded vaccination services are all part of pharmacy’s growing role in new ‘neighbourhood health centres’.
Clinicians will also be able to access a ‘Single Patient Record’ via the app, which will collect all of a patient's medical records into one place. The plan says this will be available by 2028.
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