…Accessing chronic medication can be time-consuming – a burden on both patients and healthcare facilities.
People who take chronic medication can sigh with relief following a ground-breaking South African intervention that provides digital solutions for the health care system. The intervention also ensures that people take their medication on time all the time.
Innovator Neo Hutiri has invented the Pelebox Smart Locker system for public healthcare facilities to dispense chronic medicine to regular patients, cutting down on long queues and easing pressure on clinic resources. The Pelebox is a simple wall of lockers, controlled by a digital system in the centre. Healthcare workers stock the lockers with chronic prescription refills, log the medicine on the system, and secure each locker. Pelebox, according to media articles, then sends patients a one-time PIN, which they simply enter into the system to unlock their medicine.
“The public healthcare system is so often under strain, and Pelebox can take a lot of pressure off clinics who fill repeat prescriptions for regular patients,” says Hutiri. “To be considered among thousands of innovators and entrepreneurs that would have applied for this prize is a testament to the work that we are doing on the ground in leveraging technology to serve people. Our vision is to create and promote inclusive technologies solving challenging issues in health. We feel that we are well positioned to solve the issue of long queues in clinics through technology that is patient-centric and easy to use.”
4IR Revolutions Health System (The Science Forum 2019, pg. 41)
