Patients in England Can Now Track Prescription Status with New Amazon-Style Service
A new feature has been introduced to the NHS app, allowing patients in England to track the status of their prescriptions in real-time, similar to tracking a parcel delivery. This update aims to reduce the administrative burden on pharmacies and allow staff to focus on providing essential health services.
According to NHS England, around 45% of phone calls to community pharmacies are from patients chasing prescriptions. The new feature, which is part of the NHS app, will enable patients to track if their medicines are ready to collect or have been dispatched for delivery. This service is expected to free up pharmacists’ time, allowing them to spend more time assisting patients.
The idea behind this feature is to provide patients with more control over their healthcare. As Health Secretary Wes Streeting said, "If patients can track the journey of their food shop, they should be able to do the same with their prescriptions." He added that by harnessing the power of modern technology, patients will save time, and pharmacists will be able to focus on providing vital services.
The new feature is already available in almost 1,500 high street pharmacies, including Boots, and is expected to expand to nearly 5,000 pharmacies over the next 12 months. Dr. Vin Diwakar, clinical transformation director at NHS England, explained that the new prescription tracking feature in the NHS app offers patients more control over their healthcare. "You will now get a near real-time update in the app that lets you know when your medicine is ready so you can avoid unnecessary trips or leaving it until the last minute to collect," he said.
The service has been welcomed by pharmacy professionals, with Anne Higgins, pharmacy director at Boots, stating that patients can now view the journey of their prescription at every key step of the process. This will remove the need for patients to call the pharmacy team for updates on their prescription, allowing them to spend more time with patients and deliver vital services like NHS Pharmacy First.
The National Pharmacy Association has also responded positively to the announcement, with chairman Olivier Picard describing prescription tracking as "a game-changer." He added that anything that allows pharmacies to focus on delivering first-class patient care, rather than spending time on phone calls to provide prescription status updates, is welcome news.
The NHS app has 37.4 million registered users, with an average of 11.4 million people using it to manage their healthcare every month. The app also allows patients to use a barcode to collect their prescription, while the number of repeat prescriptions ordered through the app increased by 40% to 5.5 million between April 2024 and April 2025.
As reported by Kent Online, the new feature is part of a broader effort to harness the power of technology to improve patient care. With the NHS app, patients can now track their prescriptions, order repeat prescriptions, and access their medical records, making it easier for them to manage their healthcare.
The introduction of this new feature has been seen as a positive development by healthcare professionals and patients alike. As Kent Online reported, the service is expected to expand to more pharmacies in the coming months, making it easier for patients across the country to access this convenient service.
The NHS England’s effort to improve patient care through technology has been acknowledged by healthcare professionals. According to Kent Online, Dr. Vin Diwakar said, "We know that people want more control over how they manage their healthcare and the new prescription tracking feature in the NHS app offers exactly that."
In conclusion, the new Amazon-style service introduced to the NHS app allows patients in England to track the status of their prescriptions in real-time. This update aims to reduce the administrative burden on pharmacies and allow staff to focus on providing essential health services. As reported by Kent Online, the service has been welcomed by healthcare professionals and patients alike, and is expected to expand to more pharmacies in the coming months.
