Community Pharmacy Network

This page describes the community pharmacy network from which patients can get emergency medicines.

Background: The Medicine Delivery System that is currently operational at Ernakulam District Emergency Center is physically located at IMA House Kaloor. This is being managed by a team of doctors who also manage the tele-medicine system. There are ~260 volunteers who are on the ground for physical pick up and delivery of medicines

There are three methods by which demand for medicine is accessed and then being delivered to patients who require the same.

#1. Centralised Call Center -> PHC -> Patient (for medicines that are government supplied) The system where people who need medicines call up the control room number. From this place, the doctors take the prescription, write a physical medicine prescription, apply a seal and then send it to a PHC.

At the PHC, they arrange the medicine either from their own stock or from a nearby medical store if the medicine is out of stock.

Then there is a list of volunteers whose mobile numbers are with the PHC.

From this list, the PHC calls a volunteer who picks this up and then delivers this to the address of the patient. The dispatch in this case is from the PHC.

#2. Centralised Call Center -> Volunteer -> Medical Store -> Patient (for medicines that are government supplied)

In this scenario, the call center receives a call for medicines which are not government supplied and the patient is willing to pay for the medicine.

The call center doctors take the prescription which is then send to volunteer over whatsapp. The call center then informs a volunteer who picks up the medicine from a Medical Store and delivers it to the patient.

The dispatch in this case is from the Centralised Facility.

#3. Centralised Call Center (Hemophilia/Cancer/Organ Transplant patients) -> Volunteer -> Patient House to take registration details/id card -> Hospital to get prescription and seal of doctor ->Karunya Medical Store -> Patient (for medicines that are government supplied)

There is a special group of patients who have been entered in the Karunya Benevolent Fund (KBF). These medicines have a stricter process as described above and these are life saving and costly medicines. The despatch in this case is from the Centralised Facility but there is a route system where there has to be pickup from Patients, house and then to hospital for prescription and seal by the doctor -> and then to Karunya Medical Storye-> Patient House for delivery. Critical and High Priority for ~80 patients in EKM District.

There are five Karunya’s in Ernakulam district 1. General Hospital Ernakulam

2. Medical College, Kalamasserry

3. Taluk Hospital, North Paravur

4. Taluk Hospital, Perumbavur

5. Taluk Hospital, Angamaly.

-- Things to do

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1. We have to create systems that are easy for centralised facility as well as PHC’s to despatch volunteers as per the needs above.