NC State’s Campus Health pharmacy has introduced a new mobile app aimed at improving accessibility and convenience for students, faculty and staff. The app, developed by RxLocal, offers features such as secure messaging with pharmacy staff, prescription refill requests and medication reminders.
Thomas Sinodis, Campus Health’s pharmacy director, said the new app is part of an upgrade to the company’s pharmacy management software.
“[It] integrates a lot more closely than our mobile options have in the past, so it can allow for a lot more transparency and ease of use from the patient’s perspective,” Sinodis said.
The app provides users with several functionalities designed to streamline their pharmacy experience on campus. Users can view their complete prescription history and details, access contact information for all healthcare providers who have prescribed medications and utilize a two-way secure text communication system to chat directly with pharmacy staff. Additionally, patients can request prescription refills through the app.
The pharmacy used another software with a partner app previously, but Sinodis said it was poorly optimized and not user-friendly.
Sinodis said one of the most significant improvements in the new app is its secure messaging feature.
“Our past text communication was not necessarily secure, so we couldn’t discuss types of medications or even the name of a medication over text previously,” Sinodis said.
The new app addresses this issue, allowing for more detailed and tailored communication. The secure messaging also caters to students’ busy schedules.
“A lot of times, if we have to call a student about something, maybe during class or not a great time for them,” Sinodis said. “So it allows them to communicate with us on their own time.”
Sinodis said the new app has received positive feedback for its intuitive interface.
“Everyone really appreciates how user-friendly it is and how easy it is to navigate and how readily available all your information is at your fingertips,” Sinodis said.
The app is available on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. A web portal offers the same functionality through any web browser.
Addressing privacy concerns, Sinodis said the app is housed on a HIPAA-secure server, providing the same level of security as all other pharmacy records.
Daniel Passonno, health educator at Campus Health, said to ensure widespread adoption, Campus Health has launched a comprehensive outreach campaign.
“We made billboard signs, social media posts and sent an email with more information and the billboard to all campus communicators at the university,” Passonno said.
Additionally, the pharmacy is distributing flyers with QR codes to help patients download the app.
While the app is fully released and in its production phase, Sinodis said that the developers continue to fine-tune it.
“As the company develops and adds to it, we’ll just take advantage of whatever else they add,” Sinodis said.
Looking ahead, Campus Health is planning broader technological improvements. Passonno said that the electronic medical record system used by the clinics is undergoing a major overhaul and is expected to be released within the next year.
The update is expected to modernize the online portal for lab results and appointment scheduling, making it more refined and functional.
Students, faculty and staff interested in using the new pharmacy app can download it from their respective app stores under the name “RxLocal” or access it through the web portal. For more information, visit the Campus Health pharmacy website.
