Hi Kate,
I don’t have your email or any way to message you but wanted to pass on this idea.
I learned about Loba recently when I applied for a job. In advance, I release any ownership or claim over this idea, I’m happily posting it publicly for anyone to use. I do not have the time or energy to build something like this from scratch. If you do or do-not implement this idea it’s no skin off my back. Happy to sign something to this same effect.
The Loba phone app could get a user to dump the last few pills on a countertop or plate, use image recognition to count the number left, then generate an email for pharmacist renewal. I glanced through the website and don’t see anything like this already in place.
So, maybe you have 1 medication that’s once a day so the app sets up a renewal for 60 pills. Another medication is twice a day but you have 3 left (you forgot to take a few) so it does the math and sets up a renewal for 117 pills (60 x 2 – 3). Adding an email in the app for your pharmacist it could generate a renewal and either auto-send or pipe the phone email program for review before sending.
My pharmacist has said me a number of times that everyone tries to sync their prescriptions and its near impossible. because if you forget 1, or loose a pill, or miscount. I think the ability to go to the pharmacist only once for renewals would be a powerful feature on top of pill organization, tracking, and reporting to parents and elderly caregivers.
That then offers 2 future expansion options:
- Loba could offer pharmacy office management software that plugs in directly to the Loba consumer app. Then there’s no email for prescription renewals; the office management software automatically prints the renewal label and generates an invoice. Possibly even charges the user via the app for a seamless renewal process. When you get even more automated a robot measures out the pills and refills the Loba from a vending machine or bottled-water-like machine.
- Have pharmacies sell vitamins and supplements as well. The pharmacist could buy/receive a pill organizer the same size/shape as Loba. They measure out the pills, hold the organizer over Loba, and the pills go into the correct slots. This way a person could get their prescriptions and vitamins all from the same place and all with a single visit.
I sincerely hope that helps. I’m happy to dive into more detail if I haven’t expressed the idea well or you have questions.