400
prescriptions per day
100
users within a week
$600,000
raised
Featured in
"It looked really easy to use. My 88-year-old grandmother has an iPhone and I can see her using this application."
The journey of PopRx
Dr Ali Esmail from Koronis Inc Canada found it inconvenient to fetch meds from pharmacists. Also, eight out of 10 Canadians over the age of 45 had at least one prescription medication to fill every month. These users had to stand in a queue during every visit to the drug store.
How can we build a smart app that would convert prescriptions into data, making refills easier?
The question excited us and we embarked on validating the founders’ findings through market research and a workshop. We knew that a complete security of patient prescription had to be at the heart of our design thinking while building PopRx. Moreover, the prescription process had to be as easy as popping a pill. We saw a major pain point among middle-aged and senior-folk in Canada. The user stories helped draw out our information architecture and design strategy.
Client's challenges & our solutions
Patients find it tough to get refills, have to wait in queues. This is not feasible for seniors or terminally ill patients.
We will study users and create an easy-to-use eRx application that truly cuts the pharmacy queue for patients and make refills hassle-free.
We don’t want to build another pill delivery aggregator.
It will be a mobile pill-delivery app for patients, and a customized eRx solution for pharmacists.
We want to keep the app free for patients but need to charge pharmacists.
It will be an intelligent application with a smart payment system.
As a user living alone doing job and school, I want an app to take charge of my medicine dosage.
As a user with three kids, I want a simple app about shots, dose frequency, supply and delivery.
I am bed-ridden, I want an iOS app that would track my dosage and deliver it the same day I need to refill.
I want an automatic app to track my medicines, dosage, refill on demand, deliver and remind me of the dosage.
I am in charge of patients, I want to get their medicines delivered by a simple app and send them reminders.
I want an app that would easily transfer my prescription from one pharmacist to another without having to meet pharmacists.
While studying the user demographics of PopRx, Team Vinfotech prepared two sides of the application: a simple application for prescription delivery and refills for users; a customized eRx app for willing pharmacists ready to deliver meds at people’s doorsteps. And since transfer of prescription from one pharmacist to another was also a feature, we also had to make it completely secure as per HIPAA compliances.
Market Research
Our market research led us to various insights. One major insight was that the customer shouldn’t have to choose the pharmacist themselves, but the order placement should mean the app automatically directs it to the nearest pharmacist.
Engaging with Users
We got a few Canadian user volunteers on board – we had single moms, middle-aged parents, app-savvy senior citizens, not-so-savvy senior citizens, a chronically ill patient, physiotherapists/nurses in charge of patients and so on. Their reactions led us to make the eRx software customized with best required features.
Business Assessment Document
The research and user interaction led us to consolidate the goals of three stakeholders: the users, the pharmacists and PopRx founders. Our comprehensive document detailed benefits including revenue models.
Creative Development Workshop
where – a) We invited Team Vinfotech – from strategists to design watchdogs to developers for a joint activity with PopRx to get on the same page about the application. b) The joint activity led us to create some real-life scenarios, worst-case scenarios and medical emergencies that might trigger application downloads and usage.
Wireframing
Our wireframing didn’t take long and we presented PopRx team with five wireframes where they had complete freedom to choose, customize features and functionality. The combination they gave us excited our developers to make the eRx app.
UI Design
Two of the crucial aspects of our application design were - 1] the digital encryption of actual doctor’s prescription paper or bottle labels into readable data. 2] HIPAA compliant app that would ensure security of patient information keeping both the parties - the customer and the pharmacist in closed loop. [NOTE: Later, Team PopRx got accolades for this specific quality (digital encryption) during their pitch in CBC Dragon’s Den Next Gen (Reality Show) where they got their seed A funding.]
Front-end Development
While doing the client side development, we sent a working prototype to the PopRx founders for review.
Development
Even during development stage, our developers constantly kept in touch with users, this time a few willing Pharmacy staff members through mock-ups. Not all inputs were practical but nearly all of them were productive at this stage.
Testing
We handed over the product to the most skeptical people in our staff and a few Pharmacy staff in Canada for testing. Their valuable feedback gave us the confidence to launch it.
