Pharmacy2U
is today launching Medicine Stocker Checker; a tool to help patients check drug availability when requesting their NHS prescriptions online. It follows new research from the nation’s largest online pharmacy that reveals a third of patients
(37%) on repeat prescriptions have faced delays obtaining medication in the past year.

Pharmacy2U’s new digital Medicine Stock Checker enables customers to check the availability of their prescribed medication and see if it is in stock, out of
stock, or discontinued. It
aims to give patients the same control over their prescribed drugs as they expect when ordering other goods online.  

Phil Day, Superintendent Pharmacist at Pharmacy2U,
said: “We understand the challenges patients face with medication delays and shortages. I am proud to launch our new Medicine Stock
Checker, a Pharmacy2U innovation that provides patients with current updates on their prescriptions’ availability. This service empowers patients to manage their treatment confidently, ensuring timely access to vital medicines. Through digital solutions, we
are committed to making healthcare more transparent and reliable for all.”

Pharmacy2U developed the tool in response to widespread issues faced by NHS patients in obtaining their medication on time. Its research found that one in
three patients with a repeat prescription (37%) had to wait to receive their medication from a pharmacy in the last 12 months.

Among those who faced delays, four
in five (79%) waited more than a day for their medication to become available, while one in ten (10%) said it never arrived, and they had to go elsewhere. Two-thirds of patients (63%)
felt waiting for their medication affected their health, and a fifth (21%) said the delay had a significant impact.

Patients also highlighted poor communication as a factor when trying to source prescribed drugs and called for more transparency. Less than half (46%) believe
their pharmacy does a good job of updating them on their medication’s availability. This follows a NHS England report which
estimates that almost one in two calls (45%) to community pharmacies are from people checking on their prescriptions.2

A quarter (27%) agree
that a stock checker service would be extremely helpful, while a third (32%) believe that the process of fulfilling a prescription online should be as straightforward as ordering other goods and services online.

New and existing customers can now check the availability of medication before ordering or it or even signing up for a Pharmacy2U account. They can order
and manage prescriptions and receive reorder reminders from the app to prevent missed and delayed medication. Users can then monitor their delivery in real time and have it delivered anywhere in England for free using Royal Mail’s Tracked service. 

Kevin Heath, CEO of Pharmacy2U, added: “As
the nation’s largest online pharmacy and the third-largest dispenser of prescription medication in the UK, I hope this added transparency makes it easier for patients to track down the medication they need. We want to put patients in control of their healthcare,
working alongside the NHS to deliver digital tools that empower patients through prompt diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of conditions.”