New NI-built pharmacy app can save NHS £1.7bn, claim founders
Neil Sharpe and Stephen Toland have launched ConsultTed following a six-figure investment and said it gives community pharmacies the ability to manage minor illnesses like sore throats, coughs and stomach bugs "directly and safely'.
The app encourages patients to use pharmacies as a first port of call, therefore easing pressures on GPs and hospitals.
It's already used in some pharmacies here, with a full roll-out planned across the island of Ireland by August.
The co-founders said the platform could boost the UK economy by £350m a year by cutting workplace absences and providing pharmacies with up to £30,000 in annual added income but without increasing their workload.
Mr Toland said: 'Community pharmacies have untapped potential to ease pressure on our healthcare system.
'With ConsultTed, we're giving them the digital tools to deliver safe, same-day treatment for minor illnesses without the need to see a GP.'
The pair said that over 30 million GP and hospital appointments in the UK last year 'could have been handled by pharmacies without a prescription'.
ConsulTed is in beta testing and launching pilot sites across the Republic in the coming weeks, while it's been showcased in London, Dublin and New York.
The co-founders are part of the AMP Growth Incubator at Derry's Ebrington complex, and have secured a place on Invest NI's Founder Labs Programme.
Mr Sharpe, who works in a pharmacist in Donaghcloney in Co Down, said: 'Our goal is to make ConsultTed the go-to minor illness platform across the UK and Ireland.
'We're actively seeking partnerships with healthcare providers, policymakers and pharmacy groups to help make pharmacy-first care the new normal.'
Mr Toland, a pharmacist in Derry, was named Pharmacist of the Year at the Pharmacy in Focus NI Awards in March.
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