Discover: Echo

LONDON, United Kingdom — Revolutionary healthcare app Echo is leveraging the NHS Electronic Prescription Service to manage prescription requests for patients and save the NHS millions.

Currently working with 10 pharmacies across London and the South East, who can dispatch to anywhere in the UK, the innovative platform is a free service — with users only required to pay the standard prescription charge of £8.40 per item.

Started by a pair of former Apple and LloydsPharmacy executives, Echo has already won the backing of early-stage VC LocalGlobe. The firm, which has previously backed TransferWise, Lovefilm and Zoopla, led Echo’s £1.8m seed round in 2016, with investment also coming from Global Founders Capital.

The app, which is supported by research, claims to make life easier for people on long-term medication by removing the hassle of repeat prescription management. Users make requests via the app which are sent to their existing NHS GP for approval. Once approved, prescriptions are sent to Echo’s partner pharmacies for dispensing, and dispatched by Royal Mail.

According to Dr. Sai Lakshmi, CEO of Echo, “half of all under 65s now take a repeat prescription but the pressures of juggling kids and careers means many are not taking their medication properly,” which is a huge drain on the NHS.

With Echo, the whole process of requesting, obtaining and managing a prescription is transferred to the user’s smartphone. The goal being to simplify things, maximise medication possession and minimise fuss.

“With UK smartphone penetration passing 80%, there’s a huge opportunity to use mobile technology to nudge people towards better health. We want to make adherence the path of least resistance, significantly improving health outcomes and reducing waste,” argues Dr. Lakshmi

During 2017 Echo plans on developing its technology to provide more advanced tools for even better medication management. The team is also busy working on launching via Android to increase access and availability for new customers.

“Echo ultimately aims to bring a dated healthcare service into the 21st century, and knows that hybridizing technology and healthcare will provide the best possible service for people living with long-term health conditions,” says Dr. Lakshmi.

Discover more about Echo at: www.echo.co.uk