MediConnect (MEDI)

What is MediConnect

What is MediConnect?

MediConnect is a safety net for patients, prescribers, pharmacies and drug manufacturers. Our vision is to become the gold standard blockchain solution approved by the Pharmacy and Medicine regulators for the prevention of obtaining multiple prescriptions from online and offline pharmacies.

In addition, through the MediConnect blockchain solution the identification of counterfeit and recalled drugs and their distribution can be prevented. Protecting patients and the industry whilst ensuring potentially huge cost savings for the Pharma world.

After seeing the impact of the oversupply of medication, via the National Health Service (NHS) and private routes, in January 2018 two online pharmacy owners and a superintendent pharmacist, discussed what could be done to stop these patients buying across multiple online and offline pharmacies.

These are questions both UK Meds and Tower Health asked their superintendent pharmacist when they met to discuss the growing problem of drug dependency and addiction.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) were approached by UK Meds and Tower Health and a proposal to have a single shared source to identify potential over prescribing was presented to them. The MHRA discussed this internally and directed both companies towards the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Public Health England who were conducting a review of prescription drug addiction at the time.

Dissatisfied with slow response times, UK Meds, Tower Health and their superintendent pharmacist decided to explore a solution to the problem. This resulted in these independent teams collaborating, which led to the formation of MediConnect.

Stratis Group Ltd were approached for advice as to how blockchain technology could assist with the proposed solution. Chris Trew, founder and CEO of Stratis Group Ltd was keen to assist with designing such a solution to prevent drug dependency and the addiction of prescription drugs. As a result, Chris Trew joined the MediConnect team as an advisor and Stratis will be providing their consultancy services to develop a bespoke blockchain solution.

Why is blockchain of interest to MediConnect?

From a technology perspective, MediConnect has strived to identify new technology that can benefit our business and the industry as a whole. Sir Mark Walport’s ground-breaking Distributed Ledger Technology: beyond blockchain report was of particular interest to us. This report identifies Distributed Ledger Technology’s (DLT) potential to transform the delivery of public and private services. In addition, the report discusses a redefinition of the relationship between government and the citizen in terms of data sharing, transparency and trust.

Digitisation has been cited at various times as a way to do more and reduce costs. The NHS’s National Programme for IT (NPfIT) aimed to implement a single, centrallymandated electronic care record for patients in England. The program’s target was to connect 30,000 general practitioners to 300 hospitals, and to provide secure and audited access to records. However, the program was not a success. After contracts were awarded in 2003/04, the programme was effectively disbanded in 2011. In 2013, the UK’s Public Accounts Committee described it as one of the “worst and most expensive contracting fiascos” ever.

Digitisation has transformed many business processes over the past 30 years, and the NHS is no different in requiring technology to do its part in streamlining and delivering health services to everyone in the UK. The MediConnect project is an example of an industry-led transformation to one aspect of health services in the UK. The pharmaceutical industry is an area where we believe blockchain technology has a unique role to play in improving patient care. At the same time, blockchain provides the audit trail, privacy, and security the sector demands. Instead of being a “big bang” national programme, funded by government, like the NPfIT, MediConnect will be launched in one area where it can be monitored by a government-led working group so that, when proven, it can be rolled out to other regions.

We can see how a blockchain-based solution can help solve the current issues in the pharmaceutical industry. In parallel, a blockchain solution can offer new opportunities to the consumer in terms of how they transact and how they manage their own medical data. Regulatory bodies are extremely important in the pharmaceutical industry, and a blockchain-based solution can give these authorities an overarching view of the daily operations. This would provide a level of transparency that is not possible with conventional solutions.