In an Internet of Things era ruled by 5G and automated systems, Smart agriculture and smart health products have continued to gain fertile grounds for development.
With a Smart health feel, the fourth industrial revolution has already set a backward trend for ordinary pharmacy ques and diagnostics bringing to book automated apps and systems taking over the complicated task.
Luckily, we got in touch with one of the promising Smart health Startups providing a unique approach to solving health tasks by simply using a Smartphone app.
Julius Sseninde a 22 year old pharmacy student at Uganda Institute of Allied Health and Management Sciences-Mulago is the main brain behind the E-Pine pharmacy Smartphone App.
E-Pine not only breaks the chain of bringing prescribed medicine drugs closer, but also borrows an E-Commerce streak that allows medical personnels to easily buy tangible equipment. With less of his background, here is what transpired during a brief interview with him.
What is E-Pine Pharmacy?
E-Pine Pharmacy is an online pharmacy that sells medicines and medical equipment’s both at prescription and over the counter, retail and wholesale with over 1500 products available currently.
How to get access to E-Pine Pharmacy?
E-Pine Pharmacy is available on the google play store and someone can simply download it at only 6.5Mbs.
What inspired you to start up E-Pine Pharmacy?
As a pharmacy student at Mulago, I saw patients struggling to get access to medicines prescribed to them by doctors and to solve that, I thought of starting something where they could get access to all medicines.
Secondly, the prices of medicines in some retail pharmacies are slightly higher and tats how E-Pine Pharmacy was started to see that patients get medicines at a lower prices.
Some people have got busy schedules which have not been favorable to them to get their medicines hence coming up with a platform to solve that problem.
Lastly, self-employment as a youth inspired me to start up E-Pine Pharmacy.
How do you operate?
On E-Pine Pharmacy, when a person downloads our app, he or she creates up an account with us, interacts with the medicines, orders and we deliver.
What’s your current state?
Currently, we have gone into partnerships with several pharmacies as our suppliers and we have made some deliveries to a few clients who have ordered.
What’s your future?
We are planning to come up with an IOS version of the app to also cater for our clients using iPhone plus the website which is under development.
Secondly, our target is to serve the all country through getting established in the newly approved cities.
What challenges have you faced so far?
The main challenge I have forced is the lack of funds which has hindered my progress and am calling up development partners for support.
My last word to the youth is that they should take off their fears, and start by solving problems around them because it’s what will give them the future they are looking for.