Med on the Go

Accessing affordable and necessary medications poses significant challenges for patients and the general public in Nigeria. The high cost of medications, limited availability, and lack of convenient access contribute to this problem. According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), patients in Nigeria pay between 2 to 64 times the international reference prices for medicines in various public and private facilities. The prices in the public sector are almost identical to those in private pharmacies, making it difficult for individuals to find affordable options.

Furthermore, medication non-adherence is prevalent in Nigeria, with rates ranging from 23% to 60%. Many patients struggle to adhere to their prescribed treatment regimens for various reasons, including the unavailability of medications at pharmacies.

The existing healthcare system in Nigeria lacks a centralized solution that addresses these challenges effectively. Patients often have to visit multiple pharmacy stores to find the required medications at affordable prices, leading to increased costs, time consumption, and inconvenience. This fragmented medication access approach hinders patients' adherence to treatment plans and negatively impacts their overall health outcomes.

Additionally, the current system contributes to unnecessary travel and transportation, leading to increased carbon emissions and environmental damage. The need to visit multiple pharmacies in search of medications not only adds to the burden on individuals but also contributes to the carbon footprint in Nigeria.

Overall, the lack of affordability, limited availability, and fragmented medication access, coupled with the challenge of medication non-adherence, create a significant problem in Nigeria's healthcare system. A comprehensive solution is needed to address these issues and ensure that patients and the general public can access affordable medications conveniently while promoting medication adherence.

Our solution, Med on the Go, is a user-friendly mobile application that revolutionizes medication access and adherence in Nigeria. We provide a centralized platform where patients and the general public can effortlessly connect with licensed pharmacy stores, ensuring convenient access to affordable medications while promoting medication adherence.

Here's how it works:

Comprehensive Medication Database: Med on the Go features a comprehensive database of medications available in various licensed pharmacy stores across Nigeria. Users can search for specific medications, view their prices, and compare them across multiple stores. This empowers users to make informed decisions and find the most cost-effective options.

Store Locator and Ordering:  Med on the Go's built-in store locator helps users find nearby pharmacy stores that stock their required medications. Users can view store details like distance, ratings, and reviews. Once the preferred store is selected, users can order directly through the app, eliminating the need for physical visits and saving time and effort.

Prescription Management:  Med on the Go offers a secure, convenient prescription management feature. Users can upload their prescriptions or have their doctors directly send them through the app. This ensures that patients have easy access to their prescribed medications, including those that require a doctor's prescription.

Reminders and Refill Management: Med on the Go sends reminders to users for medication intake based on their prescribed schedules to promote medication adherence. Users can also set reminders for medication refills to avoid running out of essential medications. This helps users stay on track with their treatment plans and improves overall health outcomes.

Med on the Go simplifies the patient process by providing a user-friendly platform that streamlines medication access while reducing the carbon footprint associated with unnecessary travel and transportation. Our solution empowers individuals to take control of their healthcare, ensuring they can access affordable medications conveniently, adhere to their prescribed treatment plans, and ultimately improve their overall well-being.

The target population that our solution is working to directly and meaningfully improve are medical patients in Nigeria who require consistent access to their prescribed medications. This includes individuals with chronic conditions, acute illnesses, elderly persons, and those needing regular medication for their well-being.

We have conducted extensive market research to understand their needs, including surveys and interviews with patients, healthcare professionals, and pharmacy store owners. This research has helped identify patients' pain points and challenges in accessing and adhering to their medications.

We are actively engaging the target population throughout the development process. We have established partnerships with healthcare facilities and pharmacies to gain insights into their operations and understand the barriers that patients face. Additionally, we conduct user testing and gather patient feedback using the Med on the Go platform to ensure that their needs and preferences are considered.

Our solution addresses the needs of the target population by providing a convenient and affordable way to access medications. Our comprehensive medication database allows patients to search for their prescribed medications, compare prices from multiple pharmacy stores, and choose the most affordable option. Our platform also incorporates features like electronic prescriptions, medication reminders, and delivery services to enhance medication adherence and convenience.

By actively involving the target population in the development process, We ensure that the solution is tailored to their needs and preferences. Through user feedback and continuous improvement, we strive to provide a user-centred and impactful solution that directly addresses the challenges medical patients face in Nigeria.

Beauty Ikudehinbu is the founder of Med on the Go. With three years of experience working in a pharmacy store in Nigeria, she intimately understands the struggles medical patients face in accessing affordable medications. Beauty's expertise in mobile app development, graphics design, and business management enables her to drive the strategic direction of Medify and ensure the solution meets the needs of the target population.

Kevin Onyancha, a co-founder Medify, brings his expertise in cybersecurity and software development to bolster the technical aspects of the solution. With four years of experience, Kevin has worked with Mpost, further honing his skills in delivering secure and robust technology solutions.

The team's collective experiences and proximity to the communities they are serving uniquely position them to design and deliver the Medify solution. Beauty's deep understanding of the pharmacy industry, firsthand experience interacting with patients in Nigeria, and Kevin's technical prowess ensure that the solution addresses the specific challenges medical patients face in Nigeria.

To understand the needs of the target population, Beauty and the Medify team engage actively with healthcare facilities, pharmacy store owners, and patients. They conduct surveys, interviews, and pilot programs to gather invaluable feedback and insights, putting the communities' needs at the forefront of their solution development process. By listening attentively to clinicians and stakeholders, Medify ensures that their solution is guided by the input, ideas, and agendas of the communities they serve.

We ensure compliance with the regulations the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health sets, aligning our service with the country's healthcare policies. By adhering to these regulations, we position ourselves to deliver a scalable and impactful solution. This approach ensures that our platform remains in line with the specific needs and regulations of the healthcare sector in Nigeria, ultimately benefiting medical patients in the country.

At Medify, we have made significant progress in our solution development by conducting intensive market research and gathering insights through interviews with over 50 individuals(Patients, Pharmacy stores, Clinics, and Hospitals). This research has provided valuable information about the challenges medical patients face in Nigeria and has guided our solution design.

In addition, we have developed a high-fidelity prototype of the Medify mobile application. This prototype showcases the app's intended features and user interface, allowing us to visualize and communicate our solution effectively.

While user testing and piloting are yet to be conducted, we have a clear plan to engage potential users and gather feedback once our minimum viable product (M.V.P.) is developed. This feedback will help us further refine and improve our solution to ensure it meets the needs of our target users.

Our emphasis on market research, user interviews, and prototype development demonstrates our commitment to building a solution grounded in user insights and addresses the specific challenges medical patients face in Nigeria. As we progress with MVP development and subsequent testing, we are confident in creating a meaningful and impactful solution for our target population.

Funding: Access to financial support through the prize can help us secure the necessary resources to advance our solution. This funding will enable us to develop and refine our technology, conduct extensive user testing, and scale our operations effectively.

Mentorship and Guidance: Mentorship opportunities will help us enhance our service offering, refine our business model, and navigate any technical or operational challenges we may encounter along the way.

Beauty Ikudehinbu, the Team Lead of Medify, has a strong connection to the community in which our project is based. As a Nigerian, Beauty has firsthand experience and a deep understanding of the healthcare challenges faced by individuals in Nigeria, particularly when it comes to accessing medications. Her experience working in a local pharmacy store for three years has allowed her to witness the struggles and frustrations that patients encounter in their journey to obtain prescribed medications.

Being actively involved in the local healthcare ecosystem, Beauty has established relationships with healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and patients in Nigeria. She has engaged with them through interviews, focus groups, and discussions to gain insights into their needs, challenges, and aspirations regarding medication access and adherence. This direct engagement and continuous interaction with the community have been instrumental in shaping the development of Medify's solution.

Beauty's deep connection to the community goes beyond her professional experience. She has a personal passion for improving healthcare outcomes and positively impacting the lives of individuals in Nigeria. This passion drives her commitment to understanding the community's needs and ensuring that Medify's solution is designed and delivered in a meaningful, relevant, and responsive way.

Through her close ties to the community and her personal experiences, Beauty brings empathy, cultural sensitivity, and a genuine desire to address the healthcare challenges faced by individuals in Nigeria. Her connection to the community ensures that Medify's solution is grounded in the realities and aspirations of the people it serves, making her a vital link between the project and the community it seeks to benefit.

Our solution is innovative and sustainable in several ways. Firstly, our platform leverages technology to connect patients with licensed pharmacy stores, ensuring convenient access to affordable medication. This approach disrupts the traditional model of medication procurement, which often involves visiting multiple pharmacies and facing challenges of availability and high prices.

Medify introduces a centralized platform where patients can compare prices, access medication information, and place orders, all from the comfort of their homes. This streamlined process saves time, reduces the carbon footprint associated with travel, and promotes cost savings by allowing users to choose the most affordable options.

By catalyzing positive impacts, Medify has the potential to change the market dynamics. Our platform encourages transparency and competition among pharmacy stores, leading to lower prices and improved availability. This benefits individual patients and has a broader impact on the healthcare system, driving down medication costs and promoting accessibility for a larger population.

Moreover, Medify's innovative approach to medication adherence, through reminders and personalized notifications, addresses a critical issue in healthcare. By promoting adherence to prescribed medication regimens, our solution aims to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden on the healthcare system caused by medication non-adherence.

Medify's innovative technology, convenience, and focus on medication adherence can create a transformative impact in the market, driving positive changes in pricing, availability, and patient outcomes.

Our impact goals for the next year and the next five years are as follows:

Next Year (Year 1):

• Reach and empower at least 1,000 patients in Nigeria by giving them access to affordable and readily available medication through Medify.
• Increase medication adherence rates among Medify users by 80% through reminders, education, and personalized support.
• Establish partnerships with 100 licensed pharmacy stores across Nigeria to ensure a wide range of medication options and competitive pricing on the platform.
• Conduct user satisfaction surveys to ensure a positive user experience and continuously improve the Medify platform based on feedback.

Next Five Years (Years 1-5):

• Scale our operations to serve 100,000 patients across Nigeria, expanding our reach to other major cities beyond Lagos.
• Collaborate with healthcare providers and insurance companies to integrate Medify into their systems, enabling seamless prescription transfers and insurance coverage verification.
• Implement data analytics and artificial intelligence to provide personalized medication recommendations and predictive insights for users, optimizing their treatment outcomes.
• Drive systemic change in the pharmaceutical market by advocating for transparent pricing, improved medication accessibility, and increased medication adherence nationwide.
• Expand Medify's presence to other African countries, leveraging our learnings and success in Nigeria to create a broader positive impact on healthcare access across the continent.

To achieve these impact goals, we will focus on strategic partnerships, continuous technological innovation, community engagement, and a data-driven approach to ensure that Medify remains at the forefront of transforming medication access and adherence in Nigeria and beyond.

We measure our progress toward our impact goals through qualitative and quantitative indicators. Here are a few specific indicators we are using to measure our progress:

• Number of registered users: We track the growth of our user base over time to assess the reach and adoption of the Medify platform.
• Medication adherence rates: We monitor the adherence rates of Medify users through data collected on medication refills and usage patterns, providing insights into the effectiveness of our solution in promoting medication adherence.
• User satisfaction surveys: We conduct regular surveys to gather feedback from Medify users, assessing their satisfaction with the platform, user experience, and the impact on their access to medication.
• Number of pharmacy partnerships: We measure the growth in the number of licensed pharmacy stores partnering with Medify to provide a wide range of medication options and competitive pricing, indicating the expansion of our network and market presence.
• Health outcomes: We aim to track improvements in health outcomes for Medify users, such as reduced hospitalizations, improved disease management, and overall well-being.
• Reduction in medication costs: We measure the cost savings achieved by Medify users compared to traditional pharmacy purchases, indicating our solution's financial impact and affordability.
• Expansion metrics: As we scale our operations and expand to new cities or countries, we track the number of new regions served, the growth in user adoption rates, and the impact on healthcare access in those areas.

These indicators help us assess our progress, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate the effectiveness and impact of Medify in improving medication access, adherence, and overall health outcomes for individuals in Nigeria and beyond.

We expect Medify to significantly impact the problem of medication access and adherence in Nigeria. Here's the explanation of our theory of change:

Problem: Many medical patients in Nigeria face challenges in accessing their prescribed medications and struggle with medication non-adherence.

Solution: Medify is a mobile application that connects patients with multiple pharmacy stores, allowing them to compare prices and availability of medications in real time.

Activities: Medify provides a user-friendly platform where patients can search for their prescribed medications, view prices from different pharmacy stores, and place home delivery or pick-up orders.

Immediate Outputs: Through Medify, patients gain access to a wide range of pharmacy options, ensuring the availability of medications and empowering them to make informed decisions based on affordability and convenience.

Short-term Outcomes: By having multiple pharmacy options at their fingertips, patients can save time and effort in searching for medications, reducing the likelihood of medication stockouts and delays in treatment. The ability to compare prices also promotes cost savings, making medications more affordable for patients.

Long-term Outcomes: With improved access to medications and cost savings, we expect to see an increase in medication adherence rates among Medify users. By consistently taking their prescribed medications, patients can better manage their health conditions, reduce complications, and improve their overall well-being.

Supporting Evidence: Our solution is informed by extensive market research and interviews with over 50 individuals, highlighting the challenges patients face in accessing medications. Additionally, studies have shown that medication non-adherence is a significant problem in Nigeria, and affordability and availability of medications are key contributing factors. Medify addresses these factors by providing a convenient platform for comparing prices and ensuring medication availability.

Through these logical links, we believe that Medify can positively impact medication access and adherence, ultimately improving health outcomes for individuals in Nigeria and helping to address the challenges associated with the current healthcare system.

Our solution is primarily tech-based, leveraging various technologies to power our platform and deliver value to our users. The core technology that drives our solution includes:

Mobile Application: We have developed a user-friendly mobile application as the primary interface for patients, healthcare providers, and pharmacies. The app is available for iOS and Android, providing a seamless and intuitive user experience.

Database Management System: We utilize a robust database management system to store and manage a vast catalogue of medications, pharmacy information, user profiles, and transaction data. This ensures efficient retrieval and storage of information, enabling quick and accurate search results and order processing.

Search and Comparison Engine: Our platform incorporates advanced search and comparison algorithms that allow patients to easily search for specific medications and compare prices across multiple pharmacies. This technology enables users to make informed decisions based on cost and availability, saving them money and time.

Electronic Prescription System: We have developed an electronic prescription system that securely lets healthcare providers send prescriptions directly to their patients through our platform. This feature eliminates the need for physical paper prescriptions, reduces errors, and streamlines the prescription process.

Real-time Notifications and Alerts: Our platform employs real-time notification systems to inform users about their orders, medication reminders, and important updates. Users receive notifications through the mobile app, SMS, or email, ensuring they stay connected and informed throughout their medication journey.

Data Analytics and Insights: We leverage data analytics tools to gather insights on medication trends, user behaviour, and adherence patterns. This data helps us optimize our platform, improve user experience, and provide valuable insights to healthcare providers and pharmacies.

Our core technology infrastructure integrates various components, including mobile applications, databases, search engines, electronic prescription systems, notifications, and data analytics, to power our solution and deliver a seamless and user-centric experience for all stakeholders involved.

Full-time staff: 2

Part-time staff: 1

7 months

Medify is committed to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into our work. We recognize the importance of diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds in fostering innovation and creating solutions that are effective and inclusive for all users.

Our team is led by a female founder, emphasizing gender diversity at the leadership level. Additionally, our co-founder come from different African country(Kenya), bringing diverse cultural perspectives and insights to our work. We value and prioritize diversity in our recruiting process, ensuring that we have a diverse range of talents and experiences represented in our team.

We have set goals to further enhance our diversity, equity, and inclusivity efforts. This includes actively seeking team members from underrepresented communities and creating an inclusive and supportive work environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

Our business model revolves around providing value to our key customers and beneficiaries by offering convenient and accessible medication access and adherence solutions. Our business model includes the following components:

• Online Medication Platform: We provide a platform where users can easily search, compare prices, and purchase medications from verified pharmacies and healthcare providers. Our platform ensures transparency, quality assurance, and reliable delivery of medications to customers.

• Medication Adherence Tools: We offer tools and features to support medication adherence, including reminders, dosage tracking, and personalized notifications. These tools help users stay on track with their medication regimen, leading to improved health outcomes and overall well-being.

• User-Friendly Interface: Our platform is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, allowing individuals of all backgrounds and technical proficiency to navigate and utilize our services efficiently.

• Partnerships with Pharmacies and Healthcare Providers: We establish partnerships with pharmacies and healthcare providers to ensure a wide range of medication options are available on our platform. This enables us to offer a comprehensive selection of medications to our users.

• Value-added Services: Besides medication sales, we may offer value-added services such as telemedicine consultations, medication reviews, and access to healthcare professionals. These services enhance the overall user experience and provide additional support for medication management.

Our customers and beneficiaries, including individuals with chronic conditions, patients seeking affordable medications, and healthcare providers, benefit from our business model by accessing a convenient, reliable, cost-effective medication solution. They choose Medify because we streamline the medication procurement process, support medication adherence, and offer a platform that prioritizes transparency, quality, and affordability.

Ultimately, our business model creates value by improving medication accessibility, promoting adherence, and empowering individuals to take control of their health through a user-centric and technology-driven approach.

Our plan for achieving financial sustainability for Medify involves a combination of revenue streams to help fund our work and cover our expected expenses. These include:

1. Selling Medication: Medify will offer a convenient and user-friendly platform for users to purchase medications online. We will generate revenue by earning a percentage of each medication sale facilitated through our platform.

2. Subscription Model: We will introduce a subscription model for users who want to access additional features and benefits on the platform. This will provide a recurring revenue stream to support our operations.

3. Service Contracts: We will explore partnerships with healthcare providers, clinics, and hospitals to offer our platform as a service to streamline their medication management processes. This includes software solutions, inventory management, and logistics support for medication delivery.

4. Data Analytics: Medify will collect anonymized data on medication purchasing patterns, adherence rates, and other relevant metrics. We will leverage this data to provide valuable insights and analytics to pharmaceutical companies, healthcare organizations, and researchers, generating additional revenue through data licensing and analysis services.

5. Grants and Investments: We will actively seek donations and investment opportunities from organizations and investors aligned with our mission. This will provide additional financial support to fuel our growth and expansion.

6. Advert placement: We will partner with pharmaceutical companies and advertise their products on our platform more uniquely.
   

By diversifying our revenue streams and refining our business model, we aim to achieve financial sustainability for Medify, ensuring that our operations are self-sufficient and capable of supporting our mission to improve medication access and adherence.

As a technology-based solution, our financial sustainability plan has seen initial success. We have secured $5,000 in funding from an individual investor and are currently in the incubator phase for the ALX Venture Fund and the African Impact Challenge. These funding opportunities have provided us with the necessary resources to continue developing our solution and expand our reach. Additionally, we are actively exploring other grant opportunities and investment funding to support our long-term financial sustainability.