New function added to pharmacy mobile app "TouchMed"
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The Hospital Authority (HA) launched a new barcode scanning function today (January 14) in its mobile app "TouchMed" to provide instant information on drugs.
The HA spokesman said, "Patients may use the newly added function 'My Medication' in the app to scan the barcode on the right of a drug label issued by a public hospital/clinic pharmacy. Information including the name, main indications and possible side effects of the drug will be displayed instantly. There is also a newly added function, 'General Medication Tips', which provides general precautionary information on the use of drugs."
The above-mentioned enhancements will enable patients to obtain the requisite information on their medications at any time. "The HA will initially provide information on drugs used in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and will cover other oral drugs and inhalers under the HA Drug Formulary in phases within this year.
The spokesman added that multimedia information, such as video and audio recordings, will also be included in the app later on to provide clear illustrations on the use of drugs.
"TouchMed" was launched in 2014 to facilitate enquiry on the collection status of drugs dispensed in specialist outpatient clinic pharmacies of public hospitals. Patients may, upon entering their ticket numbers in the app, check the processing status of their medications anytime, anywhere. The app will send notification alerts to the patients concerned once the drugs are ready for collection. Patients may then make more flexible use of their time while waiting for their medications.
"TouchMed" can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store (requires iOS version 8.0 or above) or Google Play (requires Android version 4.2 or above) and it is available in traditional Chinese and English. Patients who have already downloaded the app will need to update it to the latest version in order to use the above-mentioned newly added functions.
Ends/Saturday, January 14, 2017
Issued at HKT 12:00
Issued at HKT 12:00
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