It is often said that the one can only be sure of two things, death and taxes. Well, I would like to add one more that is a sure thing for any mortal. Falling sick. In as much as we do all the right things like exercise, eat right. Diesel fumes from a smoky matatu or a flu bug in a stuffy matatu (what is it with people in matatus not opening windows anyways) won’t let us prosper. If you are a parent like me whose child has just started school, you know how it goes. Almost every other week your child is suffering from one ailment or the other as their immunity builds. It gets to a point that the guard at your local hospital knows and greets you by name.
The drill is get into the hospital, see a doctor after which they usually prescribe medicine for your child. I have come to learn from experience that the hospital pharmacies usually overcharge for their drugs. So rather than take medicine from their pharmacy, like most Kenyans I usually head to downtown where I know I will get a good deal on the drugs. However, when you get there on is usually met by long winding queues perhaps a testament of how shitty our healthcare system is. Not to mention that one has to walk around town clutching their prescription looking for the best deal. Even after getting the drugs and at a good depending on where you made the purchase it is like playing a game of Russian Roulette due to quality and safety issues.
What if I told you all these hustles were a thing of the past? That rather than go deal hunting when looking out for medication, one could just make an order from an app and the medication is delivered to your house in a jiffy!!How cool is that?? This follows the launch of the LIVIA app in Kenya, talk about convenience. Imagine all you have to do is upload your prescription on the app, make a payment and the drugs are delivered to your doorstep or to a pharmacy near you. If you have ever had to roam the streets of Nairobi looking for a particular medication for your loved one, you must be celebrating right now because I definitely am.
Here are a few of the benefits one gets from using LIVIA to source medication;
No more queuing
The pharmacies with the best deals in town always have long winding queues. You can imagine a situation where you are not feeling hundred percent and still have to queue while standing for more than 30 minutes. This is because the few available seats are already occupied by individuals who are worse off than you are so no help there. That would mean that by the time you are finally getting your medication you would end up feeling worse than before. This app ensures that you can do this at the comfort of your bed or couch as you catch up on your favorite series.
Convenience
Due to our busy lifestyles we usually find that we don’t have time to do even the simplest of things even walking into a pharmacy. With LIVIA, you can order for the drugs from wherever and have them delivered to where you are or in the event that you are making the purchase for someone else it can be delivered to them. Also in a situation where you are home alone and feeling too unwell to go out to buy meds, this app will sort you. In my case I can be able to buy medication for my child who is at home while seated in the office. For patients with illnesses that require one to take medication for a long time, the app has a feature that can remind you to make a refill. Have i mentioned that the app also allows one to make payment via Mpesa?
Quality
As I had mentioned before, buying medication from some of these pharmacies in downtown Nairobi and in the estates is a game of chance. However, when you use LIVIA you are assured of quality as they have partnered with Pharmacies that share their philosophy of offering quality medication. Basically LIVIA promises peace of mind while purchasing medication on their app. This also works for those people who are new to the country or are new to a town say Mombasa and are unsure of where to buy quality medication.
Affordability
When you upload your prescription onto the app, it searches for the medication in the carious pharmacies that have been listed and gives you the best deal. This saves you from walking from one pharmacy to the other looking for the best price. The app not only saves you time but also ensures you get the best value for money.
Real time consultation with a pharmacist
Even when you have a prescription, most Kenyans I find usually like to consult with a pharmacist. This is usually with the aim of ensuring that what has been prescribed is the best medication on offer. This app not only lets you buy medication from the comfort of your home but it also lets you consult a pharmacist real time before making the purchase. One can do this by calling the number of the pharmacist dispensing the medication that is usually displayed on the app for consultation.
Check out the LIVIA app here. The app is up and running in Mombasa but will be launched countrywide in June.