Refill my medication

Market: Older adults

Scenario: A 70-year-old who takes multiple medications realizes she needs to refill her prescriptions. She gathers information about the refill process, trying to understand the costs and potential challenges. After dealing with unexpected issues like drug shortages, she finally receives her medication through delivery, hoping to avoid similar difficulties in the future.

Average Difficulty: Medium (max difficulty scores are mostly in the 20-30% range or mostly mild with a few intense steps)

30 Outcomes 3% to 68% Difficulty

Research Insights

The research indicates that older pharmacy patients face significant challenges when refilling their prescriptions. The most prominent issues include dealing with drug shortages, ensuring convenient and reliable medication delivery, and staying informed about the status of their medication shipments. Patients also express concerns about the security of their delivered medications and the desire to reduce the frequency of refills by receiving a larger supply of pills.

Job Steps

1. Learn that I need to refill a Medication

2. Find information about the refill

3. Understand the cost and process to refill

4. Refill the medication

5. Check the status of my refill

6. Deal with unexpected challenges

7. Get my medication

Themes Identified

• Dealing with drug shortages: Managing and avoiding medication shortages.
• Medication delivery convenience, reliability, and security: Improving delivery convenience, ensuring security, increasing reliability, and receiving larger supplies to reduce refill frequency.
• Status and communication of medication shipments: Knowing shipment status, improving communication with healthcare providers, and reducing time to check refill status.

Recommendations

• Develop a system to proactively alert patients about potential drug shortages and provide alternative solutions.
• Offer secure and convenient medication delivery options, with real-time tracking and notifications.
• Implement a user-friendly platform for patients to easily check the status of their refills and medication shipments.
• Provide clear communication channels between patients and healthcare providers to address any concerns or questions.
• Consider offering larger supplies of medication per refill to reduce the frequency of refills for patients.

Cautions

• Avoid creating a complex or confusing process for patients to navigate when refilling their medications.
• Ensure that any medication delivery service prioritizes the security and privacy of patients' information and medications.
• Avoid relying solely on automated systems for communication; provide human support when needed.
• Do not neglect the importance of clear and timely communication regarding the status of refills and medication shipments.