Access to medication is a problem in Indonesia, where pharmacies are understocked and there is no central system of communication between dispensaries. The situation is particularly acute outside of the big cities, and prescriptions are often met with helpless shrugs from pharmacists who simply do not have the drugs to dispense. For people who depend on regular prescriptions this can be a very serious issue.
ProSehat, founded by Doctor Gregorious Bimantro, is an online pharmacy that will give Indonesians the access to medicines they lack. Patients can simply scan or upload a photograph of their prescription to the website, and an online database is consulted to ascertain which pharmacy stocks the right medication. The prescription is processed by the selected pharmacy and the medicine is sent directly to the patient's home address. Doctors can order the medication on behalf of patients who do not have internet access. The patient pays for the prescription in cash on delivery.
Bimantro is in the early stages with his start-up. An initial version of the service is currently available for patients to try out, and for the moment delivery of medication is free. However, the company plans to charge for this in due course. The next step is to develop a subscription function for repeat prescriptions, which will be a lifeline to people on long-term medication. ProSehat's eventual goal is to improve Indonesia's healthcare system and reduce the risk of fraud by pushing for the incorporation of e-prescriptions.
ProSehat has been selected to represent Indonesia at the Seedstars finals in Geneva in 2016, where they will compete against start-ups from around the world to pitch for a USD 500,000 grand prize.
Image 'Mother & Sun' courtesy of Khanh Hmoong.